Abstract of Bruce Arnold GREANEY, 2024
Item — Box: 32
Identifier: H0262
Abstract
H0262 BRUCE ARNOLD GREANEY
Interviewer: Gordon Duston
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 18 August 2016
TRACK One
00:00 Interview identification. Born in 1939.
01.30 Self’s FATHER ARNOLD GREANEY worked at AWARUA in 1930 and RETIRED in 1958. Lots of changes during that time. Before that, father worked for POST OFFICE, starting as a telegraph messenger boy in HOKITIKA in 1917 with salary of £40.00 per annum. Positions in RANGIORA, PICTON, NELSON, WANGANUI, WELLINGTON, MASTERTON, GISBORNE, WELLINGTON again, thence to Awarua Radio on 12 March 1930 with a salary of £239.00.
03.30 Father worked as a Morse operator at Awarua for the whole of his career. Reputed to be one of the best senders of Morse.
04.00 Self did not meet grandparents. FATHER’S PARENTS lived in HOKITIKA, where father’s father was a WHEELWRIGHT. Father’s mother (?) worked as a HOUSEKEEPER for RICHARD JOHN SEDDON for a number of years. Father had two brothers and two sisters. Mother born in NSW AUSTRALIA. Parents married in 1936, father already worked at Awarua Radio. Self FIRST CHILD TO BE BORN at the Awarua Radio Station.
06.00 No other children at Awarua until the late 1940s. SINGLE MEN took self under their wing, so really spoilt. Went RABBIT SHOOTING, played SNOOKER, played RUGBY.
07.00 Born at the beginning of World War II. Remembers HOME GUARD with sentry boxes. PASSWORDS required. ENEMY CRAFT close to NZ coastline at times.
08.35 Self went with father to the receiving station once, and heard Morse relating to the QUEEN MARY ship berthing at the THAMES in LONDON.
9.00 Apart from War years, highlight for father was SIR CHARLES KINGSFORD SMITH’S FLIGHT to NZ in 1935. Father worked with them during the flight. Plane damaged. Describes
10.45 Father picked the MAIL up from the BLUFF TRAIN. Bag sealed with lead.
11.15 QUEEN’S VISIT in the 1950s. Self saw them as they drove to BLUFF to board THE GOTHIC. Car stopped at the gates to the Awarua Station.
12.00 Family lived in the first of the THREE COTTAGES, built in the early 20th century. Cottages still standing and have been modernized by the INVERCARGILLL CITY COUNCIL, who let them. Quarter acre section, parents KEEN GARDENERS. 60 RESIDENCES BUILT there in 1948, annual GARDENING COMPETITION held, judged by RON PETRIE of PARKS AND RESERVES.
13.30 GEORGE MURDOCH was the resident METEOROLOGIST in the 1940s. He would release WEATHER BALLOONS filled with gas every day. Also a resident RIGGER called CYRIL MINCHER who looked after the three masts on the site, erected 1938.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.00 Large STAFF NUMBERS during WWII. Six hour shifts over 24 hour day. At least six in the main receiving station, and at least nine or ten people on duty.
01.15 Lot of single men. SPORTS PLAYED – TENNIS COURT built. SNOOKER TABLE in recreation room and self played. Growing up without other children around when young taught self how to get along with adults.
02.40 Good RUGBY PLAYERS, including RON LOWRY, ROY CAMPBELL, PETER GRAHAM. Trained among the tussocks – ground very swampy.
03.30 Lots of RABBITS, so rabbit shooting. Went for rides on MOTORBIKES.
04.05 MOTHER didn’t work, had been a NURSING SUPERVISOR at the ROYAL BRISBANE HOSPITAL. Mother was lonely, but made friends with the COOK, and MRS JENNINGS who lived up the road.
05.00 Nobody had CARS. BREAD was delivered by LANGE BROTHERS, GROCERIES by JIM RYAN at Woodend. Fresh MILK AND CREAM delivered by JOCK JENNINGS of WARDS CROSSINGS. VEGETABLES in the garden. Self still keen on gardening.
06.00 No playcentre, so entertained himself. Attended CLIFTON SCHOOL on the BLUFF TRAIN which stopped at the radio station. Then attended SOUTHLAND BOYS HIGH SCHOOL on the Bluff train.
07.30 Parents had a car after 1957 – father couldn’t drive as he was blind in one eye. Good BUS SERVICE. Car would deliver men to work from Invercargill, and could catch a ride on that. Self didn’t know Invercargill well until he attended secondary high school.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 Father heavily involved in the community. Served on the CLIFTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE and with mother on the CLIFTON HOME AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE for many years. Also inaugural members of the CLIFTON INDOOR BOWLS CLUB based at WOODEND. Mother a member of the AWARUA COUNTY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE at WOODEND.
01.10 SIX NEW RESIDENCES built in 1948 by the SPENCER BROTHERS. Self watched the building going on. THREE MORE RESIDENCES built in 1953. DANCES held in the RECREATION HALL.
