FRANK RITCHIE LINDSAY

Interviewer: Richard Savory

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes

TRACK 1

00:00 Interviewer identification.

00:51 FRANK RITCHIE LINDSAY born in 1920. Known as 'RITCHIE'. 01:38 RIVERTON MUSEUM – Mentioned.

02:07 Father, farmer and son of a farmer. Bought 200 acres 3 miles south of DRUMMOND on main road to OTAHUTI. Father from the district. Second of large family. His older brother bought farm on north side of DRUMMOND. Farm taken over by another brother. Three or four aunties, married mainly around DRUMMOND. Mrs ROBERTSON to WELLINGTON, one to GISBORNE, Mrs BROWN in DRUMMOND. 05:13 Grandfather – RITCHIE 9 years old when he died. After he left the farm he lived in YARROW STREET, INVERCARGILL. IAN LINDSAY took over the farm, taken over by IAN'S son, then taken over by grandson. 06:42 Grandfather from farming family. Bought property at DRUMMOND – Described. Quite a large family. 07:58 Attended DRUMMOND SCHOOL.

08:06 Grandfather's brother, ADAM LINDSAY, lived south of DRUMMOND.

08:18 Uncle FRANK RITCHIE LINDSAY at First World War – Killed. Several family members went to war.

10:14 Mother – from ISLA BANK. Family of three girls and three boys. Parents met about 1913, married in 1915. 11:29 GORDON GRIEVE (MP, Member of Parliament for AWARUA) son Mother's sister [ISABELLA MOLLISON] married GEORGE GRIEVE. TYSON SIMMON [? spelling of both names ], engineering in INVERCARGILL. Went to OTAHUTI SCHOOL. ISLA BANK – Mentioned.

12:52 TUATAPERE, OTAHUTI – Mentioned. Boxing bout – Described. 14:50 Growing up in DRUMMOND...

End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:03 First time saw a traction engine and mill – Described. In later years bought his own traction engine.

01:06 Thrashing of oats – Explained. Setting up of equipment – Described. RITCHIE'S tasks as a 15 year old – Described.

04:35 Eleven men on mill. Tasks – Described. IKEY POOLE – Mentioned. Mostly oats – Explained. Chaff cutter – Explained. Fuelling of traction engine – Explained. Reaction of horses to traction engines – Described.

09:51 Brothers and sisters helped at harvest time. Worked with an uncle and his son. Cousins also helped. Horse-drawn binder for sheaves. Team of draught horses used. 11:45 Ploughing, use of horses – Described. 14:00 Hard work on farm, bog pine and roots – Described. 15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:00 Available wood and timber – Described. RITCHIE not keen on trees. Sawmill at DRUMMOND.

01:11 Milked cows. License in 1935 tested at WAIANIWA. J K STEVENSON (engineer at WAIANIWA) – Mentioned.

03.43 RITCHIE first drove 1924 Chev(rolet). Milk delivery to factory. Whey returned to farm for pigs. Dairy factory at DRUMMOND.

04:55 First tractor (W12 McCORMICK DEERING) on farm in 1938. Replaced four-horse teams. Horses sold. Neighbour had CLETRAC tractor. Later two FORDSONS arrived. Tractors – Described. Remembered seeing trucks with solid rubber tyres. 06:57 Started school at ISLA BANK. First day at school – Described. DONALD McDONALD – Mentioned. School burnt, classes in hall. Two teacher school. Teachers included MISS DUKE, MISS ANDERSON, MR WORTHINGTON. Writing equipment – Described. 12:12 New school built in same place as original one. School heated by an open fire. Teacher warm, children not – Described. Going to school in winter – Described. DRUMMOND SCHOOL – Mentioned. Left primary school at age 13. Went to SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE. Travelled by OTAUTAU bus. H & H BUS from INVERCARGILL. TODD'S (AUCTION ROOMS) – Mentioned. Bus pupils late for school.

End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:11 Rugby practice caused some problems with return journeys. RITCHIE played for DRUMMOND RUGBY TEAM. Left TECHNICAL COLLEGE the day he turned 14. Military Cadets at school – Described. School uniform – Described. Cadet drill – Explained.

05:44 Left school to help on farm. Gained driver's license.

06:12 Depression gradually coming right after 1935. RITCHIE had one brother and one sister.

07:22 Incident when RITCHIE was 10 years old – Described. Four traction engines at WAIMATUK[U] STREAM and OTAHUTI STREAM. INVERCARGILL – Mentioned.

11:36 Certificate for traction engine in 1964. Bought engine in 1961. Tractors took over from traction engines on farm. 1946 traction engines gone. Tractor functions – Described. McCORMICK tractor – Mentioned. Horses and cows sold.

14:03 Change of lifestyle after selling cows – Described. INVERCARGILL SHOW DAYS – Mentioned.

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:03 INVERCARGILL SHOW DAYS – Described. Preparation of Border Leicester and Romney sheep for shows – Described. Travelled with father to shows around SOUTHLAND. Transport of sheep – Described. Many farms now have managers instead of owners operating farm. 02:02 Draught horses. Stock sales at WINTON. DRUMMOND, OTAUTAU, JACK YOUNG – Mentioned. Walking sheep from OTAUTAU to home, about eleven miles – Described. RINGWAY RIDGES – Mentioned. Father did not drink alcohol, never went to pubs.

