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Abstract of Leslie James REDDITT, 2010

 Item — Box: 2
Identifier: H00320002

Abstract

Recorded: 14 December 2010

Interviewer: Joy Leitz

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes TRACK 1

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Interview identification

01:07 LESLIE JAMES REDDITT born 16 December 1913

01:23 End of Track 1 TRACK 2

00:09 Recording Agreement

00:47 Born at MANSE BUSH ROAD – Youngest of five Father GEORGE REDDITT – Mother CATHERINE MARY (McBEAN)

01:24 [SIBLINGS]: BERTHA WATSON REDDITT – HANNAH LOUISA REDDITT – CHRISTINA WINIFRED REDDITT – GEORGE WILLIAM PARKER REDDITT Self only one still alive

01:50 Earliest memory of family life – Father worked for Forest Service TAPANUI Nursery – Described.

02:49 Work available on farms – State Forest – Sawmills out

03:39 [HOME]: Heating – Fuel – Domestic chores

04:25 Self no work round house – Worked where needed

04:52 [HOME]: Bedrooms – Made own fun – Described

05:43 16 acres of land (approximately 6.5 hectares) – Milking cows – Milk to dairy factory All involved with milking – Mother made butter

06:52 Vegetable garden – Orchard – No meat apart from rabbits – Shot 1 deer in own life

07:28 [RABBITS]: Trapped – Use of ferrets

07:45 Neighbours on either side – McKENZIE mentioned

08:09 [EDUCATION]: TAPANUI DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL from age 5 years. Class sizes – Didn't enjoy school – Maths and English mentioned – Played rugby and tennis

09:40 Packed lunch for school – Described

10:00 [TEACHERS]: Discipline described – Reasons for discipline

11:09 Annual Test – Learning by rote – Poetry

11:57 Sport a 'play thing' – generally even numbers boys and girls

12:16 [TEACHERS]: Mr MACKIE headmaster – ALAN WINHEAD (?) – Mr BUCHAN – Miss RENNIE

12:57 Student numbers – Travel by SCHOOL CARTS – Described.

14:22 Travelling to school in winter – Described

15:00 Left school at 15 – Work at Forest Service at TAPANUI – Described

15:45 Father left forestry to drive school carts

16:10 Farm not named

16:18 Self at Forest Service 8 or 9 months – Depression – Helped on farms

17:33 Farming only interest

18:06 [DEPRESSION YEARS]: Job offer 15 shillings per week refused Many people without work – Described Respect what you've worked for – Bought only what you could pay for

19:20 [EVENINGS]: Listened to wireless – Electricity installed by SOUTHLAND ELECTRIC POWER BOARD 1920s (?) – Lighting – No fridges, washing machines, deep freezes.

20:16 [FOOD STORAGE]: Food safe – Described

21:29 [LAUNDRY]: Wash day – Described 22:00 [COOKING]: Coal range

22:08 [DEPRESSION YEARS]: Activities – Unemployment Registration conditions – Described ALAN RODGERS – HAAST HIGHWAY – Mr BUCHANAN – Mentioned

23:53 Letter to Commissioner of Forest ROTORUA – Results. Travel and conditions – Described GORE – TAPANUI – JIM MOFFATT – WYLIE'S GARAGE – RAES JUNCTION – WANAKA – Mentioned

25:39 Conditions, pay, work at ROTORUA – Described RADIATA PINE – DOUGLAS FIR – Mentioned 28:23 Weekends at ROTORUA – Chores – Tennis Stayed over a year

28:45 Returned south just after war broke out – Job with ALAN RODGER – TAPANUI – TYNEDALE – Mentioned

29:51 [HAAST PASS and MR RODGER]: Recap

30:14 BROOKSDALE – 74 acres (about 30 hectares) – Clearing and draining land – Described Worked with father – Brother in a North Island dairy factory (TE HORA) Milked cows – Ewes – Oats

32:08 Father got BROOKSDALE by ballot – Explained. GEORGE STEWART – Mentioned Land sub-divided – father allocated smallest one, 74 acres – fenced and split into paddocks

33:15 Half draught Clydesdale horses – tractor possibly 1960 – farmed with father until self married.

34:03 Met future wife at TAPANUI dance.

