Abstract of Alice May STUART, 2020
Item — Box: 13
Identifier: H02850002
Abstract
ALICE MAY STUART
Interviewer: Valarie Miller
Abstractor: Judith Christie
Date: 26 September 1999
TRACK ONE
00.00 BORN 20 January 1914 at GUMMIES BUSH. FATHER GEORGE WILLIS, occupation farmer. MOTHER CHRISTINA ROBERTA JANE ANDERSON, born 24 October 1880.
01.10 Father’s parents GEORGE AND ANNIE WILLIS married in County Wessex, on 6 June 1870 and SAILED TO NEW ZEALAND on the PETER DENNY with a one year old daughter EMILY. Arrived in DUNEDIN, and quarantined before coming to BLUFF on 6 August 1864.
02.20 Parents worked at BEAUMONT (?) STATION with 28,000 sheep. Two years later, took up land at GUMMIES BUSH. Managed the FLOUR MILL on MILL HILL.
04.10 Four more CHILDREN BORN, including self’s father GEORGE WILLIS in 1874.
04.20 1884 bought WESTFIELD FARM, adding land later. Today farmed by BRENDAN WILLIS, fifth generation. Self born at Westfield, mother assisted by neighbour during birth.
05.00 Parents very hospitable. Welcomed travellers. Lots of VEGETABLES and a FRUIT ORCHARD. Killed their own MEAT.
06.10 HOUSE built by parents. Three bedrooms with a COLONIAL OVEN describes. Family of eight, girls in one room, boys in the other. House panelled with wood.
08.15 MOTHER HANDYWOMAN – sewing and crochet. Describes laundry procedure and soap making. Bath in front of open fire.
09.30 Girl employed to work, and a man to work on the farm. Self and siblings paid one penny a cow for milking.
10.10 ELECTRICITY installed in 1925. Before that, lamps used. Describes
11.00 MILKING MACHINES installed in 1925.
11.40 Children attended GUMMIES BUSH SCHOOL, in 1925 new teacher said they were not well taught – nobody passed end of year exams. Lunch wrapped in flour bag material.
13.10 Mother made BUTTER – self recently demonstrated the making of butter at a Thornbury vintage rally. Bread made at home.
14.30 Rode to school on the MILK CART, and then walked home after school for three kilometres. Two horses used, as hill to school steep. Once when travelling on a cart, horse died climbing the hill.
16.00 GUMMIES BUSH SCHOOL had three different floor levels, long desks, and two teachers. Heated by open fire. Girls and boys both received CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. FAVOURITE GAMES hopscotch, skipping and rounders. Played basketball and tennis. SCHOOL PICNICS every year, won prizes in running. Social occasion with other schools attending.
18.50 HOLIDAYS special. 1924 Anderson grandmother took self to the TAIERI for a holiday at Wingatui. Attended the 1924 EXHIBITION, travelling there by train.
19.45 Attended RIVERTON REGATTA on Boxing Day every year – special time. Also attended RIVERTON CARNIVALS at New Year. Once a display of old frocks.
21.00 Family hired a taxi to take them to the regatta. A SPECIAL TRAIN from Invercargill travelled there, stopping behind where the Senior Citizens Centre is now. Popular because HOTELS WERE NOT ‘DRY’ as in Invercargill. Describes regatta day.
22.50 Very few houses around at The Rocks in the 1920s.
23.15 Family owned a black pony, which was used to pull the gig and the spring cart. Also rode the pony bareback. Turnips grown to feed the animals in the winter.
24.40 Owned BICYCLES, which were used to travel to Riverton to attend MANUAL CLASSES - cooking woodwork and metalwork.
25.00 Accident once playing with a steel gamble(?)
25.20 Attended PEACE CELEBRATIONS at the end of WWI when aged five. Describes
26.15 Riverton had a BRASS BAND. Also the WAIMATUKU PIPE BAND.
26.40 Self had THREE UNCLES OVERSEAS IN WWI, along with an uncle in camp training. One uncle (Rob) died in the war.
27.30 Teenage years happy. Played sport, joined DEBATING SOCIETY. Attended country dances. Church involvement.
28.50 Did not attend high school. Self applied for NURSING TRAINING at age 19 at Riverton Hospital. Kew Hospital had a waiting list of 200 for trainees. Worked in private maternity hospitals in Invercargill.
30.40 Married GORDON STEWART on 14 August 1935.
31.00 Paid wages of £1/16/2d a month as a nurse, bought a bicycle and a pair of shoes. Discussion re shop hours.
32.20 Met Gordon when nursing - he was a patient with appendicitis. Also nursed a school friend called GEORGE PETERSON.
33.05 Met Gordon again at a dance. Engagement ring cost two cows sold by Gordon - £35. Gordon owned a farm at Otaitai Bush. Describes Gordon’s family.
