H0296 Alma Mary BURKE

Interviewer: Nancy Burnett

Date: 30 January 2017

Abstracter: April Milligan

Track 1

00.51 ALMA MARY BURKE born 1937.assisted by RAY WAGHORN

01.30 Born in INVERCARGILL at her Grandmother’s house in GALA STREET. ALMA recalls memories of her Father BOB (ROBERT SHIRLEY) and his Carrying Business. Father was born 21 Feb, 1897at NIAGRA at his home. Before he went to the war (WW1) he worked in the cheese factory at PAHIA. During the war he was a Private in FRANCE. Mother (ISABELLA WHITE) was born 23 June, 1902 at KAPUKA at ‘WHITEROSE” “She was a twin and they were very tiny babies wrapped in cotton wool.” Before marriage she worked at home. Brother PHILIP was born 16 April, 1929, GILBERT 1 Jan 1932 and RENE (CATHERINE) 2 Mar 1940.

03.26 ALMA describes growing up at KAPUKA on farm on the WAITUNA LAGOON ROAD just South of KAPUKA TRANSPORT. When Father came back from the War the farm was covered in stumps and he needed money to develop it and decided to get a truck. JIM recalls being told details of a (about 1924) MODEL T FORD made up of a chassis with a motor and a windscreen and he had to build the rest. BOB bought it from MACAULEYS for 50 POUND brand new and they gave him an apple box to sit on to drive it home to KAPUKA. He wore it out in about 6 months and had enough to buy a better truck. That set up his business: R M SHIRLEY.

05.40 Covered details of BOB’S business, taking local neighbours, milk to the OTERAMIKA FACTORY (3 miles). He took Provisions to the UNEMPLOYMENT CAMP (Relief Camp). The milk was in tall metal cans with lids and handles on the sides (approx. 10 gallons) quite heavy to handle on and off the truck. They had to be cleaned out before dropping them back to the farmer.

07.22 Relief Camps were during the DEPRESSION for anyone without work. They had to camp where the work was available. It was down HANSEN ROAD at the JUNCTION of the LAGOON near HOBSON ROAD. It housed 35-42 unemployed people working building ditches on the roadside to drain the roadways. BOB carted the supplies from the INVERCARGILL BORSTAL. ALMA’S husband JIM recalls his Father, TOMMY WAGHORN saying’” Accountants, Solicitors, people with collars and ties and black shoes digging in the ditches.

08.21 The Manager was JACK MARR. It was the only camp in NEW ZEALAND that went on strike because of living conditions. Five of the unemployed strike group were taken from the camp and dumped on the road to find their own way.

09.10 ALMA describes the other thing he used to cart and RAY’S Father used to cut for him was FLAX down to NEV MILLER at the FLAX MILL at GORGE ROAD. The fibres hung over the fence and were made into sacks. .RAY didn’t cut much flax it was his job to cart it for BOB and found out other people who were cutting flax and say to BOB,”JOHNNY BOWDEN had flax for sale and did BOB want to cart it for so much a bundle. RAY loaded these big bundles of flax, a back breaking job. The flax men cut it in the swamp and then had to carry it out to the road and load it on the truck. About a 100 weight in a bundle. It went to GORGE ROAD MILL and was made into wool packs or rope. Flax stems had to be a minimum of 6 foot long.

10.33 The other thing he used to do at the KAPUKA RAILWAY STATION, trucks would come and he used to shovel dross off there, up to the DAIRY FACTORY and then shovel it all off again. DROSS is LIGNITE FINES and it was for the boilers to heat all the water. He was very fair so it showed up leaving eyelashes and eyebrows very dark.

