Abstract of Jane Shirley CLARKE, 2021
Item — Box: 30
Identifier: H02010002
Abstract
H0201 Jane Shirley CLARKE
Interviewer: Rebecca Amunsdsen
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 27 June 2014
TRACK ONE
00.00 Interview identification
1.09 Born last day 1935 in WYNDHAM. Parents’ farmers in MOKORETA. Great grandfather first settler in Mokoreta. Last of six children.
1.50 Went to MOKORETA SCHOOL and then WYNDHAM DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLthen worked in district.
2.07 Moved to town and boarded, married, mother moved to town when widowed so lived with her after marriage.
2.20 Great grandparents were GEORGE and JANE ANDERSON.
3.05 Father’s name GEORGE ANDERSON. Farm was 350 acres. They [great grandparents?] managed all land in MIMIHAU and if land was not developed, they put other people on that farm.
3.50 Farm now sold but house remains and is still ‘home’
4.30 Moved to Invercargill for work at BLAMPIEDS FURNISHINGS. Blampieds in Kelvin Street where SOUTHLAND BUILDING SOCIETY is now.
5.55 Sewed all of her life. Worked at HERBERT HAYNES, sewing alterations with WINNIE WILKES.
6.30 Returned to work when youngest child was five, worked for BROAD SMALLS at the MAYFAIR GIFT STORE. Then to ARCHIBALDS PHARMACY.
7.05 Always wanted to be a nurse, but father refused request as sister died while being a nurse.
8.05 Married 1956. Lived with mother in Morton Street after marriage. Loved going to dances. Husband gardened and had a big vegetable garden there.
9.45 When first child born, got a loan from State Advances and moved to current house. Group housing, had choice of builders and plans. Included coal range. State housing over the road.
11.45 When house built, all the streets were down.
11.55 Moved to Glengarry 1959, two houses then on Tummel Street and some in Crawford Street, remainder paddocks.
13.00 Hired a man with a tractor, who ploughed all the new sections, then families planted potatoes and developed gardens and lawns. No fences. Borrowed neighbour’s clothes line at the start.
13.55 Budget tight. Husbands would buy a couple of Peters (flagons of beer) with their pocket money and sit amongst back grass on Sunday mornings. Children played safely together. No TV.
14.50 First neighbours were LES and ALISON SMITH who moved to Hamilton.
15.00 End of Track One
TRACK TWO
0.10 POPES and MCINERNEYS among first families on street.
0.40 Had a tin for pocket money, included saving for holiday. Went to Naseby, Kaka Point, Garston, Waikawa. One holiday husband worked and money spent on painting house.
3.35 Four children, home big enough without extending. When building a house, were allocated money for wallpaper and painting.
4.55 Neighbours would get together on Saturday nights. Husband played bagpipes, and would walk around the block on New Year’s Eve. Joined school, Plunket, kindergarten, Pipe Band committees.
6.20 Children attended WAVERLEY KINDERGARTEN in George Street. No car so children triked to kindergarten. Went to WAVERLEY SCHOOL, LITHGOW INTERMEDIATE, JAMES HARGEST HIGH SCHOOL. Children remain friends with neighbourhood friends into adulthood.
7.15 Involved in PTA. Cake stalls, bottle drives to raise funds. Not many soft drink bottles, as they had a good refund value so children would cash them in themselves.
9.15 Neighbourhood remained strong, but started to change as children grew up, husbands got different jobs, would move away for work or to a bigger house.
10.15 Has remained in Glengarry, close to chemist, doctor, bank etc. House suited family as they went along, a few alterations, got rid of coal range.
11.05 Shopping centre not in operation when moved to area. WOOLWORTHS originally, and chemist, THOMPSONS FOOTWEAR, barber, bank, electrical store, haberdashery. Didn’t need to go to town, and used shopping centre a lot. No cars so convenient.
12.20 WOOLWORTHS first supermarket in Invercargill. Opened 1966. Before that went to CHEYNES STORE in Crawford Street. Went on bike to grocery store.
13.30 No telephone so would use neighbour’s. Also used telephone box outside CHEYNES STORE.
14.20 Nice to see Glengarry getting back into use again. Deteriorated at one stage, but surroundings are improving. Always happy here.
15.00 End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
0.0 Negativity set in when supermarket closed. Will always be different elements in an area.
0.40 Glengarry now moving forward. Travelled to Auckland, but couldn’t wait to get home.
2.20 People in neighbourhood were much the same age with children. Not very culturally diverse. Very few Maori, though would have been part of the community.