34:14 [CLUBS]: No Young Farmers Club – RIFLE – RACING – RUGBY – GYMNASTICS – WRESTLING

35:04 [ANNUAL BALLS]: Run by... YOUNG PEOPLE – TAPANUI – KELSO – CROOKSTON – HERIOT – WAIKUI (WAIKOIKOI) – WAIKAKA – ODD FELLOWS – MASONIC – MAORI – FIRE BRIGADE. Live music, no singing – Supper plates

36:36 Courted – BRENDA SANDERS worked on family farm at POMAHAKA

37:22 [MARRIAGE]: St PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, DUNEDIN – Archdeacon STRONG - 1945

38:01 [FIRST CAR]: Self, father, brother bought second-hand FORD

38:37 [WEDDING]: Some 60 locals invited

38:55 [HONEYMOON]: North Island – Described

39:35 [FIRST HOME]: Lived with father in family home – Bought DAIRY FACTORY, house and 5 acres STATION ROAD – Mentioned

40:58 [CHILDREN]: Three children – GEORGE – JOHN – GAY

41:21 Bought 50 acres before GAY born – Lived in old house – New one built ANDERSON ROAD, MANSE BUSH – Mentioned

42:10 [LAND PRICE]: £1700 (17 hundred pounds) for 50 acres

42:35 Old house described – WILLIAM WRIGHT built new house – DUNEDIN architect designer

43:56 Cost of house about £6000 (6 thousand pounds)

44:12 Retained interests in RUGBY – Selector for school boys - ALEXANDRA – SOUTH OTAGO – TAIERI – Mentioned 45:09 Post war no dancing.

45:20 [WAR]: Called up – Didn't pass – Brother accepted – Sisters did not go. Brother buried in LIBYA – Memory of telegram being delivered – Mother not alive MIDDLE EAST – Mentioned

46:42 Mother died aged 59 – DUNEDIN HOSPITAL – Recollections

47:47 Parents buried TAPANUI CEMETERY – No other family there

47:59 One sister buried ROXBURGH – One at NELSON – One at ANDERSON'S BAY.

48:13 [FARMING]: Property named 'ARUNDEL' – Explained HAMPSHIRE – Mentioned

48:50 Father from PORTSMOUTH – Mother from EDINBURGH – Father to NZ aged 21 Maternal grandparents had died – Mother came to uncle and aunt in DUNEDIN Father's brother already in NZ 50:00 Involvement after marriage – School sports. Not involved with A & P Show – Only RACING CLUB

50:26 [DOGS]: Dog Trials at RANKLEBURN – Bred dogs

51:03 Pure bred SHORTHORNS – Sheep were crossbred – Lambing described

52:14 Harvesting a highlight – Oats or wheat

52:38 [OATS]: Milled – Duties of agents, explained CROWN MILLING in DUNEDIN – HARRAWAYS – FLEMINGS at GORE – Mentioned Transport – Described

54:09 [WHEAT]: Turned into flour – CROWN MILLS

54:24 Son GEORGE farm interest – Attitude to brother described

55:02 Son JOHN – wanted a good life.

55:21 Daughter GAY – went to university – Degree in Physical Education – Taught in CENTRAL OTAGO – to ASHBURTON – Met and married DOUGAL STRINGER – Settled at WHITECLIFFS

56:35 JOHN to university maybe two years – Lifestyle described. BOWLING GREEN HOTEL – Mentioned

57:05 GEORGE worked in KELSO for JIMMY SIMPSON – to MERIVALE – with I A E A (International Agricultural Exchange Association ) to CANADA and ENGLAND – Explained

58:15 JOHN – Worked with Forestry – to MUNICH Olympics – SELFRIDGES in LONDON – PLACEMAKERS at GORE – Own video business in AUCKLAND

59:26 GEORGE – Returned to NZ – Father had bought land … HERLIHY (?) - worked at home – about 180 acres – Took over both properties

60:53 [TRAVEL]: Self and BRENDA (wife) in 1974 – AMERICA – DISNEY LAND – LOS ANGELES – VANCOUVER – TORONTO – ENGLAND – EUROPE with JOHN – back to ENGLAND – Home via SINGAPORE GEORGE took care of farm

62:34 [TRAVEL]: 1984 to CHINA – MONGOLIA – RUSSIA – FINLAND – NORWAY – SWEDEN – EAST GERMANY – AUSTRIA – ITALY – SWITZERLAND – FRANCE – ENGLAND Changes not noticed apart from 'more people' Happy to return home.

