ELLA VAUGHAN NICOLSON

Interviewer: Ann Irving

Date: 31 October 2005

TRACK 1 (Note: Introduction is given on Track 4)

00:00 [MAIDEN NAME]: ELLA VAUGHAN MILLIGAN – Vaughan from mother's mother was Welsh or French VAUGHAN COLYER – Mentioned ELLA born 12 February 1916 – Home birth at BENMORE Mother born at ASHBURTON 24 April 1892 Father born at KAIAPOI 07 January 1863

02:21 Parents married 01 October 1913 probably at SCOTT STREET, INVERCARGILL

02:54 Mother's death at PEACEHAVEN result of stroke Father's death at SCOTT STREET – Heart attack

03:19 [EDUCATION]: Mother learned the piano – Primary education at TISBURY and SOUTH SCHOOLS Father at DIPTON SCHOOL to Standard 6 KAIAPOI – Mentioned

04:20 [RELIGION]: Mother – Church of Christ Father – Presbyterian Children – Presbyterian Attended church on Sunday – Family prayers – Described

05:47 Mother's own childhood situation – Explained Knew stepchildren before she knew own sisters – Combined total 19 children

08:26 Inspector of Schools – Drover – School Teacher – Mentioned

08:59 Mother – ELLA VAUGHAN COLYER

09:10 Father – Farmed at RIVERSIDE, DIPTON RUSSELL – GRAHAM – Mentioned

10:00 Parents at BENMORE – Mother to town about 1943 – Father on farm with DOUGLAS and self – Moved to town as well

11:04 Own siblings – BILL (William James) – Self – DOUGLAS – RAY – BETTY WILLIAM JAMES MILLIGAN born 31 December 1915 DOUGLAS HAIG born 3 April/May 1917 JOHN RAYMOND born 7 December 1922/1921 BETTY born 12 July 1929

13:10 Occupations of siblings... WILLIAM – Minister – Died from heart attack – Married with no issue DOUGLAS married HELEN NICOLSON – Moved to STUDHOLME, TIMARU RAYMOND – School teacher – Married – Three sons BETTY – Lives in RAUMATI, WELLINGTON – Married a psychologist

15:35 Self grew up in DIPTON – Left in 1943

15:54 Large house at DIPTON – Described Power supplied in about 1926 – House remodelled for electric range Eleven on telephone party line – Described

18:03 Self and brother taken in family car to DIPTON SCHOOL

18:27 Neighbour agent for radios – Talked father into buying one – Reception not good

18:51 Mother always had domestic home help

19:11 Roll of grandparents in childhood... Grandma very mild – Grandfather gave children one peppermint each for church – Described as a 'peppery old man' 20:00 Behaviour towards parents and other adults – Described

20:32 Father the decision maker

20:59 Typical weekday in household – Described Use of buggy then walk to school – Described Horse left in church yard

22:21 After school – Early tea – Homework – Adults had meal in peace

23:38 Family reasonably well off – Domestic help and ploughman Farm 999 acres – Uncultivated grassland – Romney sheep Southdown sheep – Mentioned

24:37 As a child played draughts – Cards – Saved to buy a doll – Hop Scotch – Hockey – Skipping – Boys played cricket Rabbiting – Help from brothers

26:47 Family picnics – Sing-alongs – Once a year school picnics to COLAC BAY – BLUFF THE BASTION – WINTON FALLS (more correctly DIPTON FALLS) – Mentioned

28:48 Train travel to picnics BLUFF to DIPTON – Mentioned

29:07 Self not given a nick-name

29:15 Remembers porridge – Jam sandwiches for school – When available had MARMITE

29:52 No conversation from here to end

31:23 End of Track 1

Track 2

00:00 Opening of tape – No actual conversation

00:23 No pre-school groups or kindergartens to attend.

