Desmond (Des) Walter Templeton

Interviewer: Mary Anne Widmer

Abstracter: Lynne Grove

First Interview: 30 August 2006

TRACK 1

00:00 Interview identification

00.24 DESMOND WALTER TEMPLETON born in 1931. Lives at Milton Street, Riverton.

00.52 FLAXMILLING in SOUTHLAND. Explains history and his family’s connection - Father ANDREW (ANDY) TEMPLETON flaxmiller ‘all his life’ - 44 mills from Clinton southwards – first industry to break in land and raise capital for stock.

2.07 Process of Flaxmilling – Pre 1930s Southland lacked infrastructure – millers shifted steam engine between stands of flax- Father milled in 3-4 different places in one year. By 1930s roads good enough to cart flax by truck.

3.40 OTAITAI BUSH Flaxmill, where Des grew up. Grandfather bought property in 1911 in addition to farm at Thornbury – family of 5 boys 5 girls – ensured work for these children – girls stayed home, ‘wonderful bakers’ – cookshop for the men. 4 of 5 boys went to World War One and returned ‘very lucky family’ - Father ANDREW (ANDY) TEMPLETON youngest of the 5- too young to go to war - helped father run mill – good rapport with workers.

5.00 Flaxmill employed 15 – 25. More employed in Winter when Meatworks closed – needed workers to maintain flax supplies. Milling good for 3 years after World War One.

5.45 DEPRESSION 1920s – ‘farmers walked off their farms with nothing’. Grandfather built 2 houses for his sons – bankrupt by 1924 – THOMAS WATSON, bachelor, financier lived at GRAND HOTEL, INVERCARGILL, financed Father– next years ‘just as tough’ -1930s ‘made ten pounds for the year’, but did employ men ‘who all got a living out of it’. Men ‘enjoyed working with Andy’. Good management skills.

8.30 Flaxmilling process ‘hands-on’. Explains.

9.13 Oldest brother ?MUIR TEMPLETON – good mechanic, but slow. Father said he could run mill ‘with a sledgehammer and a coal chisel’ – important to keep things running – temporary fixes.

10.11 Two brothers worked at Flaxmill, two brothers SCHOOLTEACHERS. Sisters not trained for jobs but ‘reasonable schooling’ and learned COOKING from home. Pre 1930s, transport difficult, so workers stayed in huts – meal from Cookshop at lunchtime. Des’ Mother – MAY WATSON – schoolteacher, learned cookery from her sisters.

12.17 CAREER. Des’ older brother ANDREW job BANK of NEW ZEALAND. Des had 4 years of secondary schooling. MAY wanted Des to ‘do better’ than flaxmilling, but Des admired ANDY - liked trucks and machinery - left High School 1947 to work at Flaxmill.

13.25 World War Two, Flax industry important for NZ hemp supply. ANDY ran DONAGHY’s Flaxmill at OTANOMOMO, BALCLUTHA, a natural flax swamp where TELFORD FARM INSTITUTE is today. Travelled during week, home farm at weekend.

14.40 FLAXMILL work -tough 8 hours work per day. Men worked at Mill all their lives – highly skilled. Details.

16.18 WAGE – started 5 pounds per week, ‘good pay in those days’. Lived at home – simple life.

17. 00 Competition for labour – MOORE’S SAWMILL, KIWI SAWMILL, Woodtar Chemical Factory at LONGWOOD – provided trucks to transport labour. Des drove Chevrolet truck to transport men from RIVERTON. Describes daily and weekly routines.

20.30 Worked at mill 1947 until closure in 1972. Different milling tasks. Learned proficient stripper-feeding from GEORGE SMITH and NORMAN BONIFACE. Describes.

22:14 Partnership with brother and father. Fire at OTANOMOMO. Explains.

22:53 Brother milked cows, then farmed sheep. After Flaxmill closed, men returned to farming. Explains.

23:40 FLAXMILLING DEMISE. 1972 all Mills closed - 5 in Southland, plus 8-10 across NZ. 1970-72 President of NZ MILLERS ASSOCIATION meetings in CHRISTCHURCH- pressures build- Uneconomic after wages triple and cessation of PRICE TRIBUNAL. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS. Explains

28:00 ECONOMIC FACTORS. Otaitai Bush main product for baling twine at WAIKUKU. Bi-product for Woolpacks and fibrous packing. Explains.

30:00 POLITICAL FACTORS. Japanese buyers complain about flax fibre contamination of woolpacks. Explains.

30.40 COMPETITION. Top PRICE flax $237 per tonne. Sisal from East Africa $180 per tonne. Explains

31:20 FIGHT with DONAGHYs to keep Flaxmilling industry going. Loss of skilled Labourforce. Sisal price lifted to $1200 per tonne. Frustrations. Explains

34.05 EMPLOYING WOMEN. Father employed millers’ wives in BALCLUTHA. Later met women ex-millers at Flax Museum. Describes

35.20 After CLOSURE. Challenges of farming. Bank loans. Explains

36.20 Process of REMOVING FLAX from the farm. Bulldozers. Cattle best. Flax ‘RHUBARB’. Explains.

38:20 RESTORE FLAXMILL for TOURISM. Family formed a TRUST. Must show both processes STRIPPING and SCUTCHING. Machinery donated from OTANOMOMO. Supported by SOUTHLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL. Only complete original flaxmill in NZ. Another restored flaxmill at FOXTON opened in 1990 with hand-scutcher. Describes

45:15 TEMPLETON FLAXMILL AND HERITAGE MUSEUM opened to the public ?2004 by BILL ENGLISH and FRANA CARDNO. Describes

46:20 Plans for the future. Discusses

46:51 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:00 ....DONAGHYs donated machinery. New shed. Describes

2:25 CHANGE in NATURAL FIBRE SUPPLY from overseas. Machinery bought by Tanzanian government for processing natural fibre. Explains

4:40 Running the OTAITAI FLAXMILL TRUST. Local support and development. Accountability as a not-for-profit. Discusses

6:00 Flaxmilling history. Machinery moved from DONAGHY’s and OTANAMOMO by many volunteers. Importance of having skilled people to keep history alive. Describes

7:50 Importance of a WORKING MUSEUM. Schools go for free. Explains

8:38 Challenge of passing flaxmilling skills onto sons and grandsons. Importance of seeing machinery working. Describes

10.38 LOCAL TOURISM. Groups want somewhere to visit. Rewarding. Describes

11.30 Keeping history alive. Local old people’s connection with Flaxmilling. Younger people have no personal experience. Importance of the TRUST. Discusses

13:41 End of track 2