John (Jock) and Elizabeth TOCHER

Interview 26 June 2013, 3 July 2013 and 10 July 2013

Interviewer: Margaret McDougall

Abstracter: Judith Christie

First Interview: 26 June 2013

TRACK ONE

Elizabeth Tocher

01.15 ELIZABETH TOCHER (ET) was BORN in 1925. JOHN (JOCK) TOCHER (JT) was BORN in 1922.

03.50 ET’s FATHER’S NAME was JAMES CAMPBELL MCDONALD. He was a FARMER, born in SCOTLAND in CAMPBELLTOWN, ARGYLESHIRE. MOTHER’S NAME was MARY OLIVE MUIRHEAD, BORN 11 AUGUST 1894 in MOSGIEL. She was a NURSE at SOUTHLAND HOSPITAL.

5.45 ET’s only BROTHER ANGUS three years older, unwell as a baby and became EPILEPTIC. Angus went to school for a short time, staying with MRS MCCUBBIN in GORE, but then had a GOVERNESS at home. DIED at 24 years of age while working on the farm – fell into a sheep dip. ET away at the time in the North Island.

10.00 GRANDPARENTS – ET remembers MOTHER’S MOTHER ELIZABETH (BESSIE) MUIRHEAD nee NICHOL when she was in her eighties and deteriorating. Did handwork. MOTHER’S SISTER EVELYN lived with grandmother. Grandmother’s family lived on the TAIERI.

12.20 FATHER’S FATHER died when ET was seven. He bred HORSES.

13.30 ET went to SCHOOL in GORE, which she didn’t enjoy. Boarded with a lady who was very good to them, but did not like leaving home. Learnt to play the PIANO in Gore – practised for half an hour every night.

End of Track One

TRACK TWO

0.10 ET left home and went to BOARDING SCHOOL.

00.30 Earliest memory going to visit the ANGUS MCDONALDS (FATHER’S BROTHER) on a station near MOSSBURN – big journey in the car. Remembers cutting oats on the farm, and loved sitting on the machinery and the horses.

2.25 ET grew up at DIAMOND PEAK STATION, five miles east of GORE on the way to KAIWERA. A CREEK ran through the farm – made part of it a pond and swam there. Lots of people visiting.

4.00 CHILDHOOD HOME was a one storeyed timber house with verandas on south and north sides. Front door to the east. House had five bedrooms, including one for the MAID. House added on to after father died. Altered after ET and Jock married. House now lived in by daughter ROSEMARY and her family. Rosemary married SEAMUS SULLIVAN, who trained as a vet but now farms the station.

7.30 DIET included porridge in the morning with cream from the cow. Main meal in the middle of the day. ETs’ mother always had STAFF TO HELP. Governess for Angus. Men from the farm needed to be fed, including morning and afternoon teas. Busy when ET’s father was alive too. Sometimes a married couple lived in.

10.45 When older, ET did more to help, inside and outside on the farm. Always ponies to ride, including a Shetland mare who produced foals.

11.20 ET’s mother SEWED the FAMILY’S CLOTHES. ET wore trousers on the farm, which was unusual.

12.30 GAMES played included card games. Had a table tennis table. In the summer played in the creek and swam in the pond. Played tennis on a court when Jock arrived on the scene. Cousins would visit for holidays. Had a PONY CART.

End of Track Two

TRACK THREE

00.00 More information regarding ET’s childhood activities, including birthday parties.

01.44 ET boarded in DUNEDIN. Had an accident while playing, DAMAGED SPINE and was in bed for a year, then some time learning to walk again.

3.40 ET attended ARCHFIELD BOARDING SCHOOL in Dunedin for three years, which was ended by the accident to her spine at the age of thirteen.

4.50 ET fed lambs and looked after horses on the FARM. Had hens, skimmed the milk for cream (describes process).

6.20 HOUSE contained a wash house, a meat house, a dairy, bottle house, lavatory at the end of the path.

7.30 PIGS on farm – exciting day when pig was slaughtered. Farm provided its own meat – mutton, pork and poultry.

8.30 No pocket money for chores. Money received for treats.

9.15 ET’s mother’s sister EDIE(?) was a nurse, worked in HEALTH DEPARTMENT in DUNEDIN and visited often. Very good to ET when she was at school in Dunedin.

10.45 Latterly ET has had very good friends in the District. When she was a KARITANE NURSE, would visit the PINKNEYS in EDENDALE - lots of fun playing golf etc. Pinkneys had many children. Jock also visited and joined in activities.

13.00 CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS were mostly inside. Killed a goose, aunt would come. Presents exchanged, mother sewed.

14.30 DISCIPLINED at home – some corporal punishment.

End of Track Three

Track FOUR

00.00 Discipline continued – time out given – put in the bathroom. Parents STRICT with TABLE MANNERS. FATHER’S EARLY DEATH meant that he missed out on raising children.

01.05 ET did not attend CHURCH regularly and did not attend SUNDAY SCHOOL. Visitors would come or family would visit others on Sundays. Prayers were said every night. ET feels religion is an important part of life, and likes to help other people. DONATED frozen meat to SALVATION ARMY.