00:41 Attended DIPTON SCHOOL from age of 5 years Transport – Described

01:31 Usual subjects at school – Phonetics not included Favourite subjects – History and Geography

02:15 [TEACHERS]: Mr HAMILTON – Miss ROWE (?) – GEORGE AGNEW

03:21 Went to SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE aged 13 years Boarded in town for one year Gained Proficiency Certificate

04:26 Music and dressmaking (conversation unclear too much background chatter)

04:56 Left school to be Mother's Help Played Tennis – Netball/Basketball

05:12 Weekends at home baked for family – Mother quite ill Father – BILL – DOUGLAS – RAYMOND – Mentioned

06:50 Continued to be Mother's Help – Explained

07:29 Met DON about 1939 – Described DON and SAM involved with formation of road ISLA BANK – Mentioned

08:38 Engaged and married before DON went overseas DON not meant to go overseas – Explained Involvement of JAPANESE in 1943 – Explained

09:55 Self man-powered to SUNNYSIDE MENTAL HOSPITAL 1943-1945 Own experience – Described

10:33 Cousin and husband ran KINGSTON HOTEL – Self granted leave to help for four months

11:24 DON returned home 6 January 1946 – Stayed with his parents until farm bought at WAIMATUA

11:43 On farm for 37 years – JANICE (daughter) born end 1946

12:11 Move to WAIMATUA farm over 100 acres – 90 acres clear

12:40 [WEDDING]: 11 February 1943 at St ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – Described Own dress and flowers – Described One bridesmaid (PEG) wore black – Explained FARRY'S in GORE – Mentioned

14:52 Cows and sheep on farm – Farm paid for in 2 years – Transport business was sold – No Rehab money – Explained Overseas service pay

16:25 First tractor bought when JANICE 4 years old – DON started to clear ground FERGUSON tractor – Mentioned Farm jobs of self and children – Described JANICE – ROSALIE [born 8 September 1952] – MURRAY [18 October 1954] – DONALD [11 February 1957] – Mentioned

19:06 Problems with house cow – Described DON never very good with animals 20:32 Stopped milking cows Family Benefit – Amount stated

20:56 Carried Southdown and Romney sheep

21:34 Farm burn-offs – Described

21:48 Own chores after 4 o'clock – Described Effects of tractor purchase – Eventually hired an excavator for ditching State of land – Described Tile drainage used

24:21 Land bought from ALLAN HUNTER 'Light fingers' involved with corrugated iron and tools Came back to help himself to swedes – Ordered from property

26:27 GREENS immediate neighbours – Difficult life for Mrs JACK GREEN – Explained JACK McCARREN – NORMAN REID – TUFFERY – WILSON – Mentioned

28:07 Bought farm because house almost new

28:52 EWART next neighbour then FENNELLS – NORA BRADLEY

29:17 JANICE start at school – Explained Church service in the school – Travel explained Neighbour's (TRU ?) children – RON and NOLA – Mentioned 30:27 JILL JEFFRIES (MORTON MAINS) re possible formation of WOMEN'S DIVISION (Federated Farmers) Self didn't want anything to do with it Mrs CAPIL...

31:08 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:00 Mrs TED CAPIL elected President – MARY CLAY Secretary At short notice self required to chair meeting – Continued involvement

01:15 Games of cards in school – Described Method of heating room – Described 02:09 Loss of school key – Visit by Mrs McINTYRE [Provincial President] – Explained

03:09 Self stopped attending due to pregnancy ROSALIE – Mentioned

03:42 Method of 'selecting' interim president – Described TRU (?) – Mrs CHISHOLM – Mentioned

04:13 Self expecting MURRAY – Self not involved until child 2 years old

04:35 DONALD born – Self lost interest (in WDFF) ISABEL VANDERLEY encouraged self to return

05:06 Position of Executive President – Nomination not put forward ISABEL – AVIS – Mentioned

05:52 Cards started in hall – Still have good attendances

06:71 Church services – Presbyterian – Purchase of part of CHARLIE MONTAGUE'S property sold by Catholic Presbyterian land is never sold ADRIAN – Mentioned Venues for services FENNELL – Mentioned

09:08 (interruptions)

09:30 Plans to buy land for hall – Explained GORDON TUFFERY – HILLIS – Mentioned Building in WAIPANGO moved Financial contributions from MOSS – DON – GEOFF CAPIL – And others

11:11 Pieces of hall assembled 50 years ago – Information should be in minutes Builder involved

11:50 EWART – Self – ESTER – NORA – Mrs GEOFF CAPIL – Mrs TED CAPIL– Mentioned Choice of person to Cut The Ribbon – Clothing described Mrs CAMPBELL – Mentioned