05:30 RITCHIE got on well with his father.

06:01 RITCHIE started farming aged 28. Father had 90 acres between ISLA BANK and FAIRFAX. RITCHIE had 3 house cows.

07:16 War declared in 1939. RITCHIE called up in 1942 didn't pass for overseas service. Sent to GODLEY HEADS, LYTTELTON HARBOUR – Explained. Eventually to BURNHAM to be signaller. Then to MAUD ISLAND in MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS. Morse Code training – Described. Reverted to Gunner. Gun accident in 1943 – Described. Barracks near gun site. Return visit – Described. 15:00 End of Track 5

TRACK 6

00:01 Recreation Room – Described. RITCHIE sang and played guitar (TEX MORTON style). Taught himself guitar chords. 01:37 Bought 1934 AUSTIN 10 after leaving Army. Bought farm in 1948. GODLEY HEADS, BURNHAM, MAUD ISLAND – Mentioned. Father gave tractor and implements so RITCHIE could make some money. Uncle's contracts passed to RITCHIE.

03:15 Money to purchase farm borrowed from father's friend – Explained. WRIGHT STEPHENSON LTD – Mentioned.

04:58 Country Dances, Choir singing, Country songs – Described. TEX MORTON, WILF CARTER, BUDDY WILLIAMS, McCRACKEN & WALLS, BEGGS MUSIC – Mentioned.

07:24 Shopping Day in INVERCARGILL – Described. Before the war father gave pocket money instead of wages – Explained. Father lived to age 69. Parents retired to FOX STREET, INVERCARGILL.

10:38 Stock on farm, eight cows and sixty sheep, sold at farm sale. Land – Described. Clearing the land – Described. Bought Leicester rams. Sheep Romney Leicester cross – Described. Wool returns – Mentioned.

12:54 Built new wool shed. Modern sheds – Described. Shearing gangs – Mentioned.

13:44 RITCHIE married in 1951. Very old house on farm – Described... End of Track 6

TRACK 7

00:00 Description of old house continued.

00.27 No intention of farming without a wife. Proposal – Explained. Wife one of nine children. Engaged for more than two years. Built new house. 02:00 Farm had been let go for many years. Stories about man who lived the house and incident at dairy factory – Described. 04:03 Engagement to ISLA – Mentioned. Married in 1951 at PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, TAY STREET, INVERCARGILL (FIRST CHURCH). Reception at ELMWOOD. Guests from DRUMMOND and HEDDON BUSH. Honeymoon at PORTAGE in MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS for 2 weeks.

06:59 RITCHIE contracted polio about 1956 – Described. A man from WINTON died. Local man lost use of his legs. Rehabilitation – Described. More problems with legs since 1995 when RITCHIE retired from farm.

11:00 RITCHIE'S sons helped on farm. Sons made own decisions to go farming. 12:05 Changes in farming – ALLIS CHALMERS Model U tractor, ALL-CROP 60 header, JOHN DEERE header. Cropping area expanded – sons' decision.

13:45 JEFF (RITCHIE'S son) keen on going dairying . RITCHIE used to go trout fishing on ORETI, APARIMA, MATAURA, WAIAU.

15:00 End of Track 7

TRACK 8

00:00 Fished in WAIAU before diverted – Described. Whitebaiting – Mentioned.

00:48 Purchase of farms – Described. ISLA BANK, DES FORDE from HEDDON BUSH – Mentioned CRESTED DOG TAIL GRASS – Described. 05:06 ISLA'S contribution while RITCHIE had polio – Described. Year of the drought. Storm during lambing killed many lambs. Time of year for lambing altered slowly. 07:00 Rabbits during father's time were dreadful – Described. Rabbit control – Described. RABBIT BOARD – Mentioned.

10:33 Rabbit skins – Mentioned. RITCHIE had two ferrets – Described. Use of ferrets when rabbitting – Described. ISLA involved in catching and skinning rabbits and selling pelts. Rabbit situation at HEDDON BUSH really bad. 13:14 Time working for carrying firm, before the war – Described. 13:45 ANDERSON OIL ENGINE – Mentioned. Never understood why father sold it. Power came in about 1924.

15:00 End of Track 9

TRACK 9

00:01 Possible use of ANDERSON OIL ENGINE during power cuts – Explained. Engine made in LYTTELTON. RITCHIE has an ANDERSON, same model as his father's one, came from FAIRFAX. ANDERSON ENGINE – Described.

02:17 During RITCHIE'S childhood – kerosene lamp at the table during dinner, used in other rooms. Used candles. Power made a big difference. Initially nearest telephone at uncle's home. Party-lines phones installed soon after RITCHIE was married. Exchange built at DRUMMOND.

04:49 Mail and paper delivered to gate. In earlier times A C MILLARS delivered bread from a DODGE car by Mr BURGESS.

06:11 Retired to WINTON. Surroundings – Described. Dog problem – Mentioned. 07:18 Deep sea fishing for marlin in KAIKOHE area in 1961 – Described. 09:04 End of Track 9