Abstract of Adrian Rex LIDDELL, 2023
Item — Box: 35
Identifier: H03190002
Abstract
ADRIAN REX LIDDELL
Interviewer: Gordon Duston
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 10 April 2017
TRACK One
00:00 Interview identification
01.30 Born In Invercargill in 1928 at ST HELENS MATERNITY HOME in Nelson Street. Family lived in Fox Street, shifting to Beatrice Street after self left home and married.
02.30 Undertook a five year ELECTRICAL APPRENTICESHIP with private firm called NORMAN MELVIN (?), opposite the RSA in Deveron Street. Two electricians and three apprentices employed. Working conditions totally different, less regulation. Work was mainly residential. Worked on the GRAND HOTEL, DESCHLERS HOTEL, SOUTH INVERCARGILL HOTEL and SOUTHLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL. Describes.
05.20 Joined POST OFFICE in June 1950 and was the only electrician. Variety of work. Periods away in Wellington, two periods in Christchurch to learn STEP BY STEP EXCHANGES. Describes
08.30 Carried out work on the RINGERS at ST ALBANS, REDCLIFFS, CHRISTCHURCH CENTRAL and FENDALTON EXCHANGES. Trained by GEORGE GILLES.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.00 First visit to CHRISTCHURCH, self boarded with Aunt and Uncle and paid $2/10 a week, increased it to $3/10. Problems from Post Office management about increase in board.
02.00 Lots of new exchanges in Christchurch, rotary first then step exchange. Describes. Self carried out work on air conditioning and other work.
04.30 DONALD BRUCE MCKAY was the ? in the workshops. ALF ELLISON and DON MCGUINNESS were telephone repairers and were Orangemen. Describes
06.00 Describes Bruce McKay’s new car, which he painted blue.
07.30 Self travelled to MILFORD SOUND for work, gravel road. Describes
09.30 Would open three sacks of OYSTERS per week in the workshops, self would count them out for distribution.
11.10 SNOW NAPIER was the leading Mechanic – Electrical and self was the workshop’s welfare officer. Applied for money for Snow’s cat from the benevolent fund.
12.00 In 1955, AWARUA RADIO installed a five channel Phillips radio transmitters. (self married in 1955) Received a BAD ELECTRICAL SHOCK from a transmitter describes
14.00 Silent periods on the receivers. ERNIE HANCOCK mentions. Mentions flashes out of PUYSEGUR.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.00 Ten workers went to Milford Sound – ERNIE HANCOCK, DONALD QUINTON-TAYLOR, IVAN BRAELEY, SWAN (?) MINCHER, RON CANDLE, ADRIAN LIDDELL, JOHN HALL, ALVIE BAILEY and IRISH KENEALLEY. Stayed in JOHNSTONS CAMP and stayed at the hotel. Describes an episode ‘going under the floor’. Had to run cable across the airfield describes
03.10 STEWART ISLAND had a submarine cable and had a backup radio. Only three of the four cables on the cable network worked. STEWART ISLAND POSTMASTER was STAN RICHARDSON from WAIMAHAKA.
04.10 ALAN GILCHRIST, who retired to Kaiapoi, told self the story about a fisherman and a dog describes this and other stories about dogs.
07.15 Self wired up the new POST OFFICE on STEWART ISLAND. Describes Wall of the new Post Office went on fire. Describes telegraph section.
09.30 When cabling, disagreement with others about legality. Describes
11.20 Describes working on the corner of Dee and Lowe Streets with FRED BENZIE.
12.50 STEWART ISLAND EXCHANGE was on DIESEL POWER, shut at midnight during the week and at 8.00 pm or 10.00 pm on Sundays, starting up again at 6.00 am each day.
13.30 AUTOMATIC EXCHANGE on Stewart Island built was long and narrow. Describes
End of Track Three
TRACK FOUR
00.00 Brief information about Stewart Island exchange.
End of Track Four
Interviewer: Gordon Duston
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 10 April 2017
TRACK One
00:00 Interview identification
01.30 Born In Invercargill in 1928 at ST HELENS MATERNITY HOME in Nelson Street. Family lived in Fox Street, shifting to Beatrice Street after self left home and married.
02.30 Undertook a five year ELECTRICAL APPRENTICESHIP with private firm called NORMAN MELVIN (?), opposite the RSA in Deveron Street. Two electricians and three apprentices employed. Working conditions totally different, less regulation. Work was mainly residential. Worked on the GRAND HOTEL, DESCHLERS HOTEL, SOUTH INVERCARGILL HOTEL and SOUTHLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL. Describes.
05.20 Joined POST OFFICE in June 1950 and was the only electrician. Variety of work. Periods away in Wellington, two periods in Christchurch to learn STEP BY STEP EXCHANGES. Describes
08.30 Carried out work on the RINGERS at ST ALBANS, REDCLIFFS, CHRISTCHURCH CENTRAL and FENDALTON EXCHANGES. Trained by GEORGE GILLES.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.00 First visit to CHRISTCHURCH, self boarded with Aunt and Uncle and paid $2/10 a week, increased it to $3/10. Problems from Post Office management about increase in board.
02.00 Lots of new exchanges in Christchurch, rotary first then step exchange. Describes. Self carried out work on air conditioning and other work.
04.30 DONALD BRUCE MCKAY was the ? in the workshops. ALF ELLISON and DON MCGUINNESS were telephone repairers and were Orangemen. Describes
06.00 Describes Bruce McKay’s new car, which he painted blue.
07.30 Self travelled to MILFORD SOUND for work, gravel road. Describes
09.30 Would open three sacks of OYSTERS per week in the workshops, self would count them out for distribution.
11.10 SNOW NAPIER was the leading Mechanic – Electrical and self was the workshop’s welfare officer. Applied for money for Snow’s cat from the benevolent fund.
12.00 In 1955, AWARUA RADIO installed a five channel Phillips radio transmitters. (self married in 1955) Received a BAD ELECTRICAL SHOCK from a transmitter describes
14.00 Silent periods on the receivers. ERNIE HANCOCK mentions. Mentions flashes out of PUYSEGUR.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.00 Ten workers went to Milford Sound – ERNIE HANCOCK, DONALD QUINTON-TAYLOR, IVAN BRAELEY, SWAN (?) MINCHER, RON CANDLE, ADRIAN LIDDELL, JOHN HALL, ALVIE BAILEY and IRISH KENEALLEY. Stayed in JOHNSTONS CAMP and stayed at the hotel. Describes an episode ‘going under the floor’. Had to run cable across the airfield describes
03.10 STEWART ISLAND had a submarine cable and had a backup radio. Only three of the four cables on the cable network worked. STEWART ISLAND POSTMASTER was STAN RICHARDSON from WAIMAHAKA.
04.10 ALAN GILCHRIST, who retired to Kaiapoi, told self the story about a fisherman and a dog describes this and other stories about dogs.
07.15 Self wired up the new POST OFFICE on STEWART ISLAND. Describes Wall of the new Post Office went on fire. Describes telegraph section.
09.30 When cabling, disagreement with others about legality. Describes
11.20 Describes working on the corner of Dee and Lowe Streets with FRED BENZIE.
12.50 STEWART ISLAND EXCHANGE was on DIESEL POWER, shut at midnight during the week and at 8.00 pm or 10.00 pm on Sundays, starting up again at 6.00 am each day.
13.30 AUTOMATIC EXCHANGE on Stewart Island built was long and narrow. Describes
End of Track Three
TRACK FOUR
00.00 Brief information about Stewart Island exchange.
End of Track Four
Dates
- 2023
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Duston, Gordon Thomas (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