3.20 Closure of supermarket had a negative impact. Other shops closed too. People also had cars and could travel more.
4.00 Chemist etc. and schools remain. Harder now to get to know your neighbours. Originally husbands had gardens and swapped plants and seeds. You borrowed and lent and worked within your community.
6.10 Women stayed at home, kids came home from school for lunch. Always there when they came home. After school activities. Played netball at LITHGOW INTERMEDIATE. Went to guides at WAVERLEY CHURCH. SCOUTS at WAVERLEY PARK. BOYS BRIGADE at WAVERLEY CHURCH and Brownies. Children did all those activities, as well as HIGHLAND DANCING and BALLET. Then went to dances at YMCA , father picked them up.
8.40 Stayed in Glengarry because it is home. Also cheap house loan at 3%.
10.30 All roads tar sealed when moved in.
11.20 Has thought about leaving since husband died, but has home and property developed. Section now a lot of work, but memories important.
12.50 Houses behind started as POLICE houses. Always felt very secure, never locked doors, but do now. Easier without having to use the coal range for cooking.
13.45 Built a shed, but not a garage. First car purchased when second daughter was five or six. Friend in motor trade assisted in getting a car by tender. Had to do up the car to get it on the road.
15.00 End of Track two
TRACK THREE
00.0 Car make was a Morris Oxford or Austin. Before that husband would bike to work at Bay Road.
1.05 Made cheese rolls to fundraise for rugby. Son played for STAR, then OLD BOYS. Would have a night getting together to make cheese rolls to sell.
2.40 Husband IN INVERCARGILL PIPE BAND. Met husband out at EDENDALE SPORTS DANCE PIG HUNTERS’ BALL. Joined PIPE BAND LADIES’ COMMITTEE. Raised funds for uniforms and contests.
5.00 Would have dances and balls after a Hunt. Everyone went. Children would sleep in the ladies’ room. Always Ladies a plate. One Pig Hunters ball a year and one sports ball a year. Dances for farewells and welcomes. Also Euchre nights at the local school. School concerts often ended with dancing.
6.55 Didn’t have welcome and leaving parties in Glengarry.
7.50 Husband decided to make cider with left over apples. Put in flagons and cider exploded. Made home brew beer and tea brandy - told doctor it was soft drink. Would share home brew with neighbours.
9.25 Children’s birthdays and Christmases were shared in the neighbourhood. One Christmas husband made pedal cars and fathers got together to try them out. Children would share bikes, went to school together.
11.02 End of Track Three
Interviewer: Rebecca Amunsdsen
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 27 June 2014
TRACK ONE
00.00 Interview identification
1.09 Born last day 1935 in WYNDHAM. Parents’ farmers in MOKORETA. Great grandfather first settler in Mokoreta. Last of six children.
1.50 Went to MOKORETA SCHOOL and then WYNDHAM DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLthen worked in district.
2.07 Moved to town and boarded, married, mother moved to town when widowed so lived with her after marriage.
2.20 Great grandparents were GEORGE and JANE ANDERSON.
3.05 Father’s name GEORGE ANDERSON. Farm was 350 acres. They [great grandparents?] managed all land in MIMIHAU and if land was not developed, they put other people on that farm.
3.50 Farm now sold but house remains and is still ‘home’
4.30 Moved to Invercargill for work at BLAMPIEDS FURNISHINGS. Blampieds in Kelvin Street where SOUTHLAND BUILDING SOCIETY is now.
5.55 Sewed all of her life. Worked at HERBERT HAYNES, sewing alterations with WINNIE WILKES.
6.30 Returned to work when youngest child was five, worked for BROAD SMALLS at the MAYFAIR GIFT STORE. Then to ARCHIBALDS PHARMACY.
7.05 Always wanted to be a nurse, but father refused request as sister died while being a nurse.
8.05 Married 1956. Lived with mother in Morton Street after marriage. Loved going to dances. Husband gardened and had a big vegetable garden there.
9.45 When first child born, got a loan from State Advances and moved to current house. Group housing, had choice of builders and plans. Included coal range. State housing over the road.
11.45 When house built, all the streets were down.
11.55 Moved to Glengarry 1959, two houses then on Tummel Street and some in Crawford Street, remainder paddocks.
13.00 Hired a man with a tractor, who ploughed all the new sections, then families planted potatoes and developed gardens and lawns. No fences. Borrowed neighbour’s clothes line at the start.
13.55 Budget tight. Husbands would buy a couple of Peters (flagons of beer) with their pocket money and sit amongst back grass on Sunday mornings. Children played safely together. No TV.
14.50 First neighbours were LES and ALISON SMITH who moved to Hamilton.
15.00 End of Track One
TRACK TWO
0.10 POPES and MCINERNEYS among first families on street.
0.40 Had a tin for pocket money, included saving for holiday. Went to Naseby, Kaka Point, Garston, Waikawa. One holiday husband worked and money spent on painting house.