35.00 Describes district dances.
36.00 Describes WEDDING DRESS, veil and flowers. Gift evening held before the wedding. Self had a glory box, bought from STRANGS in Invercargill. Wedding day at RYAL BUSH METHODIST CHURCH, followed by a dance in GUMMIES BUSH HALL. 100 guests. BRIDESMAIDS were SISTER CHRISSIE and friend ENA HALL. GORDON’S BROTHER BOB and PETER FLECK BEST MEN. When leaving for honeymoon, car lights broke down, but drove to the GRAND HOTEL in Invercargill anyway. Went to Timaru.
40.50 Continued DAIRY FARMING until 1974. Milked morning and evening. Last to sell the cows – most people had moved to SHEEP.
41.45 Describes different CARS OWNED.
42.40 Describes RATIONING during WWII. Food parcels and knitting were sent overseas and raised money. To save petrol, would bike to the station and travel to Invercargill by train for the day.
45.30 Oldest two children went to school by train. 1944 school bus service started.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.00 WWII – TWO BROTHERS SERVED OVERSEAS. One brother awarded MEDAL FOR BRAVERY in Egypt in 1944. GORDON’S TWO OLDER BROTHERS served in the air force, both killed in 1940 and 1941, aged around 18.
01.40 Funds were raised for RIVERTON PROJECTS, including the Riverton Carnival. Parades held through the town. Describes. JACK MCKENZIE and JACK ANDERSON involved.
03.30 Good family times in the 1940s and 1950s – swimming at TEMPLETON BEACH. MOTORBIKE RACING held there.
04.30 Milking time – children found chewing gum in cows’ pockets on its flanks hidden by self.
05.10 AWARDED QUEENS SERVICE MEDAL in 1981 and presented by Queen Elizabeth II. Accepted it on behalf of Riverton. Describes
06.45 64 years involvement in Women’s Division of Federated Farmers (WDFF) now called Rural Women – life member since 1980. Also involved with CRIPPLED CHILDREN, RED CROSS, MEALS ON WHEELS, RIVERTON SENIOR CITIZENS and CHURCH. In 1999 RIVERTON LIONS CLUB presented self with a CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE, along with GAY ROBINSON and BOB BLACK. Describes. Lions Club very active in Riverton.
08.45 Gordon and self left Otaitai Bush farm when oldest son Kenneth married in 1982. Lived on second son Bruce’s farm at Thornbury for two years. Gordon died there, and self lived there for another two years until 1986. Then had a TOWNHOUSE built at 37 Palmerston Street, Riverton. Next to PAUA SHELL built by Mr McCabe and family and featured on 1999 40c stamps.
10.40 Self remains very busy in retirement. Sixteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
End of Track Two
End of Interview
Interviewer: Valarie Miller
Abstractor: Judith Christie
Date: 26 September 1999
TRACK ONE
00.00 BORN 20 January 1914 at GUMMIES BUSH. FATHER GEORGE WILLIS, occupation farmer. MOTHER CHRISTINA ROBERTA JANE ANDERSON, born 24 October 1880.
01.10 Father’s parents GEORGE AND ANNIE WILLIS married in County Wessex, on 6 June 1870 and SAILED TO NEW ZEALAND on the PETER DENNY with a one year old daughter EMILY. Arrived in DUNEDIN, and quarantined before coming to BLUFF on 6 August 1864.
02.20 Parents worked at BEAUMONT (?) STATION with 28,000 sheep. Two years later, took up land at GUMMIES BUSH. Managed the FLOUR MILL on MILL HILL.
04.10 Four more CHILDREN BORN, including self’s father GEORGE WILLIS in 1874.
04.20 1884 bought WESTFIELD FARM, adding land later. Today farmed by BRENDAN WILLIS, fifth generation. Self born at Westfield, mother assisted by neighbour during birth.
05.00 Parents very hospitable. Welcomed travellers. Lots of VEGETABLES and a FRUIT ORCHARD. Killed their own MEAT.
06.10 HOUSE built by parents. Three bedrooms with a COLONIAL OVEN describes. Family of eight, girls in one room, boys in the other. House panelled with wood.
08.15 MOTHER HANDYWOMAN – sewing and crochet. Describes laundry procedure and soap making. Bath in front of open fire.
09.30 Girl employed to work, and a man to work on the farm. Self and siblings paid one penny a cow for milking.
10.10 ELECTRICITY installed in 1925. Before that, lamps used. Describes
11.00 MILKING MACHINES installed in 1925.
11.40 Children attended GUMMIES BUSH SCHOOL, in 1925 new teacher said they were not well taught – nobody passed end of year exams. Lunch wrapped in flour bag material.
13.10 Mother made BUTTER – self recently demonstrated the making of butter at a Thornbury vintage rally. Bread made at home.
14.30 Rode to school on the MILK CART, and then walked home after school for three kilometres. Two horses used, as hill to school steep. Once when travelling on a cart, horse died climbing the hill.
16.00 GUMMIES BUSH SCHOOL had three different floor levels, long desks, and two teachers. Heated by open fire. Girls and boys both received CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. FAVOURITE GAMES hopscotch, skipping and rounders. Played basketball and tennis. SCHOOL PICNICS every year, won prizes in running. Social occasion with other schools attending.
