Overview This interview was commissioned by Women's Division of Federated Farmers for a project entitled Pioneer Women. Susan Smith describes her family background and their emigration to New Zealand. She recalls early Otara, living in a 'bungi' (tree fern house) at Otara. She recalls the use of peat for fuel; her grandmother's cooking - sad cake, carrageen pudding made from seaweed and collecting carrageen during World War II for Greggs Ltd, Dunedin. She describes other farm tasks, including rabbiting,...

Overview In this short interview, Eric describes his time in the home guard in Tokonui at the start of World War II, when Eric was aged 16. Eric talks of being taught manoeuvres, morse code and semaphore. Eric joined the army at age 20, which ended his involvement with the home guard. In the second interview, Eric describes the early days farming at Longlands near Fortrose, including the crops grown and the people who worked on the farm.