3.35 Four children, home big enough without extending. When building a house, were allocated money for wallpaper and painting.
4.55 Neighbours would get together on Saturday nights. Husband played bagpipes, and would walk around the block on New Year’s Eve. Joined school, Plunket, kindergarten, Pipe Band committees.
6.20 Children attended WAVERLEY KINDERGARTEN in George Street. No car so children triked to kindergarten. Went to WAVERLEY SCHOOL, LITHGOW INTERMEDIATE, JAMES HARGEST HIGH SCHOOL. Children remain friends with neighbourhood friends into adulthood.
7.15 Involved in PTA. Cake stalls, bottle drives to raise funds. Not many soft drink bottles, as they had a good refund value so children would cash them in themselves.
9.15 Neighbourhood remained strong, but started to change as children grew up, husbands got different jobs, would move away for work or to a bigger house.
10.15 Has remained in Glengarry, close to chemist, doctor, bank etc. House suited family as they went along, a few alterations, got rid of coal range.
11.05 Shopping centre not in operation when moved to area. WOOLWORTHS originally, and chemist, THOMPSONS FOOTWEAR, barber, bank, electrical store, haberdashery. Didn’t need to go to town, and used shopping centre a lot. No cars so convenient.
12.20 WOOLWORTHS first supermarket in Invercargill. Opened 1966. Before that went to CHEYNES STORE in Crawford Street. Went on bike to grocery store.
13.30 No telephone so would use neighbour’s. Also used telephone box outside CHEYNES STORE.
14.20 Nice to see Glengarry getting back into use again. Deteriorated at one stage, but surroundings are improving. Always happy here.
15.00 End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
0.0 Negativity set in when supermarket closed. Will always be different elements in an area.
0.40 Glengarry now moving forward. Travelled to Auckland, but couldn’t wait to get home.
2.20 People in neighbourhood were much the same age with children. Not very culturally diverse. Very few Maori, though would have been part of the community.
3.20 Closure of supermarket had a negative impact. Other shops closed too. People also had cars and could travel more.
4.00 Chemist etc. and schools remain. Harder now to get to know your neighbours. Originally husbands had gardens and swapped plants and seeds. You borrowed and lent and worked within your community.
6.10 Women stayed at home, kids came home from school for lunch. Always there when they came home. After school activities. Played netball at LITHGOW INTERMEDIATE. Went to guides at WAVERLEY CHURCH. SCOUTS at WAVERLEY PARK. BOYS BRIGADE at WAVERLEY CHURCH and Brownies. Children did all those activities, as well as HIGHLAND DANCING and BALLET. Then went to dances at YMCA , father picked them up.
8.40 Stayed in Glengarry because it is home. Also cheap house loan at 3%.
10.30 All roads tar sealed when moved in.
11.20 Has thought about leaving since husband died, but has home and property developed. Section now a lot of work, but memories important.
12.50 Houses behind started as POLICE houses. Always felt very secure, never locked doors, but do now. Easier without having to use the coal range for cooking.
13.45 Built a shed, but not a garage. First car purchased when second daughter was five or six. Friend in motor trade assisted in getting a car by tender. Had to do up the car to get it on the road.
15.00 End of Track two
TRACK THREE
00.0 Car make was a Morris Oxford or Austin. Before that husband would bike to work at Bay Road.
1.05 Made cheese rolls to fundraise for rugby. Son played for STAR, then OLD BOYS. Would have a night getting together to make cheese rolls to sell.
2.40 Husband IN INVERCARGILL PIPE BAND. Met husband out at EDENDALE SPORTS DANCE PIG HUNTERS’ BALL. Joined PIPE BAND LADIES’ COMMITTEE. Raised funds for uniforms and contests.
5.00 Would have dances and balls after a Hunt. Everyone went. Children would sleep in the ladies’ room. Always Ladies a plate. One Pig Hunters ball a year and one sports ball a year. Dances for farewells and welcomes. Also Euchre nights at the local school. School concerts often ended with dancing.
6.55 Didn’t have welcome and leaving parties in Glengarry.
7.50 Husband decided to make cider with left over apples. Put in flagons and cider exploded. Made home brew beer and tea brandy - told doctor it was soft drink. Would share home brew with neighbours.
9.25 Children’s birthdays and Christmases were shared in the neighbourhood. One Christmas husband made pedal cars and fathers got together to try them out. Children would share bikes, went to school together.
11.02 End of Track Three
Dates
- 2021
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Amundsen, Rebecca (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