13:30 MUNRO and REID children – EVERETT at school Mrs HOLLOWAY[teacher] – keen to have netball court made Bring and Buy in school – Problems over 'supper plates' Mrs EVERETT – Mrs DAWSON – BURNETTS – Mentioned

14:55 Some committee members mentioned (difficult to hear) DON – EWART – TRU – Mrs REID – BENNY 16:01 Tennis court through effort of Mrs HOLLOWAY WAIMATUA NETBALL CLUB – Mentioned

16:28 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:00 Tape Identification

00:52 Morning breakfast – Described

01:13 ELLA VAUGHAN NICOLSON car CALVARY HOSPITAL, INVERCARGILL Born 12 February 1916

01:40 Lived in WAIMATUA all of married life First impressions – Husband looked at farms – Property chose because of new house Little productive land – Work required to bring land – Self had to milk cows DUCK CREEK – Mentioned

03:18 New rough-cast house – Described Self had to learn to use coal range Husband had milked cows – Didn't like them

04:57 JANICE had arrived – Organisation of milking tasks – Explained Milked Shorthorn and Holstein cows TISBURY (Dairy) FACTORY – LOCKS of SOUTH INVERCARGILL – FENNELL – EWART MUNRO – GREEN – Mentioned

07:07 State of roads – Mailman's travel FENNELL – TIMPANYS – MOKOTUA – Mentioned

08:07 Farm duties included work in wool shed – Shearing shared by DON, Mr FENNELL and Mr RYAN

09:27 Neighbours co-operation – Use of horses – Picking up swedes and chomolia DON McCARRON – Mentioned

10:54 Sheep moved for feeding – Long grass needed to cows Milk for town supply was seasonal

11:51 Land had 30 acres of scrub – Funding of purchase of first tractor a FERGUSON Manuka – DUCK CREEK – Mentioned

13:19 Contribution of self and JANICE in clearing land – Described Hazards with peat fires – Explained Tramway line at bottom of paddock – Described Railway line to CLIFDEN Sawmilling – Mentioned

15:56 Movement of sheep for feed

16:14 Did not grow crops such as oats and barley

16:42 Comparisons made between WAIMATUA and DIPTON Use of fertilisers – Explained

18:24 Disadvantages in developing land AUSTIN 10 car – SINGER car – Mentioned

19:32 JANICE 5 years old when MURRAY born – Stopped milking cows Family Benefit – Explained DONALD – Mentioned Financially probably easier for self and family

21:33 Own views of agent's suggestion to see WAIMATUA property – Explained Relative at MOTU RIMU

22:37 [RURAL WOMEN] : Self had belong to DIPTON WOMEN'S DIVISION – At WAIMATUA determined not to be in office Mrs CAPIL first President – MARY CLAY told self (Vice President) to take meeting

23:52 Members took wood for heating school room – Cards played as a Social Club Own initiation into social life at WAIMATUA

25:30 JANICE'S entry to school delayed – Explained. Her re-action to school – Described Mrs HOLLOWAY – Mrs DOWNES (teachers) – Mentioned Effects of involvement with grandfather – Described 'STRAIGHT FURROW' (magazine) – Mentioned

28:25 Bring-and-Buy – Householders' Meeting Mrs REID – Mrs DAWSON – TRU MUNRO...

30:10 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:00 Tape Identification

00:54 … (Bring-and-Buy) – Committee not aware of importance to raise money Charged for supper – Two women upset at having to pay departed with their trays of food Friday MARKET DAY – TRU MUNRO – Mentioned

02:35 Men built stage at school – Use of space in rooms with sliding doors Concerts – Mentioned HARRY HUTTON (teacher) restricted available space – Described

03:38 Men decided to buy shed for hall

04:00 [TEACHERS] : Mrs HOLLOWAY – Mrs DOWNES – HARRY HUTTON – DAVE PLUMB – DAVE HAZLETT(?) – ROGER TIPPEN – ELLOTT

04:58 End of Track 5

TRACK 6

00:00 Tape Indentification

01:11 HAYMAKING required 11 men – Explained Mowing – Hay sweep – Stack Self need to do cooking Cutting linen flax – BENMORE – Mentioned

04:06 SHEARING