11.25 Remembers when he was doing the rabbits trucks. DAD and his Brother had a rabbit truck. Weren’t allowed to compete with the railways in those days. Example; from KAPUKA to GORGE ROAD. It was a GOVERNMENT ruling. When he went round the TRAPPERS there were two firms. BORTHWICKS at MAKAREWA and WARDS and CRUIKSHANKS were down at BLUFF. They would be competing with prices for the trappers. DAD would go out and canvas the trappers and see if they would trap for him (pre phones so it needed a visit.) They were using rabbits for tinned meat in the war. They also had skins. Rolled out with scrim over them, the rabbits were tied with their legs together and hung over.in pairs. The scrim kept the flies off them. They had tags on them when they went on the truck. They were on rails on the truck like that too and went off to the FREEZING WORKS. Some days it was so busy they did two loads. That was TOMMY’S main job. Tommy started working for BOB at 13 years of age milking cows after school at night on the farm when BOB had just one truck. 1927 when he was milking the cows BOB said to TOMMY,” what did he want to do after school”? and offered the job milking. Then he needed someone to do the rabbit run and showed him the route and he did that mostly for the next 6 years. He did the calf run to MATAURA.

14.30 TOMMY and BOB built a double decker the first crate in NEW ZEALAND. Could carry two tiers of stock. This was for the bobby calves a day old. They went to the MATAURA FREEZING WORKS.

TRACK 2

00.01 The first crate was a trial. Everything was nailed together with 4 inch nails. When they got MATAURA ISLAND to the dip in the road through the ford and as they climbed out of the ford the calves in the top deck slid to the back and the front wheels came off the road. The Blacksmith and the locals came out and jumped on the front to get the wheels down as Dad drove out of the ford. 200 yards down the road at the McCLEARY’S farm, backed into their cowshed and unloaded the calves Only 1 died. Reloaded one deck with calves and made 2 trips. That night they rebuilt the crate using bolts. During the next off season they rebuilt the whole crate. There were no pens in the crate at that stage. To hang it up they backed under a tree, hoisted it up and sat it on drums.

01.44 RAY recalls how his father TOMMY got into farming. BOB as an employer treated him well, like a son. In 1930 a farm down the road came on the market (previous farmer had to walk off) BOB told TOMMY,’I want you to buy it’ with a 50 Pound deposit’. BOB had put aside money every pay for TOMMY and it had 60 Pound in an account. They went to the Lawyer and signed the money over. Dad paid the deposit.

03.21 The farm carried sheep. When MURRAY HOBBS had the transport it was at his place. Where KAPUKA TRANSPORT is now, was just a piece of land taken out of our paddock. ALMA remembers when MORGAN MURRAY had the trucks

.04.14 ALMA remembers the truck pulled up to the house with all the rabbits on it. They had to be picked up every day. Sometimes they hung them under a big belt of trees to keep them cool. Mostly caught by trappers not farmers. At one stage they were 5 shillings a pair. Some people could buy a farm on their earnings.

04.37 Other drivers were MURRAY HOBBS who worked for BOB before buying. PAT ENRIGHT and TOM WAGHORN.

05.17 Fertiliser was put on with a LIME SOWER that was towed at the back of the truck. The lime was in bags on the back of the truck. The lime was spread out as the truck drove. They had to shift that from the railway too.

05.55 There was a canopy for the back of the truck to go to the races at RIVERTON. People could sit on bales of hay to watch the races. A long drive for a wonderful day.

06.20 Licencing recalled, Brother PHILLIP had to get a Heavy Traffic Licence at an early age. One of three young men at 15 in NZ who worked for their fathers. He drove around the paddocks long before that. He had his own truck business at 19.He started with rabbits later a Carrier business, SHIRLEY and THOMPSON. His partner got sick so he went into the taxi business. He became the MANAGER of STAR TAXIS.

07.33 Dad didn’t cart people usually except the KAPUKA HOCKEY TEAM her Aunty was in. School picnics he carted them to WAITUNA LAGOON (a favourite picnic spot) along with KAPUKA SOUTH SCHOOL. Also at Uncle JORDY SHIRLEY’S and a concert at BARKER’S Barn or OTERAMIKA HALL. Dad played the piano and his brother the violin often at functions. Community helped each other.eg; bringing in the hay. Not everybody had trucks. People often went to town from KAPUKA on the train. Not everybody had cars.

