Abstract of James Stuart SMITH, 2020
Item — Box: 17
Identifier: H01120002
Overview
James (Jim) Stuart Smith
Interviewer: Pam Smith
Abstractor: Laura Davies
First Interview: 19 February 2012
Track 1
00:00 Interview identification
1:00 JAMES STUART SMITH Born 11 January 1946
1:25 Interview Agreement
2:15 Born GORE, SOUTHLAND
2:25 Father’s name JAMES SMITH, born SOUTHLAND 18 December 1912, occupation engine driver – Details
3:20 Mother’s name ESTHER SYMONS, born possibly in GORE 5 June 1917, occupation homemaker
4:00 Siblings of JAMES (JIM) STUART SMITH - Three sisters: JEN MCGRUTHER[?] 17 September 1937, HAZEL PIPER 19 January 1944 and youngest sister NANCY BARNES. Three brothers: WILLIAM SMITH (oldest), JOHN LEONARD SMITH (older than Jim) and DONALD GORDON (about 18months younger than Jim).
5:00 Grandparents – WILLIAM SMITH, from SCOTLAND and SUSAN SMITH (née THWAITES), born in New Zealand. Occupation as LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER. WILLIAM SMITH came from GLASGOW SCOTLAND in 1905. Travelled to WAIMAHAKA – Details
7:35 William Smith working at WAIPAPA LIGHTHOUSE and other smaller isolated lighthouses around New Zealand as far North and CAPE REINGA.
8:00 Siblings of JAMES SMITH: Two sisters, born on THAWITES FARM at OTARA.
9:20 Jim Smith’s memories of his GRANDPARENTS WILLIAM SMITH and SUSAN SMITH at WAIPAPA LIGHTHOUSE and their retirement to INVERCARGILL – Describes
10:40 MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS farmed at MENZIES FERRY, SOUTHLAND. GRANDFATHER SAMUEL SYMONS came from AUSTRALIA, married EUPHEMIA LEONARD, born NEW ZEALAND family originally from ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND.
11:30 Farming at MENZIES FERRY, type of farming and roles of his mother and aunts – Details
12:45 Recalls WILLIAM SMITH and SUSAN SMITH working as LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS
13:35 Recalls earliest memory, includes mention Father (JAMES SMITH) as manager of the TUTURAU DAIRY FACTORY.
15:00 END OF TRACK 1
Track 2
00:00 Recalls living at TUTURAU, SOUTHLAND and moving to GORGE ROAD where his father was also DAIRY FARMER MANAGER and mentions GORGE ROAD SCHOOL.
00:40 Living at the dairy factory house at GORGE ROAD and the DAIRY FACTORY – Describes
01:45 Recalls day-to-day living of his family and father as MANAGER OF THE DAIRY FACTORY
02:20 ‘SETTING THE STARTER’ at the dairy factory and daily operations – Explains
04:40 Recalls CHILDHOOD at the DAIRY FACTORY and jobs undertaken
06:30 Recalls time at GORGE ROAD. References: rabbiting, hunting, fishing, food, living off the land.