02.10 Self enjoyed his life there.
End of Track Three
Interviewer: Gordon Duston
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 18 August 2016
TRACK One
00:00 Interview identification. Born in 1939.
01.30 Self’s FATHER ARNOLD GREANEY worked at AWARUA in 1930 and RETIRED in 1958. Lots of changes during that time. Before that, father worked for POST OFFICE, starting as a telegraph messenger boy in HOKITIKA in 1917 with salary of £40.00 per annum. Positions in RANGIORA, PICTON, NELSON, WANGANUI, WELLINGTON, MASTERTON, GISBORNE, WELLINGTON again, thence to Awarua Radio on 12 March 1930 with a salary of £239.00.
03.30 Father worked as a Morse operator at Awarua for the whole of his career. Reputed to be one of the best senders of Morse.
04.00 Self did not meet grandparents. FATHER’S PARENTS lived in HOKITIKA, where father’s father was a WHEELWRIGHT. Father’s mother (?) worked as a HOUSEKEEPER for RICHARD JOHN SEDDON for a number of years. Father had two brothers and two sisters. Mother born in NSW AUSTRALIA. Parents married in 1936, father already worked at Awarua Radio. Self FIRST CHILD TO BE BORN at the Awarua Radio Station.
06.00 No other children at Awarua until the late 1940s. SINGLE MEN took self under their wing, so really spoilt. Went RABBIT SHOOTING, played SNOOKER, played RUGBY.
07.00 Born at the beginning of World War II. Remembers HOME GUARD with sentry boxes. PASSWORDS required. ENEMY CRAFT close to NZ coastline at times.
08.35 Self went with father to the receiving station once, and heard Morse relating to the QUEEN MARY ship berthing at the THAMES in LONDON.
9.00 Apart from War years, highlight for father was SIR CHARLES KINGSFORD SMITH’S FLIGHT to NZ in 1935. Father worked with them during the flight. Plane damaged. Describes
10.45 Father picked the MAIL up from the BLUFF TRAIN. Bag sealed with lead.
11.15 QUEEN’S VISIT in the 1950s. Self saw them as they drove to BLUFF to board THE GOTHIC. Car stopped at the gates to the Awarua Station.
12.00 Family lived in the first of the THREE COTTAGES, built in the early 20th century. Cottages still standing and have been modernized by the INVERCARGILLL CITY COUNCIL, who let them. Quarter acre section, parents KEEN GARDENERS. 60 RESIDENCES BUILT there in 1948, annual GARDENING COMPETITION held, judged by RON PETRIE of PARKS AND RESERVES.
13.30 GEORGE MURDOCH was the resident METEOROLOGIST in the 1940s. He would release WEATHER BALLOONS filled with gas every day. Also a resident RIGGER called CYRIL MINCHER who looked after the three masts on the site, erected 1938.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.00 Large STAFF NUMBERS during WWII. Six hour shifts over 24 hour day. At least six in the main receiving station, and at least nine or ten people on duty.
01.15 Lot of single men. SPORTS PLAYED – TENNIS COURT built. SNOOKER TABLE in recreation room and self played. Growing up without other children around when young taught self how to get along with adults.
02.40 Good RUGBY PLAYERS, including RON LOWRY, ROY CAMPBELL, PETER GRAHAM. Trained among the tussocks – ground very swampy.
03.30 Lots of RABBITS, so rabbit shooting. Went for rides on MOTORBIKES.
04.05 MOTHER didn’t work, had been a NURSING SUPERVISOR at the ROYAL BRISBANE HOSPITAL. Mother was lonely, but made friends with the COOK, and MRS JENNINGS who lived up the road.
05.00 Nobody had CARS. BREAD was delivered by LANGE BROTHERS, GROCERIES by JIM RYAN at Woodend. Fresh MILK AND CREAM delivered by JOCK JENNINGS of WARDS CROSSINGS. VEGETABLES in the garden. Self still keen on gardening.
06.00 No playcentre, so entertained himself. Attended CLIFTON SCHOOL on the BLUFF TRAIN which stopped at the radio station. Then attended SOUTHLAND BOYS HIGH SCHOOL on the Bluff train.
07.30 Parents had a car after 1957 – father couldn’t drive as he was blind in one eye. Good BUS SERVICE. Car would deliver men to work from Invercargill, and could catch a ride on that. Self didn’t know Invercargill well until he attended secondary high school.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 Father heavily involved in the community. Served on the CLIFTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE and with mother on the CLIFTON HOME AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE for many years. Also inaugural members of the CLIFTON INDOOR BOWLS CLUB based at WOODEND. Mother a member of the AWARUA COUNTY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE at WOODEND.
01.10 SIX NEW RESIDENCES built in 1948 by the SPENCER BROTHERS. Self watched the building going on. THREE MORE RESIDENCES built in 1953. DANCES held in the RECREATION HALL.
02.10 Self enjoyed his life there.
End of Track Three
Dates
- 2024
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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