03.20 ET commenced school at GORE MAIN SCHOOL. Mother took children in on Monday mornings and stayed with MRS CUBBY in IRVING STREET for the week. Mrs Cubby’s daughter in Standard 4 and would walk home with them. More than 20 children in classes. Favourite teacher was MISS POLLOCK, quite strict. Didn’t like maths – lots of rote learning. Got the strap once for a spelling mistake.

7.50 ET went to BOARDING SCHOOL at age eight after father died. ARCHFIELD SCHOOL was in LEE STREET, DUNEDIN – big brown house. Six big classrooms. 30 boarders plus day girls. Made friends, including JOAN PRESTON who she stayed a fortnight with in OHAU.

11.35 Information about ET’s BACK INJURY, which gradually deteriorated until she collapsed.

12.30 Went to CHRISTCHURCH to train as KARITANE NURSE for eighteen months. Enjoyed that time and still has friends from that time. Worked in various places as live in Karitane nurse, including GISBORNE with the WILLIAMS FAMILY. Would go when there was a new baby, but also helped with other children. £3 per week in WAGES. Wore a UNIFORM.

End of Track Four

TRACK FIVE

00.00 ET - more information about wearing UNIFORM. Worked for some lovely families. Generally stayed for a fortnight to three weeks with new baby. First job included looking after the father and other children in Christchurch. Had to cook for them.

02.40 Got married in 1957(sic?) worked as a Karitane nurse before that.

03.15 Worked for cousin BETTY MCDONALD to look after her baby. Worked as a Karitane nurse for about three years, then worked at home with her mother with occasional stints as a Karitane nurse.

End of Track Five

Second Interview: 3rd July 2013

TRACK SIX

00.00 ET worked on farm while recovering from injury. Road to KAIWERA gravel, attended DANCES there, initially with mother.

01.30 Dance music lovely – DAVIDSON FAMILY were the ORCHESTRA, mother played piano, two boys played piano accordions.

02.50 Sometimes attended 21st birthdays etc. Then left for KARITANE TRAINING in Christchurch – befriended the girls there.

03.30 KNITTED a lot and EMBROIDERED, but was an outdoor person mainly.

Jock Tocher

04.30 JT father’s name JAMES TOCHER born 1885 in YTHAN WALES DISTRICT in ABERDEENSHIRE, SCOTLAND. Mother’s name LYDIA SMITH, born 1886 in HUNTLEY in ABERDEENSHIRE. SIBLINGS were Alexander (Sandy), James, self, Betty, Jean, Olive, Mabel and Douglas. Sister Jessie died accidentally at age five. Jessie was playing with neighbours’ children, climbed inside a chimney pot and was killed.

8.45 JT father’s PARENTS ? Mother’s father was a CARTER in HUNTLY ABERDEENSHIRE. JT BORN in Aberdeenshire in 1922 and came to New Zealand in 1947.

10.20 JT Earliest childhood memories HELPING ON THE FARM, riding the horses. Was born and grew up on a farm in Scotland. Lived in stone farm cottage. When grandparents died, moved in to the house on the farm. Four bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen, dining room.

11.45 Returned to SCOTLAND 2005, nephew still living in the farm house. FIVE GENERATIONS farmed there.

12.20 Ate a lot of OATMEAL and PEASEMEAL. MEAT mostly poultry, which was not rationed. Occasionally ate beef – father would attend market days and bring beef home for Sunday dinner. Also ate FISH – North Sea herring.

14.15 JT clothes were shorts and stockings.

End of Track Six

TRACK SEVEN

00.00 JT FISHERS would travel around farms selling fish in baskets.

01.00 JT CHORES included feeding POULTRY – EGGS were sold to pay for groceries. Butter also made and sold. Mother milked the cows, with help. Cheese made for family use, after aging for a long time.

3.30 No pocket money until JT started helping on the form – one shilling a week, spent on Saturday night going to the pictures (6d), then fish and chips for 3d.

4.30 Childhood influences mostly parents, also foreman on the farm.

5.20 JT Family life lots of fun. Boys would scrap sometimes. CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR and BIRTHDAYS celebrated. New Year important, with soup, then a big turkey dinner, then plum pudding. Family would catch up with each other. Would sleep the meal off in the afternoon.

8.20 JT – strict DISCIPLINE at home. Punctuality was important, curfew at 9.00 pm. Father’s car had a flat battery, then stuck in a ditch, arrived home late. Describes.

11.00 JT SABBATH spent at Sunday School, then church service for an hour and a half. Mother strict about church attendance. Walked to church two miles away, then rode home with parents. Suit and tie worn. Prayers were supposed to be said every day. Father read out chapter from the Bible every night, then the Lord’s Prayer. MOTHER’S FAITH important – lost daughter, and sons in WWI. JT still attends church occasionally.