09:00 Types of CLOTHES and shoes worn during childhood – Describes
10:20 SCHOOLING at GORGE ROAD - Pupils, teachers, equipment, discipline, teachers boarding with people in the district, references mandated country service for teachers – Describes
14:30 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES while living at GORGE ROAD. Dairy Factory, Hall and School were the main centres for the community – Guy Fawkes held and the Dairy Factory – Socials – Describes
15:00 END OF TRACK 2
Track 3
00:00 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES – MOVIES arrived once a month in a truck – community spirit – Christmas – Describes
02:07 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS in the Smith family – stayed with relatives – annual leave usually taken in August – RANKLEBURN, for hunting and possum trapping – Details
03:40 Recalls HAMILL FAMILY at GORGE ROAD
04:15 Recalls GAMES played as children – informal and formal sports teams – pocket money and treats when traveling to the closest city INVERCARGILL – Details
06:10 Final recollections of GORGE ROAD and struggle with move to INVERCARGILL – mortgages – SOUTH INVERCARGILL SCHOOL – culture differences – struggle with number of pupils - TWEEDSMUIR INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL – Describes
10:32 SPORTS involvement in INVERCARGILL – Tennis – Rugby – Describes
11:08 Friend ALAN JORDAN – played tennis – hired tandem bicycle – swam – Describes
12:20 Parents PURCHASING HOUSE in poorer area in INVERCARGILL – Kept vegetable garden, sold excess to Harry Lowes who had Lowes fruit shop – Father (JAMES SMITH) took job at the QUEEN VICTORIA MATERNITY HOSPITAL as a boiler man - Describes
14:05 Role of the BOILERMAN – Explains
15:00 Track 3
Track 4
00:00 Family took on BORDERS to supplement income – Describes
01:00 Parents in regards to DISCIPLINE, roles of mother and father – his mother did the discipline and his father gave weak verbal support – Describes
02:30 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES – hunting, fishing, rugby, parties , movies– most social activities were with the family and extended family around SOUTHLAND, emphasis of the children – Describes
04:50 Role of CHRISTIANITY growing up – SUNDAY SCHOOL – Church Service – Gorge Road went to PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH and OPEN BRETHREN CHURCH services and Sunday Schools – Travelling and singing Hymns – Describes
08:50 FAMILY GATHERINGS – travelling - SYMONS FAMILY, JACK SYMONS in MENZIES FERRY – Widowed Aunt in GORE – no alcohol – family games – speeches – sing around the piano – some children had to stand in the car on the way home - Describes
12:14 Track 4
Second Interview: 9 June 2012 Track 1
00:30 HOLIDAYS AS A CHILD – Summer was at the beach, family farm – August Holidays when the Dairy factory closed down for two weeks – BLUE MOUNTAINS, RANKLEBURN – Bach at MONOWAI in the 1950s – FIORDLAND – Describes
03:15 DEER CULLERS and hunting – Deers devastating plants – Government plan – Forestry Department – Explains
07:00 Came across deer while fishing at MONOWAI – no market for deer meat, just skins – Describes
08:15 HUNTING trips in FIORDLAND -GREBE VALLEY – Travelled in via homemade boat – tramping - later longer hikes once married into FIORDLAND with brother-in-law RALPH CARR[?] - Air drops - Describes
13:55 Recalls trip to FIORDLAND where the AIR DROP was not able to come in and they ran short of food.
15:00 END OF TRACK 1
TRACK 2
00:00 Trip to FIORDLAND – ate eels, venison – continued
01:45 Construction of the BORLAND ROAD, Fiordland – built to access MANAPŌURI POWER PROJECT – 1965 – American Company, BECHTEL CORPORATION – HERRON AND MCGREGOR [?], contractors – worked with chainsaw or jack hammer – Describes
04:00 ACCOMMODATION in MONOWAI during construction of contractors – pig creek camp, later known as Borland Lodge– Describes
05:15 BORLAND ROAD was built and then the pylons were installed for power from TIWAI to DEEP COVE- Explains
06:20 BORLAND ROAD closed to public until there was a public outcry to access FIORDLAND – Given access to private 4 wheeled drives – circa 1970s – tourists – Nation Park board – electricity department – Describes
