ALISTAIR 'ACK' SOPER

Interviewer: Jenny Campbell

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes

Session 1: 14 July 2007

TRACK 1 00.08 Lifetime in ATHOL

00.18 Mother said hardest birth. Describes INVERCARGILL

00.54 Siblings: Ack born 1936, Neville, Adelle Winston born 1947

01.19 Childhood: born just after 'slump' War years still at school

01.43 Southland Show main outings

02.08 Father involved with rugby – played for SOUTHLAND, NORTHERN Remembers going to rugby games with father Bus trip to DUNEDIN for NZ game (?) Audrey SOPER, LUMSDEN HOCKEY TEAM (?) Describes BALFOUR

03.55 Working sheep dogs

04.48 Parents Clarence SOPER, May, teacher before marriage 1932 May born Oct 1907

04.57 Lived not far from store in ATHOL – sister living there

05.17 Grandfather got Ballot Block early 1900s RIVERVIEW 503 acres – Winston living there.

06.04 Uncle Harold, Dad, Uncle George, Sam stayed at ATHOL

06.18 LEN SOPER to MOSSBURN

06.37 Davis – TRANSPORT – killed in truck accident FIVE RIVERS

07.00 Partnership S SOPER & SONS

07.10 Bought land MID DOME

07.30 Uncle George, HAWTHORNE – Jean SOPER Ralph's wife

07.39 Uncle Harold, FIREY CREEK

08.04 Ack and Winston bought out Sam

08.21 Ack's family, Richard Christen, Nick in ENGLAND

08.30 Wife LYNDAL SELBY (?) married 1959 neighbour of SOPERS, FIVE RIVERS SCHOOL

09.40 ATHOL SCHOOL describes ROSEBANK, NOKOMAI SCHOOL

10.06 ROBIN and NOEL McLAUGHLIN (?)

10.47 RUGBY – JOHN BRADLEY, hockey player/rugby player – memories

11.10 ATHOL SCHOOL COMMITTEE ROGER JACKMAN mentioned

13.06 Primary School Rugby not able to play

13.48 WAITAKI BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL – Describes SOUTHLAND BOYS HIGH SCHOOL – no boarding school JOHN McGLASHAN, OTAGO BOYS' – Mentioned

END TRACK 1

TRACK 2

00.10 Mr LEADBEATER (?) WAITAKI BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL Fagging – Described

01.07 Loss of teeth playing rugby at Primary School – Incident and follow-up described

01.51 Lisp, effects of lost teeth

03.10 Lyndal (?) PHYSIOTHERAPY, Government subsidy and conditions re training for physiotherapy

03.38 OVERSEAS, ENGLAND, VIENNA – working holiday

04.10 SAVE THE CHILDREN Met sponsored child in VIENNA

04.48 VIENNA WOODS – Described visit ENGLAND

05.41 Living in ATHOL

05.48 Social Life – Screening of movies brought from BALFOUR

08.04 No television

08.12 Dances, Kitchen Evenings – described Two rugby playing visitors from ENGLAND ISAAC and GERALD COUGHLIN (?) CLIVE HACKING, LIONEL BAILEY (?) from ENGLAND. Involvement in RUGBY and work on farm

09.42 Effects of television on community life

10.03 Weather conditions: Winters of frosts and snow. Remembers 1foot 6 inches of snow. 3 feet of snow in 1939 at ATHOL causing rail problems

10.46 RAILWAY services, KINGSTON – mentioned Goods from INVERCARGILL

11.48 Introduction of 'BULKIES' to carry and spread fertiliser

12.13 FLOODS MATAURA RIVER, EYRE CREEK, KUI (?) CREEK PARAWA Need to move sheep from about 100 acres to higher ground – lambing time

14.05 CHEWINGS FESCUE – Described GUY CHEWINGS, MOSSBURN

END TRACK 2

TRACK 3

00.01 Continuation of CHEWINGS FESCUE – harvesting etc. Described NOKOMAI, PARAWA Harvesting profitable for families Cocksfoot in MOSSBURN – good money Sheep main income for SOPERS, Fescue cash crop