14.15 JT attended PRIMARY SCHOOL three miles walk away at age 5. Five classrooms.

End of Track Seven

TRACK EIGHT

00.00 JT 15-20 children in a classroom. Favourite teacher read stories. Discipline strict. Favourite subject Geography.

02.20 JT Played SOCCER at school, and still follows soccer today.

03.15 JT Left school at 15, wasn’t doing well at school. Enjoyed school though, and didn’t wag.

04.00 JT WORKED ON FARM after leaving school. Describes working on farm.

06.30 JT describes what was grown on farm.

07.00 JT joined local TERRITORIALS when WWII broke out, at age 17.

07.30 JT’s WAGE increased when returned from war to £4 plus keep.

08.30 Good relationship with other workers on the farm. Local single men who lived on the property, one married couple. Farm 200 acres in area.

09.45 JT attended local TERRITORIALS, attended parades during the year, and a fortnight at camp every year. JT’s BATTALION went to France in 1940 but JT too young so stayed on Britain’s east coast defending the country.

12.10 WWII affected the family. JT’s exchanged letters with mother during the war, letters censored.

12.50 JT participated in the D DAY NORMANDY INVASION in 1944. Describes.

End of Track Eight

TRACK NINE

00.00 JT spent time in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany until a year after the war. Tasks in Germany included EVACUATION OF BELSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP. Describes. Commandant JOSEPH KRAMMER (?) and a DOZEN SS GUARDS including four women ARRESTED. Describes.

3.00 JT returned to the farm in 1947, but was unsettled. APPLIED for several jobs in CANADA and AUSTRALIA, working with livestock. Describes. Accepted for a job in NORTH OTAGO, transporting livestock on a ship on the way to NZ. Journey took five weeks, leaving from TILBURY DOCKS in LONDON. Describes journey to New Zealand.

7.00 JT impressed with wide open spaces in NZ. Different from home. Travelled by train from AUCKLAND to NORTH OTAGO.

End of Track Nine

Third interview: 10th July 2013

TRACK TEN

00.02 JT describes journey to MAHENO, NORTH OTAGO.

01.20 JT did general FARM WORK, worked with sheep. Stayed in that job for three years, then moved to PUREHIKA, a high country property next door, similar job on a larger property in higher country. Owned up to half a dozen DOGS.

02.45 JT obtained a job in RIVERSDALE at GLENLAPPA, similar work in more productive country.

03.20 Before Glenlappa, worked at GLENARAY.

04.00 JT travelled to GISBORNE and worked on a property there, then sold dogs and spent six months in BRITAIN. Met up with BROTHER who had lived in INDIA. Then travelled back to AUSTRALIA and worked on farms there, but too hot and too dry. Visited TASMANIA.

05.30 JT returned to NZ, and worked at DIAMOND PEAK station, and never left. Describes work.

08.00 JT met ET at a dance - Scottish Country dancing. Travelled down to EDENDALE to the PINCKNEY FAMILY, who also danced. Also held dances at the homestead. Describes Scottish country dancing.

10.50 JT and ET MARRIED in 1958(sic?) and had first child in 1960. Lived in cottage on the farm. Two bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen and walkthrough room. Coal range. Now added on to. Mother lived in the big house, and had help there. Describes.

13.00 Lived in cottage for two or three years, then moved to the big house with ET’s mother. Mother ‘notorious’ car driver.

14.00 JT and ET MARRIED in WAIKAKA VALLEY CHURCH, returned to homestead for reception with marquee. Describes

End of Track TEN

TRACK ELEVEN

00.00 Further description of wedding day. Date 7 February. BETTY MCDONALD organised the leaving of the bride and groom from the wedding function. ET looked after one of her children.

04.00 HONEYMOON tour of the South Island, including West Coast, Picton, Lewis Pass. Visited a work friend of ETs in Nelson.

5.15 CHILDREN were JOANNA born February 1960, ET assisted by a Karitane nurse for ten days. VIRGINIA born 1962. ROSEMARY (ROSIE) born 1965.

8.10 Moved to main HOMESTEAD when Joanna was two years old.

8.45 JT was responsible for paying the accounts, including the FARM ACCOUNTS. JT paid as a farm manager.

9.45 ET’S MOTHER was financially independent.

10.15 Children attended EAST GORE SCHOOL, then LONGFORD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, then DUNEDIN BOARDING SCHOOL.

11.30 JT and ET admired Winston Churchill as a world leader

12.00 All stages of life have been happy but sad time when ET’s mother died. Explains life with mother.

14.00 HOLIDAYS spent in Central Otago, Wanaka, Riverton. TRAVELLED TO GREAT BRITAIN by plane with children when they were 12, 9 and 6 years old.

End of Track ELEVEN

TRACK TWELVE

00.00 TRIP TO GREAT BRITAIN – landed in London, then flew to Glasgow. Visited JT’s family on the farm, and ARGYLESHIRE where ET’s family came from, visited ET’s cousin in Edinburgh. Visited JT’s birthplace. Most of the farm taken over by town expansion, but house remained.

2.40 DIAMOND PEAK farm now MANAGED by Tocher’s son-in-law JIM O’SULLIVAN and DAUGHTER ROSEMARY, who have two sons SEAMUS and HENRY. Tochers retain an interest in the farm. Lots of new regulations and paperwork. Describes takeover of farm to children.

End of Track TWELVE/Interview ends