GRAEME JOHN SMITH

Interviewer: Rosalyn Smith

Abstracter: W. Brent Coats

First Interview: 21 September 2011

DISC 1: TRACK 1

00:06 Interview identification

01:14 GRAEME JOHN SMITH born 11 November 1948 in TAPANUI

00:40 Father JOHN SMITH born 1915 in TAPANUI Mother EVA ESKDALE COATSWORTH born 1923 in TAPANUI Met father while in TAPANUI brass band - Details

02:16 Father APPRENTICE carpenter under LORRIE KIRK in TAPANUI Served overseas during World War Two until 1941 – Foreman for building the CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR’S CAMP in TAPANUI – Describes

03:02 Grandfather JOHN SMITH married late – Last of family of six – Self never know him Grandmother SMITH died 1962 – Self does not remember her Knew Grandfather COATSWORTH well – Came for tea most evenings – Details

04:01 Father’s family were farmers in WEST OTAGO – GLENMOORE (sp?) Farm GLENMOORE - Had sheep and cows – 330 acres - Operated by Great grandfather JAMES SMITH – Broken up for family Grandfather bought small farm outside TAPANUI – Became engineer for TOPEKA Council - Describes

05:50 PATERNAL MOTHER - CATHERINE STEEL – Family from GLENKENICH in WEST OTAGO Had 200 acre farm - Describes

06:28 GRANDFATHER COATSWORTH arrived in TAPANUI young – Bricklayer, plasterer, block layer Met MABEL ESKDALE - Married 1915 – First child BETTY born in TAPANUI Moved to PORT CHALMERS - Bought farmlet – Grandfather joined the POLICE – Initially a Jailer at DUNEDIN PRISON – First Police posting at RAKAIA 1940 returned to TAPANUI with daughter EVA – Became courier at Post Office - Details 08:01 GRANDFATHER’S SIBLINGS - Uncle HARRY COATSWORTH was postmaster – Uncle KEITH a teacher in INVERCARGILL Aunty BETTY also a teacher – Met WILLIE FRANCIS in KATIKATI – Farm at OMOKOROA – Describes

09:08 Self grew up at TAPANUI – 4th generation SMITH in township – Interested in carpentry like father – Left school 1964 – Apprenticed as carpenter to KELVIN MASON 10:00 SMITH HOUSE part of GLENMOORE FARMSTEAD – Built for marriage of JOHN and CATHERINE SMITH – 1903 House sawn in half when farm broken up – Two brothers CHARLES and JIM (?) transported house to present site – Took three days - Described Originally a large house – Supported family of eight – Details

11:15 Self recalls FAMILY OUTINGS to Timaru – Many relatives lived in region – Usually stayed in STUCKSBURY HOUSE private hotel – Self and sister ALISON enjoyed Carnival Visited paternal aunt and uncle KAY and HAROLD ROBERTSON in INVERCARGILL Spent time with Father’s sister OLIVE LISCHNER in TAPANUI and cousin HEATHER – Describes

13:14 Self enjoyed PLAYING OUTDOORS – Underground and tree huts, model airplanes, slug guns – Experience a “little foreign” to visiting male cousins – Explains

14:01 Family attitude to SMOKING - Self recalls hepatitis outbreak in TAPANUI – Father contracted illness and stopped smoking – Self and sister tried cigarettes – Never continued Family attitude to alcohol “limited” – little kept in house – Parents frowned moderately upon its consumption - Describes

16:32 Self was “very studious” – Got on well with teaching staff – Students treated as young adults – Disciplined on last day of TAPANUI DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL – Students dunked popular teacher STAN SCHRODER in pool – Received “six of the best” from headmaster – Explains

18:16 Self enjoyed SPORTS - Played rugby around area as child – Played hockey and tennis to high level as teenager and adult – Details

19:53 Left school at 16 – APPRENTICE training involved correspondence courses – First wage £6 per week – Mother charged Self board – Maybe half of wage As foreman for KJ LIMITED earned $1.10 per hour - $50 per week seemed “exceptional money” – Explains