01.37 RAILWAY GLENORCHY, QUEENSTOWN, INVERCARGILL, KINGSTON DEVIL'S STAIRCASE put through in 1930s CENTRAL OTAGO ROUTE – Wagons

02.58 Three Railway Houses plus other local people with railways. Four to six families involved. Uncle on Railways.

03.48 Railway bus stop at GARSTON EYRE CREEK, GARSTON, KINGSTON – mentioned

04.46 Industry around farming Two school teachers, including an infant mistress

04.58 Erection of school house. Description of site

05.34 First shop and dwelling – PRICES and it successor Able to buy all groceries at ATHOL

07.28 WRIGHT STEPHENSON store in INVERCARGILL

07.38 DAVE & LANCE BROWN & Mr PICKERING store at LUMSDEN

08.00 LUMSDEN MAIL SERVICE, PARAWA POST OFFICE – Mentioned

08.19 GOLD MINING – still at Nokomai at the end of the war Dredging at Nokomai

09.24 Mining in paddocks using modern technology. Described L & M

11.07 Use of hydraulics and mechanisation – effects on community life.

11.23 Horses – six teams or draught horses (Clydesdales), breaking-in horses Ploughing and all agricultural work, pulling binders, RIVERVIEW

12.42 Stooking grain – header harvesters. Described

13.21 Effects of war on community – combining of people – support of neighbours and family, churches 2 Churches at GARSTON, 2 churches at ATHOL – Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Anglican. Good congregations then but not now

14.43 Casual workers – stookers – High school students or university people during holidays

END TRACK 3

TRACK 4

00.06 Stookers mostly 14 years and older, generally 13 to 18 year olds. Some of the locals for casual work – stooking, binder driving etc Wages – possibly two or three pounds per week plus keep. Mr DOBBIE married MARY

01.44 Effects of slumps (depressions) in 1930s and after first world war

END TRACK 4

SECOND INTERVIEW: 24TH NOVEMBER

Abstractor: Gil Berg

TRACK 1

00.35 Interviewer asks about how ACK got involved with rugby.

00.49 ACK recalls rugby was played at school at ATHOL. Explains

01.27 Talks about rugby between the two WORLD WARS in the LUMSDEN area. Describes

02.10 There were enough SOPER’S through cousins etc. to make a rugby team. Explains.

03.16 Rugby was the main thing when living in the country. Can remember going to games with his father in the 1940’s. Father, CLARENCE, played for SOUTHLAND in 1936 – 1940.

03.38 Self played between 1954 – 1960. Explains.

04.15 At school played 6 aside. Describes 04.48 Father very interested in rugby. Explains

05.19 Father played front row forward. Explains

05.51 BILL PARKER played for Southland 1936 – 1937. Father played 1936 – 1940’s as stopped during the war.

06.28 Would come down on the train for 2 – 4 days.

06.38 1938 – 1939 SOUTHLAND very strong and held the RANFURLY SHIELD. Explains

07.05 Interviewer asked about COUNTRY PIRATES. Replied that players came from KINGSTON to FIVE RIVERS. Explains

07.40 UNCLE LEN SOPER died of a heart attack aged 48. Tells the story of LEN. Describes.

08.40 Asked about the grades of COUNTRY PIRATES. Described.

09.31 Asked about age range. Replied 15 – 40.

09.59 Practices – Describes.

10.23 Interviewer asked about grounds, hospitality, facilities and the building of the current pavilion. Talks about SANDY MCMILLIAN one of the main organisers of the building. Describes