010:21 Trips to FIORDLAND with brother-in-law RALPH CARR[?] – two weeks very year for the past 44 years – covered a large portion of FIORDLAND – Describes
13:11 DEER CULLING – 1080 poison – Explains
15:00 END OF TRACK 2
Track 3
00:00 FIRST HELICOPTER around FIORDLAND for DEER CULLING – Money made for helicopter pilots – helicopter crashes – Details
1:45 DEER FARMING – circa 1970s – live deer capture – Details
4:10 Five acres outside INVERCARGILL for DEER FARM – cross breeding of deer species – gathering velvet – Details
7:30 Job within the insurance INDUSTRY – SOUTH BRITISH INSURANCE – farming clients in Southland and western SOUTHLAND – diversity of farming, including rabbit and possum farming – researched new insurance policies related to the growth of deer farming – Details
14:30 Established the new insurance policies for DEER FARMING
15:00 END OF TRACK 3
TRACK 4
00:00 Stayed in insurance for 25 years – SOUTH BRITISH INSURANCE merged with NZI – change after New Zealand insurance companies began being sold to overseas companies – left the insurance business – Describes
2:45 Farming along the OTERAMIKA ROAD, INVERCARGILL, 1.5 km from main city boundary – Homestead in native bush, MAPLE GROVE HOMESTEAD
4:00 MAPLE GROVE HOMESTEAD – built about 1870 – oldest remaining homesteads in Southland – original owners – Lawrence – granted land in 1865 – Details
6:25 The LAWRENCE FAMILY – builders of the Maple Grove Homestead – family started jam factory – LION BRAND JAM – JEFFCOAT[?] family bought house and Jam Business – J J BRAND - Details
8:10 Subdivision of the original section of land – JIM SMITH purchased the HOMESTEAD in 1978 – house was previously modernised but JIM SMITH tried to revert back to its original style – Details
11:30 Talks about MARRIAGE to PAM CARR[?] – Three sons – DROUIN[?] SMITH, HAMISH SMITH and CALLUM SMITH – Four grandchildren – life growing up on Homestead – Describes
13:05 Family functions at MAPLE GROVE HOMESTEAD- SMITH FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTIES – weddings – five generations of the Smith family still living - Describes
15:00 END OF TRACK 4
TRACK 5
00:00 Recalls the most recent CHRISTMAS PARTY in regards to his MOTHER ESTHER SYMONS
00:55 Originally planned to never leave New Zealand – went on a trip to London to see his son CALLUM SMITH – continued to TRAVEL around EUROPE – four trips in 11 years – family history research in SCOTLAND - Describes
03:37 END OF TRACK 5
Interviewer: Pam Smith
Abstractor: Laura Davies
First Interview: 19 February 2012
Track 1
00:00 Interview identification
1:00 JAMES STUART SMITH Born 11 January 1946
1:25 Interview Agreement
2:15 Born GORE, SOUTHLAND
2:25 Father’s name JAMES SMITH, born SOUTHLAND 18 December 1912, occupation engine driver – Details
3:20 Mother’s name ESTHER SYMONS, born possibly in GORE 5 June 1917, occupation homemaker
4:00 Siblings of JAMES (JIM) STUART SMITH - Three sisters: JEN MCGRUTHER[?] 17 September 1937, HAZEL PIPER 19 January 1944 and youngest sister NANCY BARNES. Three brothers: WILLIAM SMITH (oldest), JOHN LEONARD SMITH (older than Jim) and DONALD GORDON (about 18months younger than Jim).
5:00 Grandparents – WILLIAM SMITH, from SCOTLAND and SUSAN SMITH (née THWAITES), born in New Zealand. Occupation as LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER. WILLIAM SMITH came from GLASGOW SCOTLAND in 1905. Travelled to WAIMAHAKA – Details
7:35 William Smith working at WAIPAPA LIGHTHOUSE and other smaller isolated lighthouses around New Zealand as far North and CAPE REINGA.
8:00 Siblings of JAMES SMITH: Two sisters, born on THAWITES FARM at OTARA.
9:20 Jim Smith’s memories of his GRANDPARENTS WILLIAM SMITH and SUSAN SMITH at WAIPAPA LIGHTHOUSE and their retirement to INVERCARGILL – Describes
10:40 MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS farmed at MENZIES FERRY, SOUTHLAND. GRANDFATHER SAMUEL SYMONS came from AUSTRALIA, married EUPHEMIA LEONARD, born NEW ZEALAND family originally from ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND.
11:30 Farming at MENZIES FERRY, type of farming and roles of his mother and aunts – Details
12:45 Recalls WILLIAM SMITH and SUSAN SMITH working as LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS
13:35 Recalls earliest memory, includes mention Father (JAMES SMITH) as manager of the TUTURAU DAIRY FACTORY.
