Mary describes growing up and family life on a farm on the Morton Mains Estate, near Waituna. Her parents died when she was 20 years old and she and her 18-year-old sister brought up her younger siblings. She talks about the opening of the Oteramika Hall. Mary describes industries in the area: dairy factories, the sugar of milk factory at Edendale and a tinned rabbit factory and linen flax mill in Woodlands. She married a neighbour, Alexander McMillan and moved to his farm in Waituna where she stayed until moving into Invercargill in later life.