11.40 Travelled by bus to games. Explains.

12.45 Crowds would be 2 deep on the side lines. Recalls a specific story relating to LEN SOPER.

14.00 Asked about going on tours and the fundraising of these. Replies and explains.

END OF TRACK 1

TRACK 2

00.03 Continues talking about Fund raising.

00.42 Asked about referees. Replied seemed to have enough and very strong. Describes.

01.39 Comparing crowds in those earlier days and now. Tells a story about 2 brothers. Describes.

02.28 For the catering for visiting teams they tended to use the local hotels. Explains.

03.07 Went to WAITAKI BOYS BOARDING SCHOOL. Talks about rugby teams here and at SAINT KEVIN’S. Explains.

04.21 Was in the first fifteen second year at high school. Explains.

05.18 Training included three runs a week plus gym work and practice against other teams. Describes.

07.44 Asked about differences between taring at school and training for SOUTHLAND and replied it was the same intensity and explains.

08.41 School matches included: SOUTHLAND BOYS HIGH, KINGS, SAINT KEVIN’S, TIMARU BOYS HIGH and CHRISTCHURCH BOYS. Travelled by train. Explains.

09.54 Enjoyed the discipline of the game and working as a team. Describes.

11.03 In summer did athletics.

11.24 Returned to the farm in 1954. Tells a story about a cricket game at WAITAKI in his last year. Explains.

12.44 At WAITAKI for 4 years. Really enjoyed it there. Explains.

13.28 Played socially for the SOPER’S against the BOYLE’S in 1951 – 1952. Explains.

14.11 When returned home to work on the farm changed playing position to no 8. Explains.

END OF TRACK 2

TRACK 3

00.12 ACK started his rugby training on 1 JANUARY until SEPTEMBER. Explains.

00.43 NEVILLE (brother) played with first 15 at BOY’S HIGH. Was a good player but chose not to go further.

01.09 Came home in 1954 and played for COUNTRY PIRATES and the NORTHERN. Explains.

02.21 Sub union games OTAGO – SOUTHLAND. Very good games. Played when aged 17 years 11 months. Explains.

03.08 Didn’t notice any difference playing with older players. Describes.

03.46 WAIRARAPA came down here to tour. Describes.

04.18 Interviewer asks how it felt running onto the paddock. ACK replies and describes.

04.54 Played for NEW ZEALAND COLTS in the time between playing for SOUTHLAND and the ALL BLACKS. Toured AUSTRALIA and CEYLON with the COLTS. Recalls and Describes.

08.27 COLTS all under 21 and team members included: WILSON WHINERAY (sp?) and COLIN MEADS. Explains.

09.31 Continues story about going to CEYLON. The coach was J.J. STEWART. Explains.

11.20 On the ship for 8 days from PERTH to CEYLON and then 2 weeks coming back. Explains.

11.52 Had good wins in CEYLON and grounds lovely to play on. Describes.

12.39 Benefits of these games. Explains.

13.36 Played in trails in 1956. Explains.

14.35 Broke thumb and leg in the course of playing for COUNTRY PIRATES.

END OF TRACK 3

TRACK 4

00.09 Continues explaining about injuries.

00.28 1957 Early trials. Toured AUSTRALIA for 7 weeks as an ALL BLACK.

01.19 Played in trails for the SOUTH ISLAND in 1956,57,58,59. NEW ZEALAND Trials 1956 – 1960.

01.51 Was in the under 23 team to tour JAPAN. ALL BLACKS and everyone under 23 were eligible. Explains

03.00 Played with COUNTRY PIRATES until he broke his leg. Describes.

03.50 Stopped playing when 30 and played socially 1967,1968.

04.26 Has been a NORTHERN SELECTOR and PRESIDENT. Moved into Administration side. Explains.

05.37 PRESIDENT of SOUTHLAND for 1 year. Father had been PRESIDENT 10 years previously. Explains.

06.24 Father played for SOUTHLAND and was a life member as is ACK. Explains.

07.23 Reflects on what rugby has meant to him. Describes.

08.29 Explains how the farm managed with his commitments to rugby. Explains.

09.42 Had a close relationship with father through rugby and enjoyment of working with sheep.

END OF TRACK 4