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Abstract of Allen James TEMPLETON, 2020

 Item — Box: 11
Identifier: H01650002

Abstract

Allen Templeton

Interviewer: Lynne Grove

Abstracter: Lindsay King

First Interview: 11 April 2007

DISC 1: TRACK 1

00.28 Self talks about POETRY - Self’s Father recited poems - self able to remember them - recited poems - took poetry books hunting - self started writing poetry - describes.

03.17 HUNTING trips - lived at CLIFDEN ROAD, TUATAPERE - shot first deer at 11 years old - ate wild meat at home - time of the DEPRESSION - ALTON VALLEY - wild PIG, DEER hunted - used “LONG TOM” rifle from BOER WAR - explains.

08.35 Story about trip to a SURVEY CAMP - overnight camp - incident with butter - Self 12 years old - recalls.

11.28 HUNTING EQUIPMENT carried - BUTTERFLY, an OILSKIN cape - describes.

12.39 FOOD taken on trips - BREAD, BUTTER, RICE, OATMEAL - no refined foods - explains.

14.39 Self never took a MAP - followed sense of direction - no trails much - FORESTRY LINES not reliable to follow - changes due to FORESTRY mostly positive - describes.

17.56 Lack of ANIMALS to hunt - first noticed in 1970 - PIG and DEER hunted for EXPORT by companies - CONSOLIDATED TRADERS SOUTH ISLAND LIMITED was one of the companies - Self got job of looking after TRADING POSTS - checked quality of meat and weighed carcasses - Carcasses collected about once a week - refrigeration for storage - explains.

25.18 Self TRAPPED POSSUMS - winter months only - carcasses sometimes inspected by INTERNAL AFFAIRS - ROCK CYANIDE used to poison possums - trapped for skins - describes.

30.14 Logging roads - Self caught 1035 POSSUMS in best month - no rain - POISON and TRAPS - girls next door stretched and combed the skins - describes.

32.40 Highest price for a possum skin, $24 - used for furs - exported - sold through DALGETYS AUCTION in DUNEDIN - enjoyed the process - explains.

36.00 1980 - lots of unemployment - INTERNAL AFFAIRS visited to explain to locals how to get POSSUMS - led to so many POSSUMING there was nowhere to go - Self went to TAIERI to trap POSSUMS - describes.

38.50 Story about HUNTING PIGS - recalls.

39.50 Self trained DOGS to help when HUNTING - COLLIES and LABRADORS - describes.

41.05 Story about owning a LABRADOR - recalls.

42.24 POEMS about HUNTING and change over time - biggest changes in TUATAPERE, extension of TELEPHONE SERVICE and closing of POST OFFICE and BANK - explains.

44.40 Selfs POEMS - Self proud of “MAIL BOYS CAVE” and “LAKE HAUROKO” poems - story about the MAIL BOY - Self likes to rhyme - describes.

47.52 Self recites POEM called, “COURAGE AT CAMPBELL ISLAND” about JACINDA.

55.13 Wrote a poem after hearing the story from JACINDA - explains.

56.42 Self finds rhymes in a RHYMING DICTIONARY or they come naturally - how self remembers POEMS - explains.

59.22 Self describes JACINDA - self explains writing SHARK attack verse - describes.

1.01.43 Selfs WOOD TURNING - describes.

1.03.18 End of Track 1.

DISC 1: TRACK 2

00.16 Self takes a trip to ENGLAND - self recites POEM, “STOPOVER AT TAHITI” - travelled by ship in 1963 - conditions on board the ship - fellow passengers - left from LYTTELTON - describes.

06.27 Self travelled during the WAR - EGYPT, ROME - story about kissing the foot of a marble statue - describes.

07.54 Story about working in ENGLAND - recalls

08.42 Self returned to TUATAPERE - POSSUMING, SAWMILLING - story about self wanting to be a SWAGGER - explains.

10.07 Story about GUMBOOT JIMMY in LUMSDEN - recalls.

12.07 SAWMILLING - machinery included, STEAM ENGINES, DIESEL ENGINES - they drove the SAWS - describes.

15.12 LOGGING process - STEAM HAULER used to haul logs - TREES cut down by hand - CHAINSAWS in about 1955 - SCARF the TREE to guide where it fell - RIMU, KAHIKATEA, MIRO, BEECH trees LOGGED - explains.

19.15 MILLING process - self worked in the MILL - TALLYING was his job - TALLY BOARDS to record on - sent to SECRETARY of the MILL - WOOD transported by TRAIN - rules around using TRUCKS for transport - explains.

27.27 Self's favourite job was TALLYING at the MILL - other jobs, SLABBY and WHISTLE BOY - describes.

30.19 Job of DOCKER - working in the TIMBER YARD - process of selling TIMBER - progress of jobs in the SAWMILL - explains.

34.15 LINDSAY and DIXONS MILL at DEAN FOREST organised social and sporting events - explains.

35.48 Hours of work - 7.30am or 8.00am to 4.30pm - an hour for lunch - DEER STALKING was recreation - DEER SKINS used for AIR FORCE JACKETS - process of drying the skins - explains.

39.28 DEER HUNTING during the roaring season - HUNTING for pleasure - Self hunted alone - TUATAPERE called “the hole in the bush” - access to trees to cut on farms - GOVERNMENT owned MILL to cut TOTARA HEARTS in MONOWAI - explains.

43.29 The impact of MANAPOURI POWER SCHEME - affected the RIVER mostly - FISHING affected - ELECTRICITY came to the ALTON VALLEY around 1955 - explains.

47.18 KEROSINE LAMPS and CANDLES used before ELECTRICITY - WOOD STOVE for COOKING - describes.

48.07 Self moved around a lot as a child - CLIFDEN, PAPATOTARA, farm at ALTON VALLEY - Selfs Father cleared the FARM - farmed CATTLE - sowed GRASS SEED - gathered and threshed own grass seed - Father PROSPECTED for GOLD with SLUICE BOXES - during the DEPRESSION - explains.

54.03 Story about SCHOOL - recalls.

55.12 End of Track 2.

Dates

  • 2020

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Extent

From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)

Language of Materials

From the Record Group: English

Creator

Repository Details

Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository