(Please note that this is not a formal abstract but notes made by the interviewer during the interview)

Edith ANNE Stoddart

Interview: 29 and 31 March 2021

Interviewer: Judith Thomas

Interview notes: Judith Thomas

Early years: siblings, polio, parents, schools, asthma.

First job at Lands and Survey as a draughtsperson,

First marriage married. Divorced after 13 years

School jubilee banquet and ball,

Second husband Bruce Stoddart

Welfare work, Karitane, government closed all except Invercargill. Ann and son Robert went to Karitane, children’s ward closed.

Trained as yoga teacher, taught all over Southland.

Rehabilitation officer with Kew Hospital

Toy collection, Christmas Bobby (Boggy?) McDowall, children in need “a carton of toys”. Man with nothing. People in need. Michael Cullen, groups set up. Social Welfare, Southland needs. Coal and carpet – feedback to government. Government changed. Clarrie Payne, Arthritis Foundation.

Civil Defence – training Australia – hard, exams, passed, trained others in Southland and around New Zealand. Erebus, Floods in Mataura and Gore, 1984 Southland floods. 5,000 people affected – food, clothing, housing, details, three weeks of disaster. ‘Phone your husband’ – stayed at Civil Defence headquarters. Harrowing, yet managed – affected. Working full time at Kew also. Foodbank needed out of flood, lost jobs, children hungry, Mayor (Eve Poole) agreed, Chairperson needed help, Christchurch Airport, food drive

Husband’s work. A JP for 22 years. Marriage celebrant – married son David, then Robert.

Cancer Society “Bee in my Bonnet”. Power Bills, people’s needs – lined water heaters, curtains etc. Dunedin group took over.

Donovan Park – work ethic, discipline, employment.

Southland youth Development Trust. Building bought, grant, special training. Colyers Island for drug users, money theft, closed down.

Age Concern Chairperson 23 years. Bishop Boyle coffee – green for St Patricks Day.

Crib at Waikawa for £200, country estate. Rotten floor, three week old baby, mended bed, recharged batteries, sold for £3,000.

City Council, didn’t like formal do’s. Japan with Mayor to sign Sister City agreement. Culture there. 20 people – Councillors and traders. No holiday. Very interesting.

Governor General Sir Paul and Lady Reeves – cocktail party, new dress discarded, Lady Reeves same dress!

Re-enacting Treaty of Waitangi – Bluff to Ruapuke Island. Anne went in launch – stopped, signing – landed on island – hongi. Privileged.

Crib at Riverton. Pestered by media, and escape, modernised it. Went to live there.

Nine years on the Council, stood down. Riverton people wanted Anne, “Said No”. Three years later asked again. Flew in – Chairperson on Riverton Council. Husband not well.

Union Church. Trained to be a preacher.

Lost Riverton doctor. Raised funds with Anne as Chairperson, purchased a building for Medical Trust. Director of Primary Health Organisation – local care needs District Health Board not aware of. Stood down when left Riverton. Trust still going, interesting. A special thing happened then.

Riverton churches got together one Christmas – school hall. Big meeting. Anne asked to open it. Catholics and Protestants. Parents argued about religion but ‘knowing there is one God anyway’.

1985 Civic Honour Medal awarded – an honour. Very first time the Council did it.

Tribute to late husband. Much support and life has been good. Drawn to help people because knew what it felt like to be different (with Polio). Brother Christopher and I taking a church service together.

Rex and Bing and others go to Australia for holidays, wonderful holidays