CHRISTINE HENDERSON

Interviewer: Jenny Campbell

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes

TRACK 1

00:14 Lived in town – Mother from farming family, BLONDELL, of WAIMATUA.

00:23 When parents married lived in INVERCARGILL – Father served overseas.

00:32 Move to WAIMATUA – Help grandfather and uncle on farm – Father never been on a farm. Farmland – Described. Homestead – Described.

01:14 Self fascinated by conditions, including dunny – Described

01:28 Equipment used to clear land – Described.

01:48 Grandfather's draught horse – Children's efforts to ride – Described. MARIE (sister of self) – Mentioned

02:08 DAVID BROWN tractor – Father learned to become a farmer..

02:23 Lots of schools, districts – People helping on farms

02:32 Help at harvest time – Described. Haymaking – Use of horses – Described. Mr HAWKE with hay grab – Mentioned UNCLE BEN thatching hay stack – Described.

03:27 Help need when mill came for oats. Harvesting and threshing oats – Described.

04:15 Billy tea & scones – Mother's job. Children helped where they could.

04:26 Evolution of farming Changes apparent when self moved to LUMSDEN

04:50 Co-operation between farmers – Including retired farmers help with silage.

05:01 During childhood number of people involved in farming meant schools flourished.

05:09 Gradual move to mechanisation – Composition of families changed – Changes to rural lifestyle – Explained

05:31 Move to LUMSDEN – No dairy farms – All sheep or crop

06:14 Effects of influx of dairying on farming district – Explained. Loss of volunteer groups – ST JOHN (ambulance) – RURAL WOMEN – FEDERATED FARMERS – LIONS

06:40 Dairy farmers not so intertwined with population at large as were sheep and wool and cropping farmers.

07:03 People's view of district changed – Availability of women to help out at local events. Mobility of 50 to 70 age group – Mentioned.

08:00 Present ownership of farms – Described. Major changes to demographics and cohesion of district – Effects on self.

08:45 Grandfather – BILL BLONDELL – His son WILL and daughters MARGARET (mother of self) and ESTER (married BEN BRAND) Cousin BARRY – Mentioned.

09:40 BLONDELL – Early settlers at WAIMATUA. Lots of mills (timber) in the area – Places with 'bush' in name would have had a mill.

10:08 Grandfather one of large family of boys – Had 3 children, UNCLE WILL, AUNTY ESTER and mum.

10:21 Mother married JOHN St CLAIR DANIEL of INVERCARGILL. He worked at TISBURY DAIRY FACTORY. Some dairying on land (at WAIMATUA)

10:45 UNCLE WILL married VERA (from CANADA) late in life. AUNTY ESTER married BEN BRAND – farmed in the area

11:09 UNCLE BOB BLONDELL (cousin) also farmed in area.

11:37 Children milked cows before going to school regardless of weather. Walk to WAIMATUA SCHOOL. Mother wore shoes out jitterbugging on road – had to wear boots Remembered skating down creeks in winter.

12:26 [WAR] – Mother into WAAF – Father overseas with 23rd Battalion

12:41 When self and sister born father working in BROWN OWL CAFE, INVERCARGILL – to GRAND HOTEL – to SOUTHLAND HOTEL as Manager. Family lived on hotel premises – Fun for children but not a life for them

13:15 Move to farm – Mother helped, had raised steers, fully involved. Father worked with UNCLE WILL and grandfather. Grandfather died aged 82years – Event prior to death – Described.

13:56 Self wanted to be a farmer – Father would not allow it. LINCOLN (COLLEGE) – Mentioned.

14:13 Self went to Training College – Married a farmer.

14:26 Expectation to help on farm as had done with own father – MARIE (sister) had helped with 'womanly' things – Explained.

14:38 Self had to learn 'womanly' skills after marriage. Drove tractors – Before KRISTIN (?) born it was 'First up, Best tractor' 14:58 Self no talents for book-keeping...

15:00 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:01 Husband did 'the books' – Self drove tractors – Put in long hours Not allowed to do some things – Explained.

00:34 Differences between place of mother and women of this age on farm – Described. Self first drove tractor when about 7 years old – Described.

01:38 Self now able to drive most vehicles including ancient 1960 BEDFORD. 01:56 Satisfying skills – Few accidents – Mother probably be impressed. Limited memories of women driving vehicles in earlier days.

02:31 [WAR TIME]: Land Army – Mentioned.

02:46 Place of women on farms today – Described and comparisons made. Probable effects if women disappeared from from farms – Explained.

03:47 Harvest – Contrast made with past and present time from a woman's angle. Grandmother – mother – self. Self's reaction to preserved eggs – Described.

05:19 Self's wish is that skills never be lost – Crucial to next generation. Era that self has lived through has been cushy – No involvement with war such as WW2 – Need to keep skills alive as best we can.

05:55 Revival of handcrafts – Mentioned Future availability of ready-made garments may not be as plentiful. Self sufficiency important – Survival skills vital.

06:25 Interviewer describing timing of tapes.

07:02 End of Track 2