Lenard Hugh Evans

Interviewer: Lloyd Esler

Abstractor: Karen M Jones

Date: 21 July 2008

TRACK 1

00:00 Interview identification

00:56 Born RIVERTON 1932 Early Life during WWII at WAIPANGO, now POURAKINO VALLEY. “bush and stumps” ACTIVE MILLING. Describes

02.03 Schooling at WILD BUSH SCHOOL, now WAIPANGO SCHOOL. Closed 1947. Explains.

02.30 Memory of Railway running passed their gate. Describes

03.08 FRANK WILKINSON drove engine. Mentions

03.25 TIMBER taken down POURAKINO RIVER from “TRAILS AND SMITHY” [?] Mentions

04:42 End of Track 1

DISC 1: TRACK 2

00.18 ACTIVE MILLING continues. Explains

00.33 Concrete Bridge across GRANITY STREAM. MORE’S Bush Tram. Mentions.

01.18 MORE’S TOP MILL known as OTAUTAU TIMBER COMPANY, Details Early 1940s Self visited mill with father – Sawyer at mill. Recalls

02.03 Small Farm – Father milked a few cows, mostly sawmill worker.

02.13 Self worked at KIWI TIMBER COMPANY, was GOODALLS.1949-1960’s Returned Soldiers owned it. Describes.

03.11 Timber, mostly BEECH. Explains.

04.23 Self worked at MEAT WORKS – mentioned.

04.29 Self worked at BUCHANAN’S MILL, was “MOSS” SAWMILL. Describes,

04.54 Self moved into Invercargill and worked at ALLIANCE LORNEVILLE MEAT WORKS. Recalls. 05.19 CHEMICAL WORKS. 1930s Construction. Self has photographs. Describes

06.18 2 sheds from CHEMICAL WORKS: one went to LONGWOOD HALL and the only standing one WAIMATUA HALL. Explains

06.52 Retorts and things came from SHALEWORKS OREPUKI. Described by interviewer

07.38 CHEMICAL WORKS. 1940s Self playing at the back of the place. Recalls 1947-48.Trials Commenced. Didn’t produce anything. Explains

09.57 Father worked at the CHEMICAL WORKS for a week or two. They fired retorts from underneath. Operation of Works. Describes

10.19 Caretaker was there until the CHEMICAL WORKS were abandoned. It was sold about 1952. Self went to the sale. Describes.

12.17 Mr PATRICK, Solicitor or Accountant in RIVERTON, was one of the big people involved in the CHEMICAL WORKS. People lost a lot of money from the works, including MORE. Mentions

13.57 CHEMICAL WORKS Photograph. Details

15.01 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00.01 CHEMICAL WORKS Photograph. Details

00.25 Book/Folder on GOLDMINING LONGWOODS REEFS. Walk to Stamper Battery. Recalls.

01.03 Mr LINSCOTT very knowledgeable of area. Also, ARTHUR WILLIAMS, radio technician??? Mentions.

01.39 Walkway through area, KIWI ROAD TO LAKE GEORGE, coming out at the CHINESE SETTLEMENT. Recalls.

02.27 STAMPER BATTERY WALK. Mentions

03:07 PHOTOGRAPHS. Wife ‘not many photos taken in those days because people didn’t have the money to buy them”

03.37 SELF “I’m a bit different than a lot of my family. They haven’t got any of this stuff.” Mentions.

03.50 TECOFSKY TRACK PHOTOGRAPH. Mentions

04.00 BUCHANAN MILL PHOTOGRAPHS. Points to Self in Photograph. Describes

04.43 BUCHANANS RAIL TRACTOR made at WILSON BROTHERS, INVERCARGILL. Details

05.06 GOODALL TRAM that was KIWI MILL PHOTOGRAPH. Mentions

05.22 SWING FOOT BRIDGE PHOTOGRAPH. Is on the POURAKINO RIVER. Details

06.32 MOTHER with SUPPLIES and BULLOCK PHOTOGRAPH. Grandmother would carry cream out to the bridge by bullock and carry the cream on foot to the cream lorry on the other side, Recall

07.01 Settlement on other side of river where STEAMER was. Explains

07.22 Trips were run up the POURAKINO RIVER. There were governor’s tables where the GOVERNOR – GENERAL had afternoon tea. Year, before 1930s, of visit unknown. Recalls

07.52 BOAT TRIP PHOTOGRAPH shown. Mention.

08.02 FWG MILLER’S ARTICLE shown. Mention

08.07 PETER “KYTE?” BAIRD ran popular trips up the river. Mention

08.25 TRAIN PHOTOGRAPH. Details

08.50 TOM MORE PHOTOGRAPH. Mentions

09.02 MORE’S RESERVE, RIVERTON. MORE had SAWMILL in RIVERTON before going into the LONGWOODs. Describes.

09.29 A lot of ACCIDENTS in the BUSH. Recalls

09.37 Mr SPENCER killed at the “CALIFOR”? Mentions.

09.39 Grandfather was killed by falling tree at TRAILS MILL about 1927. Recalls

10.18 BAND entertains on SS ODENA while going up POURAKINO RIVER PHOTOGRAPH shown. Mentions.

10.37 People sat on a JIGGER with chaff sack over their heads and sit backwards to the weather. Recalls

11.08 LOCO came out pushing and pulling loads of timber daily. Explains

11.54 LES BONE sawed at MORE’S. Mentions

11.59 Brother sawed at MORE’s. Settlement there. Describes.

12.07 ROBBERY of PAY PACKET Bag in TIN. Read in Western Star. Details given by Interviewer

13.00 TRAILS had 2 SAWMILLS – one burnt down. Self remembers chimney. GRACE FAIRWEATHER nee HUGHES lived in mill. Describes

14.08 Mrs VIOLET WELLS nee DANIELS lived at MORE’S TOP MILL. Mentions 14.49 EFFECTS of WAR YEARS on LOCAL COMMUNITY. To go to RIVERTON approximately 8 miles away. Mentions.

15.00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00.00 EFFECTS of WAR YEARS on LOCAL COMMUNITY. To go to RIVERTON approximately 8 miles away took horse and cart. TYRES could not be brought and PETROL rationed. Explains.

00.19 BRYCE ran the SCHOOL BUS and used to go to self’s family home to borrow SUGAR. Recalls.

00.41 SHORTAGE of items eg CLOTHES. Recalls

00.52 Wife ‘When you got home (from the trip) you were asked ”how many punctures did you have?” Recalls.

01.09 No Telephone, No Power. Details

01.39 SCHOOL “wasn’t very good”, “weren’t happy days, wife “pressure cooker teachers.” Explains

02.14 First Job self earnt “10 pounds something a fortnight”. Comparison of cost of PETROL made. Explains.

03.13 Wife’s family started “THIN LIZZ” CAR on PETROL and then used KEROSENE. Recalls

03.47 Father would leave car at the SWING FOOT BRIDGE and walked home to save PETROL. Recalls

04.00 PETROL STOLEN from father’s car. Recalls.

04.15 One of father’s TRAILS workmates was having MARRIAGE PROBLEMS with wife. The wife’s father told her to go home to husband as she had married him. Recalls

05.42 CHEMICAL WORKS BUSINESS RECORDS. Mr MORE was a SHAREHOLDER and Mr PATRICK was also involved. Mentions

06.46 END of Track 4