18.50 HOLIDAYS special. 1924 Anderson grandmother took self to the TAIERI for a holiday at Wingatui. Attended the 1924 EXHIBITION, travelling there by train.
19.45 Attended RIVERTON REGATTA on Boxing Day every year – special time. Also attended RIVERTON CARNIVALS at New Year. Once a display of old frocks.
21.00 Family hired a taxi to take them to the regatta. A SPECIAL TRAIN from Invercargill travelled there, stopping behind where the Senior Citizens Centre is now. Popular because HOTELS WERE NOT ‘DRY’ as in Invercargill. Describes regatta day.
22.50 Very few houses around at The Rocks in the 1920s.
23.15 Family owned a black pony, which was used to pull the gig and the spring cart. Also rode the pony bareback. Turnips grown to feed the animals in the winter.
24.40 Owned BICYCLES, which were used to travel to Riverton to attend MANUAL CLASSES - cooking woodwork and metalwork.
25.00 Accident once playing with a steel gamble(?)
25.20 Attended PEACE CELEBRATIONS at the end of WWI when aged five. Describes
26.15 Riverton had a BRASS BAND. Also the WAIMATUKU PIPE BAND.
26.40 Self had THREE UNCLES OVERSEAS IN WWI, along with an uncle in camp training. One uncle (Rob) died in the war.
27.30 Teenage years happy. Played sport, joined DEBATING SOCIETY. Attended country dances. Church involvement.
28.50 Did not attend high school. Self applied for NURSING TRAINING at age 19 at Riverton Hospital. Kew Hospital had a waiting list of 200 for trainees. Worked in private maternity hospitals in Invercargill.
30.40 Married GORDON STEWART on 14 August 1935.
31.00 Paid wages of £1/16/2d a month as a nurse, bought a bicycle and a pair of shoes. Discussion re shop hours.
32.20 Met Gordon when nursing - he was a patient with appendicitis. Also nursed a school friend called GEORGE PETERSON.
33.05 Met Gordon again at a dance. Engagement ring cost two cows sold by Gordon - £35. Gordon owned a farm at Otaitai Bush. Describes Gordon’s family.
35.00 Describes district dances.
36.00 Describes WEDDING DRESS, veil and flowers. Gift evening held before the wedding. Self had a glory box, bought from STRANGS in Invercargill. Wedding day at RYAL BUSH METHODIST CHURCH, followed by a dance in GUMMIES BUSH HALL. 100 guests. BRIDESMAIDS were SISTER CHRISSIE and friend ENA HALL. GORDON’S BROTHER BOB and PETER FLECK BEST MEN. When leaving for honeymoon, car lights broke down, but drove to the GRAND HOTEL in Invercargill anyway. Went to Timaru.
40.50 Continued DAIRY FARMING until 1974. Milked morning and evening. Last to sell the cows – most people had moved to SHEEP.
41.45 Describes different CARS OWNED.
42.40 Describes RATIONING during WWII. Food parcels and knitting were sent overseas and raised money. To save petrol, would bike to the station and travel to Invercargill by train for the day.
45.30 Oldest two children went to school by train. 1944 school bus service started.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.00 WWII – TWO BROTHERS SERVED OVERSEAS. One brother awarded MEDAL FOR BRAVERY in Egypt in 1944. GORDON’S TWO OLDER BROTHERS served in the air force, both killed in 1940 and 1941, aged around 18.
01.40 Funds were raised for RIVERTON PROJECTS, including the Riverton Carnival. Parades held through the town. Describes. JACK MCKENZIE and JACK ANDERSON involved.
03.30 Good family times in the 1940s and 1950s – swimming at TEMPLETON BEACH. MOTORBIKE RACING held there.
04.30 Milking time – children found chewing gum in cows’ pockets on its flanks hidden by self.
05.10 AWARDED QUEENS SERVICE MEDAL in 1981 and presented by Queen Elizabeth II. Accepted it on behalf of Riverton. Describes
06.45 64 years involvement in Women’s Division of Federated Farmers (WDFF) now called Rural Women – life member since 1980. Also involved with CRIPPLED CHILDREN, RED CROSS, MEALS ON WHEELS, RIVERTON SENIOR CITIZENS and CHURCH. In 1999 RIVERTON LIONS CLUB presented self with a CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE, along with GAY ROBINSON and BOB BLACK. Describes. Lions Club very active in Riverton.
08.45 Gordon and self left Otaitai Bush farm when oldest son Kenneth married in 1982. Lived on second son Bruce’s farm at Thornbury for two years. Gordon died there, and self lived there for another two years until 1986. Then had a TOWNHOUSE built at 37 Palmerston Street, Riverton. Next to PAUA SHELL built by Mr McCabe and family and featured on 1999 40c stamps.
10.40 Self remains very busy in retirement. Sixteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
End of Track Two
End of Interview
Dates
- 2020
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Miller, Valerie (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
