H0236 ESTHER MARY BRAND

Interviewer: Margaret Ann Irving

Abstracter: Judith Christie

Interview: 25 November 2004

TRACK One

00:00 Interview identification. Born in 1915. Parents WILLIAM and EMMA BLONDELL, married in the south of England and came out circa 1870 with three children. Lived in a house in Invercargill near the water tower – all bush in those days.

01.20 Father’s parents moved to a farm at LORA GORGE, neighbours of the MCRAES of whiskey fame. Ten in the family – seven boys and three girls. Three children settled in WAIMATUA – Arthur, Henry and William (father). Father married Ellen ??

02.20 GRANDFATHER took up teaching. Father and mother married on section at ?? on Christmas Eve 1912. Mother died when self was eighteen.

03.05 Brother WILLIAM born in 1913.

03.40 Indecipherable. Bought section in WAIMATUA in 1908 on a ballot on a 99 year lease. Could freehold land at £2 an acre, but father never did. Freeholded own farm only 20 years ago.

05.00 Parents built the house they lived in after clearing bush and building a hut. Kitchen, sitting room and two bedrooms. Water tank at the back door, toilet in the back yard. Eventually built on to.

07.40 Mother busy with children while father busy on the farm. MILKED 30 COWS by hand, morning and night. Describes. Mother took milk to the factory in the cart and helped father outside. MILKING MACHINES purchased in 1927, as soon as electric power was put in.

12.20 Self was second child after WILLIAM JOHN. Sister MARGARET EMMA born 4 August 1917.

14.10 Played hopscotch at school, played with balls, skipping, rounders.

14.50 Entertained themselves at home with cards at the dining room table. Taught to play Cribbage to help with counting. Father didn’t have an education, but mother did. Father taught children the alphabet with a cardboard on the wall, and counting up to ten. Self top of the class at school. Passed Proficiency at 11 and went to High School.

17.15 Attended SOUTHLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL and studied in the Academic stream. French and Latin taught. Good at maths – best subject mental arithmetic. Two years at secondary school. Brother had to leave school at 15 to work on the farm, although he wanted to be an accountant.

20.00 Stayed at home on leaving school at the age of 13 and helped mother on the farm. Four girls on the farm next door, so lots of company. 40 or 50 children went to school from the district. Mentions BRADLEYS, BLONDELLS, BROWNS, BARNES, MCGARVIES.

21.15 Sixty or seventy children attended WAIMATUA SCHOOL – two teachers, MRS STUCK and MISS MORRIS. Describes

22.15 Mentions where different residents lived – GREENS, MISS MORRIS, NICHOLSONS, WILSONS, BOLGERS, BURNETTS, PERRIAMS.

23.40 Self born at Tweed Street, Invercargill. AUNT LIZZIE SCULLY owned the PRINCESS HOTEL, and self was born there in 1915.

14.10 Mother born at ROCKHAMPTON, AUSTRALIA, never came to NZ. Mother’s father came out from IRELAND and married MARGARET GRACE and farmed near Rockhampton. Most of the family settled in TARANAKI, but mother came south.

24.50 In 1908 mother’s sister MRS O’CONNOR was balloted 30 acres at ??? Married Mick O’Connor and farmed at ??? so self’s grandfather came down and took over the balloted farm in early 1900s. Parents married 1912.

25.40 Father born in Invercargill near the WATER TOWER. Looked for his cat in the bush. Ten children in father’s family.

26.30 Mother was a ROMAN CATHOLIC, father was PRESBYTERIAN. Never suffered discrimination because of religion, and attended different churches.

27.30 Never knew father’s parents. Describes where people lived.

28.50 Family discipline good – corporal punishment used. Obedience important. Father was a quiet person and good natured. Mother did most of the disciplining.

30.00 PICNICS held. Father purchased a truck and neighbours and family would travel on the back to WAITUNA LAKE and ORETI BEACH on jaunts. No hall, so dances held in the school.

