Overview Sarah Leitch was born at Colac Bay in 1908. In this interview Sarah describes her schooling and living for some time with the Cootes family of Otaki. She recalls returning home to Southland and working at hotels including the Grand Hotel and the Club Hotel and as a housekeeper for Mrs Lillicrap. Sarah talks about the Depression years and muttonbirding from Big South Cape and Puwai. Describes washing day. She recalls visiting her grandfather Henry Davis at Morven. She describes marrying at the...

Overview 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...

Overview Ivy talks about her family and childhood. She recalls looking after the family cows as a child. She worked at the Underwood Sugar of Milk factory after leaving school. After a housefire at their property in Makarewa, Ivy and her husband William John and their four children moved to Edendale. She recalls the biggest change in her life was the instillation of electricity.