15:00 END OF TRACK 1
Track 2
00:00 Recalls living at TUTURAU, SOUTHLAND and moving to GORGE ROAD where his father was also DAIRY FARMER MANAGER and mentions GORGE ROAD SCHOOL.
00:40 Living at the dairy factory house at GORGE ROAD and the DAIRY FACTORY – Describes
01:45 Recalls day-to-day living of his family and father as MANAGER OF THE DAIRY FACTORY
02:20 ‘SETTING THE STARTER’ at the dairy factory and daily operations – Explains
04:40 Recalls CHILDHOOD at the DAIRY FACTORY and jobs undertaken
06:30 Recalls time at GORGE ROAD. References: rabbiting, hunting, fishing, food, living off the land.
09:00 Types of CLOTHES and shoes worn during childhood – Describes
10:20 SCHOOLING at GORGE ROAD - Pupils, teachers, equipment, discipline, teachers boarding with people in the district, references mandated country service for teachers – Describes
14:30 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES while living at GORGE ROAD. Dairy Factory, Hall and School were the main centres for the community – Guy Fawkes held and the Dairy Factory – Socials – Describes
15:00 END OF TRACK 2
Track 3
00:00 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES – MOVIES arrived once a month in a truck – community spirit – Christmas – Describes
02:07 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS in the Smith family – stayed with relatives – annual leave usually taken in August – RANKLEBURN, for hunting and possum trapping – Details
03:40 Recalls HAMILL FAMILY at GORGE ROAD
04:15 Recalls GAMES played as children – informal and formal sports teams – pocket money and treats when traveling to the closest city INVERCARGILL – Details
06:10 Final recollections of GORGE ROAD and struggle with move to INVERCARGILL – mortgages – SOUTH INVERCARGILL SCHOOL – culture differences – struggle with number of pupils - TWEEDSMUIR INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL – Describes
10:32 SPORTS involvement in INVERCARGILL – Tennis – Rugby – Describes
11:08 Friend ALAN JORDAN – played tennis – hired tandem bicycle – swam – Describes
12:20 Parents PURCHASING HOUSE in poorer area in INVERCARGILL – Kept vegetable garden, sold excess to Harry Lowes who had Lowes fruit shop – Father (JAMES SMITH) took job at the QUEEN VICTORIA MATERNITY HOSPITAL as a boiler man - Describes
14:05 Role of the BOILERMAN – Explains
15:00 Track 3
Track 4
00:00 Family took on BORDERS to supplement income – Describes
01:00 Parents in regards to DISCIPLINE, roles of mother and father – his mother did the discipline and his father gave weak verbal support – Describes
02:30 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES – hunting, fishing, rugby, parties , movies– most social activities were with the family and extended family around SOUTHLAND, emphasis of the children – Describes
04:50 Role of CHRISTIANITY growing up – SUNDAY SCHOOL – Church Service – Gorge Road went to PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH and OPEN BRETHREN CHURCH services and Sunday Schools – Travelling and singing Hymns – Describes
08:50 FAMILY GATHERINGS – travelling - SYMONS FAMILY, JACK SYMONS in MENZIES FERRY – Widowed Aunt in GORE – no alcohol – family games – speeches – sing around the piano – some children had to stand in the car on the way home - Describes
12:14 Track 4
Second Interview: 9 June 2012 Track 1
00:30 HOLIDAYS AS A CHILD – Summer was at the beach, family farm – August Holidays when the Dairy factory closed down for two weeks – BLUE MOUNTAINS, RANKLEBURN – Bach at MONOWAI in the 1950s – FIORDLAND – Describes
03:15 DEER CULLERS and hunting – Deers devastating plants – Government plan – Forestry Department – Explains
07:00 Came across deer while fishing at MONOWAI – no market for deer meat, just skins – Describes
08:15 HUNTING trips in FIORDLAND -GREBE VALLEY – Travelled in via homemade boat – tramping - later longer hikes once married into FIORDLAND with brother-in-law RALPH CARR[?] - Air drops - Describes
13:55 Recalls trip to FIORDLAND where the AIR DROP was not able to come in and they ran short of food.
