Overview In this interview Kitty recalls family history, her education which included being one of the first pupils at Owaka District High School, a school that her father and the local Doctor fought to get started. On leaving school Kitty trained to be a teacher. She also details memories of marriage and children and the new home they built after her mother-in-law’s house burnt down. It cost £750.00 to build. Kitty reflects on services, communication and leisure activities of the time in the 1930s e.g....

Overview Processing Note: This collection is awaiting arrangement and description. Please contact Archives staff for details of collection content.

Overview In this interview Russell talks of family history, his life and education around the Catlins. He has had a passion for railway since childhood. Russell describes local history around Taukuku e.g. whaling, Maori settlement and ship wrecks. He also describes farming on Peninsula, saw milling, and medical treatments and diseases. At the age of 15 Russell joined the railways as a labourer where he studied and gained qualifications. He found his niche with the Kingston Flyer in 1971 and describes...

Overview This interview is part of the Awarua Radio Communications Museum collection. In this interview Jack tells his family history before going onto to describe in detail his work for the Post Office in particular his time spent at Awarua Radio Station during WW2 where he used his qualifications with morse code. During this time, he also had to learn Japanese Morse Code. After the war he returned to Post Office duties in various towns around the south before retiring at the age of 57. He speaks of...

Overview Edna talks about family history and life when growing up. She talks about the vegetable garden, helping her father in the dairy factory where he was manager, games played and chores as a child. She describes her father’s work and the operation of the factory and cheese making. She details her mother’s role in the home and goes onto talk about her education until leaving school at 15. Her out of school activities included going to Balclutha to learn music and going to Dunedin to learn...

Overview This interview was commissioned by Women's Division of Federated Farmers for a project entitled Pioneer Women. Violet Elizabeth Peggy Soderstrom was born Torquay, England. In this interview Peggy gives her family background - father a teacher at Torquay School of Art. She describes her education at a Convent School run by French Nuns, her first employment and her enlistment as a WREN in 1916 at Torquay. She gives her reasons for coming to New Zealand and mentions the Victorious Scheme for the...