22:11 Lived with paternal aunt GLADYS SMITH in DUNEDIN while at TECHNICAL SCHOOL Enjoyed carpentry and building – First company very diverse – Became a “finisher” hanging doors, vanities etc. – 1976 Self built joinery and furniture factory in TAPANUI Popular with Cromwell builders - Closed G J SMITH business in 1996 – Explains

25:38 Enjoyed STAGE ACTING at school - Met wife ROSALYN through performing TAPANUI DRAMA CLUB Played boyfriend/girlfriend in several plays – Married in 1971 ROSALYN from WAITAHUNA – Family farmed on same block for 100 years – Describes

28:01 Married at WAITAHUNA CHURCH 5 May 1971 – “very fine day” – Reception in WAITAHUNA HALL – Honeymooned following historic gold-trails in CENTRAL OTAGO – Describes

28:42 RELIGION - Father not interested in “church things” – Mother went to church regularly – Self and sister baptised at TAPANUI PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Self grew up in churches – Attended Sunday school – Left church “a wee bit” when began working – Returned after Rev. ALBERT MOORE arrived establishing Bible study group Wife and Self regular church-goers – ‘enjoy Christian faith” – Describes

30:38 CHILDREN came quickly – First child PHILLIP ALEXANDER JOHN Smith born February 1972 – Daughter Catherine born 18 months later – Son ALISTER (sp?) born 1976 – Daughter OLIVIA born 1980 – Details

`31:30 CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN – Son PHILLIP married CATHY DIDO (sp?) from SAN FRANCISCO – Met in LONDON – Married in SAN FRANCISCO – PHILLIP has building company in WANAKA – CHILDREN are ISOBEL, LUKE and CAROLINE Daughter CATHERINE married local farmer – Live at LOVELLS FLAT – Children are SARAH and JACK Son ALISTER married AMANDA TRAHAN from AUSTRALIA (sp?) – Live in QUEENSTOWN – ALISTER is a residential planner – Two children Daughter OLIVIA has boyfriend in CHRISTCHURCH – Trained as Radiographer – Completed Bachelor of DIVINITY - Details

34:46 Daughter-in-law CATHY – Involved in company takeovers in America Became at-home mother – Currently works for PRESBYTERIAN Church - Explains

36:18 Daughter Catherine is Guidance Counsellor at SOUTH OTAGO HIGH SCHOOL Daughter-in-law AMANDA planner in QUEENSTOWN – With High profile company – Describes

38:09 Involved in local COMMUNITY PROJECTS as carpenter/builder – Involved in local committees and fundraising – Helped build local TAPANUI COMMUNITY CENTRE – Began in 1984 and opened in 1993 - Details

40:32 Currently involved in fundraising for new TAPANUI HOSPITAL - Describes 41:49 Part of Church FUNDRAISING group - Male side of PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH work well together – Sells firewood and other fundraising for local missionary – Explains

43:33 Self with local drama club for many years – Group broke away to form WEST OTAGO MUSICAL SOCIETY 1981 First show “WHITE HORSE INN” – Very popular Drama club closed 1985 – Society changed name to WEST OTAGO THEATRICAL SOCIETY to incorporate both plays and music Has own 206 -seat theatre – Performs mostly eight performances per show - Large shows involve 80 people Self sang in early years – Enjoyed creating sets and administrating – Explains

49:08 Early members of Theatre Society honoured as Life Members – SELF – BARBARA HANNER (sp?) – HANS van der LIN (SP?) - CAMPBELL and RUBY STEWART – SUE SOMMERVILLE – JIM EDGAR – Details

49:58 Self belongs to GORE barbershop group HOKONUI HI-TOPS – Predominantly Christian men – Average age 60 years old – WINSOME HUMPHRIES conductor and mentor - Describes

51:22 Self always loved HISTORY – Wrote book “TAPANUI TURNS 100” for 1976 Borough centennial – Began researching in 1975 with ROSALYN – FWG MILLER’s “BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS” useful – Initially recorded material from local people – Visited HOCKEN LIBRARY to study TAPANUI COURIER 2000 copies made – Currently out of print - Explains

54:53 Self knew all RSA members buried in cemetery – Went to school with children of returned servicemen - Explains

56:10 End of Track 1