15:00 END OF TRACK 1
TRACK 2
00:00 Trip to FIORDLAND – ate eels, venison – continued
01:45 Construction of the BORLAND ROAD, Fiordland – built to access MANAPŌURI POWER PROJECT – 1965 – American Company, BECHTEL CORPORATION – HERRON AND MCGREGOR [?], contractors – worked with chainsaw or jack hammer – Describes
04:00 ACCOMMODATION in MONOWAI during construction of contractors – pig creek camp, later known as Borland Lodge– Describes
05:15 BORLAND ROAD was built and then the pylons were installed for power from TIWAI to DEEP COVE- Explains
06:20 BORLAND ROAD closed to public until there was a public outcry to access FIORDLAND – Given access to private 4 wheeled drives – circa 1970s – tourists – Nation Park board – electricity department – Describes
010:21 Trips to FIORDLAND with brother-in-law RALPH CARR[?] – two weeks very year for the past 44 years – covered a large portion of FIORDLAND – Describes
13:11 DEER CULLING – 1080 poison – Explains
15:00 END OF TRACK 2
Track 3
00:00 FIRST HELICOPTER around FIORDLAND for DEER CULLING – Money made for helicopter pilots – helicopter crashes – Details
1:45 DEER FARMING – circa 1970s – live deer capture – Details
4:10 Five acres outside INVERCARGILL for DEER FARM – cross breeding of deer species – gathering velvet – Details
7:30 Job within the insurance INDUSTRY – SOUTH BRITISH INSURANCE – farming clients in Southland and western SOUTHLAND – diversity of farming, including rabbit and possum farming – researched new insurance policies related to the growth of deer farming – Details
14:30 Established the new insurance policies for DEER FARMING
15:00 END OF TRACK 3
TRACK 4
00:00 Stayed in insurance for 25 years – SOUTH BRITISH INSURANCE merged with NZI – change after New Zealand insurance companies began being sold to overseas companies – left the insurance business – Describes
2:45 Farming along the OTERAMIKA ROAD, INVERCARGILL, 1.5 km from main city boundary – Homestead in native bush, MAPLE GROVE HOMESTEAD
4:00 MAPLE GROVE HOMESTEAD – built about 1870 – oldest remaining homesteads in Southland – original owners – Lawrence – granted land in 1865 – Details
6:25 The LAWRENCE FAMILY – builders of the Maple Grove Homestead – family started jam factory – LION BRAND JAM – JEFFCOAT[?] family bought house and Jam Business – J J BRAND - Details
8:10 Subdivision of the original section of land – JIM SMITH purchased the HOMESTEAD in 1978 – house was previously modernised but JIM SMITH tried to revert back to its original style – Details
11:30 Talks about MARRIAGE to PAM CARR[?] – Three sons – DROUIN[?] SMITH, HAMISH SMITH and CALLUM SMITH – Four grandchildren – life growing up on Homestead – Describes
13:05 Family functions at MAPLE GROVE HOMESTEAD- SMITH FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTIES – weddings – five generations of the Smith family still living - Describes
15:00 END OF TRACK 4
TRACK 5
00:00 Recalls the most recent CHRISTMAS PARTY in regards to his MOTHER ESTHER SYMONS
00:55 Originally planned to never leave New Zealand – went on a trip to London to see his son CALLUM SMITH – continued to TRAVEL around EUROPE – four trips in 11 years – family history research in SCOTLAND - Describes
03:37 END OF TRACK 5
Dates
- 2020
Conditions Governing Access
Access to oral history recordings is via the Archives Research Room only. We are unable to provide access to this material remotely. Where access agreements allow, abstracts, audio extracts and photographs will be accessible online.
Conditions Governing Use
This material is copyright of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives. In accordance with agreements held with interviewees, it is strictly prohibited to reproduce (copy) oral history recordings, abstracts, audio extracts or photographs without prior written consent. Applications for the reproduction of these recordings and associated materials, in whole or part, must be made in writing to the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator, c/o Invercargill City Libraries and Archives.
Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Smith, Pamela (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