End of Track One

TRACK TWO

00.00 Oldest brother(?) married indecipherable.

00.50 Relative (a Dutchman) came out from South Africa. Name Zybrand, but changed name to Brand when in New Zealand.

01.40 Met HUSBAND BEN at age 19 at a Waimatua dance. Husband had been in Australia. Indecipherable.

02.40 Married when self was 26 in 1942. Describes proposal. Married in the sitting room and had 50 at the wedding breakfast. Wore white and carried lilies. Describes

05.00 SON BARRY born 10 March 1948. Premature baby. Describes

07.30 Ben and self had 210(?) acres, largely undeveloped. Paid Ben’s brothers out to purchase the farm. Lots of ditching done.

08.30 Ben went to WAR, and self sold sheep and lived at home. When Ben returned, got ditchers and bulldozers from the islands to help with DRAINAGE. Describes

09.30 WILCOXES had a bulldozer, and people would come around to see it working. TOM MUIR had a ditching machine. Describes

10.40 Interviewer’s farm was owned by BILL DAY, then Grones(?) who grazed racehorses on it, then MCCURDYS. Describes

13.15 Grandfather owned block over the road. Mentions BILL BLONDELL, brother? Describes

14.40 GLADYS (cousin) was housekeeper after self’s mother died, then left for Nelson. Self and father lived there, then shifted to house opposite interviewer’s house. Describes

16.20 Difficult for father after mother died – three children. Self and sister had to do lots of housework.

17.15 House that Bill lived in was transported.

17.30 SAWMILL in the area – lots of thick bush.

18.20 Father and his family didn’t drink. Worked hard and saved 70 p to purchase farm.

19.30 HALL moved on to site. Describes Mentions celebration re hall. Held auctions to raise money for Hall.

22.00 Mentions JIM TAPPER.

23.17 Describes school layout.

24.00 Walked 2 and a half miles to RAILWAY STATION to catch the train to town. Father would also take people in his HORSE AND CART. Describes

25.00 PRINCESS HOTEL Aunt owned was in Dee Street – father would tether horse behind the hotel.

25.30 Most of the GROCERIES purchased from BULLINGS who had a van which travelled around the district.

16.15 Self attended school, mentions TAPPERS and THOMSONS. Pupils attended TISBURY SCHOOL (walked there) before WAIMATUA SCHOOL was built. Brother was a first day pupil at Waimatua. Self started school in 1920.

28.20 Attended HIGH SCHOOL, travelling by train. First period over by the time self arrived at school. Arrived home on 4.00 pm train and arrived home around 5.00 pm.

30.00 When in Standard six, wrote an essay, which brother copied – self got the strap because teacher thought that self had copied him.

End of Track Two

TRACK THREE

00.00 – 20.20 is a repeat of Track Two 10.40 – 30.00.

20.20 Describes sister Margaret’s time at school.

21.30 New car Model T Ford owned by ??? Self had a ride in it. Some relation of Nora.

22.40 Describes BROWNS and their farm. JACK BROWN attended Waimatua School.

23.30 Father cut chard. Browns always weighed bags to make sure that the weight was correct. Describes Browns. Had foster children who were always hungry and would steal the centres out of the bread that was left by the baker on the roadside.

26.10 Mother made scones but not bread. She enjoyed baking. Most of the family’s food produced on the farm. Good garden and orchard. Describes

29.15 Describes BARNES(?) family. Father an Orangeman, mother a Catholic.

End of Track Three

TRACK FOUR

00.00 Mentions a book. Indecipherable.

00.20 Looking at photograph album. The following people are mentioned during the conversation: Lizzie, Emma, Esther Boys in the family Self’s wedding on 29 August 1922 Self with Ben in uniform. Vera and Bob Blondell Norman Capil Ben Brand Margaret and Jack Daniels Ken and Marie West Esther Brand John Daniels Mr and Mrs McCurdy, Waimatua Official wedding photo Barry Brand Ben Brand William Blondell Jessie Hughes Margaret in uniform Esther and Margaret in Wellington Daniel wedding Gilbert von Tunzelman Self getting a Branch Honour Womens Division Federated Farmers ?? Mathieson Vera Thelma and Stuart Tweedale Willie Waimatua School Jubilee (school opened December 1918) Doris Terry nee Copeland Tom Kelly – arrived on Ship William? Blondell family

04.20 After men returned to NZ after the war, Government shouted them a trip with wives. Self and Ben went to Rotorua and Russell. Took some time for Ben to settle down. Went rabbiting. Describes

05.30 More looking at photographs. Mentions names.

06.00 JACK DANIELS also went to war. First INVERCARGILL TERRITORIAL to volunteer. Was in CRETE and GREECE. Also in the BATTLE OF BRITAIN.