63:59 MANSE BUSH scenery described – BLUE MOUNTAINS

64:21 Planting of trees – Purpose of planting, Explained

65:15 [SAWMILLS]: Only one remembered BARROW BOX COMPANY (GORDON BARROW) – Staff numbers

66:55 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:00 Interview identification

00:21 [FARMING CHANGES]: Farming more than 70 years – Carrying capacity – Labour content BROOKSDALE extended to BLACK GULLEY – Sheep numbers – Teamsters – Various other workers – Size of property – Grass production GEORGE STEWART – mentioned

02:13 Use of fertiliser – Explained

02:43 Rotation of crops – Described – Liming and fertilising Amount of grass grown

03:47 Weed control – Past and present Problem plants – Mentioned

04:52 Keeping up with changes to farming – Described Department of Agriculture – Mentioned 05:57 Changes to ways of selling stock – Described TAPANUI – HERIOT – WAIKAKA – Mentioned Sale yards – Described NATIONAL MORTGAGE – OTAGO FARMERS – WRIGHT STEPHENSON – DALGETY – LOAN and MERCANTILE – Mentioned 08:24 Early dairy farming – Number of suppliers to local factory KELSO – mentioned

09:12 Site of TAPANUI dairy factory – Original factory on different site – Described ISTED – McKENZIE – SID SINCLAIR – JENNINGS (?) – DAVEY KEIR – Mentioned

10:41 Reduced herds – Increase in sheep numbers – Aggregation of properties – Price of lamb and wool

11:27 At time of interview – Increased dairying

11:48 Quality of land in MANSE BUSH

12:18 No real regrets – Enjoyed own life 12:26 Advice to next generation young people – Explained Attitude of most young country people.

13:02 Advice give by own parents – Explained Father's attitude to self.

13:54 Today – Three children – Seven grandchildren – One great-grandchild

14:19 [SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS]: JENNY cause of pride (has handicap) – Equestrian life Two boys into computers etc.

15:15 Self not involved with 'computer age'

15:27 [TELEPHONE]: Party lines – Described. TAPANUI EXCHANGE

16:30 Usage of party line system – Described

17:10 [OTHER INTERESTS]: In a play at school or church TAPANUI – CLINTON – WAIKAKA – Mentioned

17:44 Member of ANGLICAN CHURCH – Baptism possibly at home Self a vestryman – Duties explained Rev EWART – Mentioned

18:57 [CHURCH ATTENDANCE]: Fluctuations in attendances – Church now closed – Young people involved in other things Rev JACQUIERY – Mentioned

20:01 Church was meeting place – Somewhere to discuss local events – Advent of cars made difference LIONS – JAYCEES – ROUND TABLE – Mentioned

21:06 [WAR YEARS]: Church attendance 22:01 [TELEGRAM]: Brother missing in action – No memorial service – No cemetery plaque

22:54 Anglican church chalice in memory of Anglicans lost in war – Still in TAPANUI

23:11 No RAILWAY now – Previous service – Described Use of trucks for stock – Described Delivery of Lime and Super(phosphate) – Described WAIPAHI – AWARUA – RAVENSDOWN – Mentioned

24:24 [PASSENGERS]: Carried by local train – Steam train – Schedule WAIPAHI – CONICAL HILLS – POMAHAKA – GLENKENICH – TAPANUI – KELSO – HERIOT – EDIEVALE – Mentioned Train crew based at EDIEVALE

25:52 Station Master at HERIOT – TAPANUI – WAIPAHI 'Flag Stations' – Described Reduction of service – Explained J B GORDON M.P – Minister of Railways – Local person

27:08 Self no real political association.

27:26 [ADVICE]: Be honest in your dealings

27:55 Happy to remain in own home with wife of 55 years Self in reasonable health

28:22 No particular retirement interests – Reading

29:05 Appreciation of BLUE MOUNTAINS never dimmed.

29:10 [CLOUD FORMATIONS]: Beaumont Express – Described

29:47 Self walked up the mountains Effects of fog on one trip – Described

31:11 End of Track 3

Dates

  • 2010

Conditions Governing Access

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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: Lietze, Joy (Interviewer, Person)

Repository Details

Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository