JOHN JABEZ 'JACK' CALVERT

Recorded: 08 October 1998

Interviewer: Ailsa Dawson

Abstracter: Colin Gray (Retyped by Jean Hawkes)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TIMINGS REFER TO THE ORIGINAL MINIDISC COUNTER

NOTE: Extra notes added by Jean Hawkes...

JOHN JABEZ 'JACK' CALVERT born 1910

Parents: ETHEL LEONIE SHEPPARD and FRANCIS JAMES CALVERT married in 1904

01’ 00” [SIBLINGS]: FRANCIS RAYMOND HAY – ELLEN MAY (NELLIE) died as a child – Self – JAMES ERNEST (JIM) – SARAH ETHEL – ERIC STEWART – LEONIE MARY (LAY) – RUSSELL EDGAR – DOUGLAS BARCLAY

02’ 00” [EDUCATION]: ST GEORGE PRIMARY SCHOOL gained Matriculation

03’ 00” First job – JOHN FINDLAY, NURSERYMAN – lasted a few weeks

04’ 00” INVERCARGILL'S 2nd foundry – JABEZ HAY and COMPANY – FORTH STREET Burnt out

04’ 30” Foundry rebuilt corner YTHAN and DALRYMPLE STREETS – Father part owner – JABEZ HAY an uncle

05’ 00” Foundry made FELDWICK GATES for QUEENS PARK – Self helped with this while a schoolboy

06’ 00” Father bought farm MILL ROAD, KENNINGTON DISTRICT about 1940 MILL and MASON ROADS were just dirt tracks through gorse

07’ 00” Horse teams bogged along MASON ROAD

08’ 00” [FARM]: Swampy ground – “niggerheads” [Note added: Carex secta also known as Pukio/Makura/Purei]

09’ 00” Looked after 1,000 hens – Eggs sold to dairy in TWEED STREET 8 pence per dozen

10’ 00” Dairy cows – Rabbiting – half a crown a skin - Two shillings and six pence good pocket money

11’ 00” Married THELMA ADA AYERS 28 November 1935 – Day after MICHAEL SAVAGE elected

12” 30” [CHILDREN]: SYLVIA – JOHN – THELMA (died aged 4.5 years of tonsillitis) – ALFRED – JOYCE – NEIL DR ORBELL family's doctor

14’ 00” Self continued father's love breeding and showing birds – Long association with INVERCARGILL POULTRY PIGEON and CANARY CLUB Showed birds in NEW ZEALAND – Judged in MELBOURNE Had over 100 birds in some shows Bred ducks – fowls – bantams

17’ 00” [SPORTS]: Member PIRATES RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – Won INVERCARGILL 3rd Grade 1933/34 Members of winning ST GEORGE SCHOOL 7 and 15 aside teams Winger – fast – Scored 7 tries in match

19’ 00” Didn't qualify for WAR SERVICE – 3 brothers served Self managed CITY COAL COMPANY for 7 years during this time

21’ 00” Built three houses during married life – 25 years farm at MILL ROAD – 22 years at OTATARA – Undeveloped at the time – OTATARA a lovely spot

23’ 00” Made cemetery fences at FOUNDRY – Foundry sold 1942 to JIM STOREY – Later demolished – Four houses on the site

24’ 30” [TRANSPORT]: Trams on GRACE STREET – Types of transport – Father's first car a FORD – Self bought first car second hand 27 pounds and 10 shillings (55 dollars) – Roads full of potholes

27’ 00” Uncle JABEZ HAY brought father up – Not as adopted – Kept CALVERT name when married

29’ 00” [PIRATES RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB]: Self attended 3 Jubilees of Club with 2 brothers 1 brother lives at KEW, INVERCARGILL – other in NELSON

Thanks for interview

NOTE: JACK CALVERT died 28 September 1999