11.00 Mentions various people living at different properties, including KELLYS.

11.15 Mentions four sons (unknown surname) BERT, MARK, ARTHUR AND LESLIE, who was a good artist and sketched people on the street – ended up working with Walt Disney.

13.00 EMMA? had two sons, lived with UNCLE ARTHUR GEORGE and STEWART who became a beekeeper. Describes

13.50 EILEEN married but no family. BERT did.

14.00 Looking at photo album again. Describes different people Blondell men Tom (lived at Oreti) William (grandfather) George – lived at Clifden Malley(?) family – Delia, Jock, Maggie (Mrs Tom Finnerty), Ellen (self’s mother), Mary (Mrs Chard), Dora Quince, Donna, Richard Prendergast, Margaret Grace whose father came out from Ireland, William (Uncle Bill), Jock.

19.50 Houses in the bush Describes

20.00 More from photo album: Helen Malley as a bridesmaid Jock and Ellen Malley – describes their children Ellen Malley and William Blondell group wedding photo Self’s birth certificate Self, Margaret and Esther Ossie (grandfather Malley) Miss Morris, who lived at Waimatua – Christmas card Farm photos at Waimatua, including a traction engine. Describes

27.00 Describes wood sawing for traction engine, clearing bush, cutting wood for planks, setting fires to clear bush and putting fires out.

End of Track Four

TRACK FIVE

00.00 During WWII, self went back to live with parents when Ben left for war. Was 2nd cook and kitchen maid at KEW HOSPITAL and enjoyed job. Lived in at Kew Hospital. SISTER BURNETT was in charge. SISTER TROTTER also there.

02.10 Ben was overseas for three years. Had to wait for transport to return home. Was in EGYPT and ITALY. Ben didn’t talk much about the war, but did talk about having to bury young German soldiers.

03.45 1946 - KIWI SOLDIERS had better provisions and food than the German soldiers. Helped by Americans. Mayor of Trieste now wants to raise funds to help the economy there.

04.45 Settled in easily again as a couple when Ben returned home. Went to the station to meet him from war. Ben found it hard to settle in to farming for a while. Went on a trip with friends ALEC AND JAN HORGAN. Then went RABBITING near LAWRENCE – lived in a hut.

06.40 Went farming again a year after Ben returned home.

07.00 MRS BRAND (mother?) had a leasehold farm and father farmed it after 1912. Put a house in the middle of the farm, which burnt down. Built a house then out of second hand timber, and self and Ben lived there. NO ELECTRICITY when first married. Dalgety’s organized payment of accounts – they didn’t pay electricity bill, and electricity was cut off.

10.00 As soon as electricity put in, bought a washing machine and electrical appliances.

10.30 BARRY born six years after marriage. Describes

12.15 Self worked on the farm, but didn’t drive tractors. Learned to drive a car at age 35 so self could take son to school.

13.30 1951 was a good year for WOOL but farms had to freeze one third of it. When money released, purchased a car in 1953.

14.30 Self keen GARDENER, with Ben doing the hard digging.

15.30 Went to town most weeks

15.45 Very involved in WOMEN’S DIVISION, attending from the second meeting, and taking others in the car. Played cards.

16.40 Barry attended WAIMATUA SCHOOL until age 10, then attended MARIST from Standard 4 until Form 4. Then worked on the farm.

18.30 Ben played RUGBY when young – represented Southland in Rugby when a schoolboy. Played bowls.

19.30 BARRY married in 1967, had Terence in 1968, then twins in 1970.

20.00 Self moved to town when Ben died and lived in own home for five years, then moved into CALVARY at 85 years old when started to going blind. Listens to talking books. Still plays cards.

End of Track Five