09.09 Other vehicles remembered included a car when young. He must have sold it because never had another car. We had horses. Recalls pulling things around the farm using a tractor.

09.51 Dad went to school in NIAGARA until he finished Primary School about 12 years. He had lovely writing, good at figures. He ran his own office and accounts.1953 we shifted from the farm and went into a fruit and veg and milk-bar shop (South Invercargill near New World) He did all the bookwork there and stocktaking.

10.54 After Dad retired moved to TWEED STREET. He went back to work in the office of SOUTHLAND SAND AND GRAVEL until the day before he died. RAY remembers when Bob sold the farm in 1953 after 25-30 years, he came to town the new owner got more for his wool cheque than he’d paid for the farm.

11.55 RAY recalls a story of ARTHUR (Bob’s brother) ‘A wee petrol motor pump to cool the milk. In those days you had a 2 gallon metal can. It was very dark and he was pouring it in some was going into the motor and some into the well. Some splashed on the exhaust and it went on fire. Not just the motor but the well too. He was frightened he would burn the milk barn down.’

12.41 40 years later the farm was sold to PETER and MARGARET ERICSON. They bought it off the ROBINSON”S. PETERS job was to take his dozer and pull the milk barn down and burn it .As he drove across the concrete his wheel went into the old well. A square well that inside had been lined with timber which near the top had burnt out in the fire in the previous fire.

13.17 Dad had about 30 cows, the farm was about 240 - 250 acres. It had power right over to the cow shed. Had a phone and power on to the house. Power continued to Ray’s house the last house on the road to have electricity down the WAITUNA ROAD.

13.54 ALMA recalls she went to the old KAPUKA SCHOOL first down ASHERS SIDING. The first school photo there was 15 pupils. Across the Railway tracks was some MILL houses. It was about 3 miles to school. At one stage had school milk. Occasionally had the School Inspector and Health Visitor come around. Had 1 teacher for the whole school. Then got the new School at KAPUKA CORNER which is now the MOKOTUA STORE. Then had 2 teachers. It was like a big family. Everybody knew everyone.

TRACK 3

00.01 Social Events took place wouldn’t do now. Brother’s 21st at the OTERAMIKA HALL put an ad in the paper to friends and relations. Ladies would take a plate (containing food) Perhaps the men bought drink. Everybody would go because didn’t have babysitters. They used to sprinkle powder all over the floor to make it slippery. Most children learnt to dance at a young age. The little ones were sleeping in Mums arms or under the seat. It was nice because all the families knew each other very well.

00.50 Mum was busy cooking as Dad had odd hours, but he was a good cook too.as he had been batching before marriage. That was 8th February, 1928 at the RIMU CATHOLIC CHURCH. RAY recalls his Dad drove the truck to the RIMU CHURCH with a lot of the Locals who were going to the wedding. With the cover on the truck. The Wedding Reception was at MUM’S Home and a lot of stuff for the catering came out from town.

02.36 BOB SHIRLEY was special to my Dad recalls RAY. Dad would sit in the maimai and reminisce about those early days at KAPUKA and working for the SHIRLEYS. When his Father-in-law BOBBY WHITE was very ill BOB asked Dad to go round and give BOBBY a hand to run the farm and milk the cows. Then he would rush back and do BOBS work. He was very busy. He was married at that stage.

03.38 Women were used to fitting in with work hours. The two Dads had a wonderful relationship. MURRAY HOBBS also had a good relationship because he lived in a hut at our place and then he was next door. He mixed with everybody. Without television you learnt to communicate verbally and BOB excelled at that. When the SHIRLEY Uncles came down they were always playing the piano and singing

End of Interview