H0287

Louis Norman Nuttall

Interviewer: Janice Templeton

Date: 26th September, 1999

Abstractor: Ngaire Bartley

Track 1

00:00 Interview identification LOUIS NORMAN NUTTALL Born in 1929. Living in Bates Street, Riverton

00:40 MOTHER born COLAC BAY. Her FATHER and GRANDFATHER lived there. GRANDFATHER went to school at COLAC BAY. First language was MAORI. One of two stations where MAORI was taught. GRANDFATHER PHILLIPS worked establishing the railway. MUM’S MOTHER DIED three years later delivering twins. Twins were non identical – two placentas, only one recovered. GRANDMOTHER former name BATCHELOR. Both NUTTALL GRANDPARENTS and MUM’S MOTHER were born in the same place. GRANDFATHER married again. Second wife ANNIE MERCER CONCHER? family well known in COLAC BAY. Annie’s father got the contract building a portion of road between Riverton and Colac Bay.

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03:29 That all happened in OREPUKI 1903 Early Depression years (1920s) PHILLIPS family living in TUATAPERE. Three children with second wife – VERDUN, OSSIE? and NANCY PHILLIPS.

04:45 GRANDFATHER PHILLIPS LAYPREACHER in TUATAPERE during the Depression.

5:08 Relates the story of his FATHER almost losing his life coming back from a gold prospecting trip in PRESERVATION INLET. Subject of ALAN TEMPLETON’S POEM. Mentions ERSKINE family living on the side of the WAIRAU RIVER. Connection with ERSKINE’S in TUATAPERE.

07;21 JOHN MCKINLEY PHILLIPS mother’s father and sister Aunty ANNIE THWAITES neighbour of DOROTHY WILLIS growing up. Relates story of meeting at Aunty Annie’s graveside. 08:22 NUTTALL side. J R NUTTALL, GRANDFATHER arrived permanently in SOUTHLAND 1892. Had previously checked out the country two years earlier. At the time as a young man of 21 he had been living in KAKANUI growing potatoes.

08:59 Married a widow with four children. MRS. MARTIN (husband killed in tree falling accident.) When GRANDFATHER NUTTALL arrived at LONGWOOD in 1892 with his family, he had a readymade workforce. UNCLE BOB MARTIN mentioned how hard it was when they arrived.

10.44 Mentions 1912 photo of threshing oats. Describes development of land. Brought farming equipment from KAKANUI. Lists equipment. Problem with crossing the newly developed railway and getting onto the farm with horse and dray. Land comprised 360 acres. Father said during depression, sales were at THORNBURY so he rode to Thornbury on the hack to save spending sixpence on the train. Money scarce.

13:52 Six NUTTALL children. Lost one - JOHN died of kidney condition not sure where he fit in the family. Eldest ELSIE FREW, MOTHER OF THE LOCAL FREWS born two months after they arrived. Family came by train to LONGWOOD. Rail transport had developed quite quickly. NUTTALL CHILDREN ELSIE, ALICE, CHRIS, ARTHUR, DAD – (NORMAN) and RENE. MARTIN CHILDREN BOB, MAMIE, BEATTIE and RALPH. MAMI became MRS. STOWES, Newspaper reporter in INVERCARGILL. DAD BOARDED with her when he went to town for Tec. BEATTIE MARRIED BOB BLACKMORE and BEA lived in Riverton. BEATTIE’S FAMILY MARGE, FERGUS, DAPHNE, MYRTLE and PERCY. MARGE schoolteacher at GUMMIES BUSH. Neither Mertle or Marge married and lived in Invercargill. Mentions cousin DAN BLACKMORE.

16.48 Father (NORMAN) stayed on the farm. UNCLE ARTHUR NUTTALL was scholarly - STEAM ENGINE on the Nuttall farm. ARTHUR had a boiler ticket. First job off the farm driving the steam engine that drove the piles under the first DUNEDIN POST OFFICE. Became the MANAGER of the WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL during the Second World War. Lived an interesting life.

18:16 ELSIE BECAME MRS. FREW. MRS. HAMILTON had two daughters – PHYLLIS AND JANET. Phyllis married MUNRO MATHIESON. Janet married the CARRIER’S SON at INVERCARGILL TRANSPORT. All Nuttall’s learned music. Had FAMILY DANCE BAND in the district. Had the first piano out that way. When HEKIA DAIRY FACTORY opened in 1912 – took piano up to the factory for the opening celebration.

20:00 ELSIE became a schoolteacher stationed at the ORAKEI SCHOOL. Nuttall’s did their primary education there. RENE went to school at TIHAKA when her sister ELSIE was the PRINCIPAL at the school. RENE MARRIED WALTER HODGES Father of RUSSELL and LINDSAY. RUSSELL was MAYOR of WINTON. Recalls Rene’s musical ability.

21.50 Young ELSIE became MRS. SCOBIE at WALLACETOWN. DOROTHY MARRIED DOUG WARD. DOUG, COLIN, ANGUS and ROBYN AND DAVID (FREW). They lived in MILTON STREET. Farmed block until 1936. Then moved to LONGWOOD in the cottage down on the flat near PANKHURSTS. Dad was living and working on the farm and got the block of land as payment. Started on 100 acres at the bottom of the farm. DAD MARRIED MAVIS PHILLIPS.

23.32 DAD AND NUTTALL’S played in the band – dance music. Accompanied Silent movies in the theatre in RIVERTON. ARABELLA ACKHURST was a former pianist. Husband sat beside her and told her the ‘mood of the film’. Lists musical abilities of family. RIVERTON GARRISON (army) Band mentioned. Army band asked to play the National Anthem at the national championships in INVERCARGILL.

GOVERNOR GENERAL PLUNKET came to Riverton and travelled in Dodge car belonging to Lou.

27.05 Talks about the boat trip GOVERNOR GENERAL PLUNKET made by boat up the PURAKINO RIVER. Donated a shelter shed at the TABLES turning point. Describes boat trips up the PURAKINO in detail. Mentions DAVE WATSON and BEER’S BOAT.

30.31 Walked to TIHAKA school for education. Describes in detail. School closed 1938. Came by bus to Riverton. DAVE IRWIN, BUS DRIVER. Recounts interesting detail of bus construction. Twenty-five children came to Riverton. Lists remembered names. WARD’S, FREW’S, MARTIN’S, NUTTALL’S, HODGE’S – through to TIHAKA, BROOMHALL’S AND WILLIS’S.

33.45 PARENTS MARRIED 1924. They met through Dad playing in the band. GUMMIES BUSH BACHELORS AND SPINSTERS BALL about 1926. SORE THROAT EPIDEMIC went through the hospital – Mum became unwell – describes treatment with mustard plaster. Wrote letter to Dad apologising for not being able to go to the ball. Still have the letter. Dad kept letter in his wallet for 70 years. MUM was a NURSE at the WESTERN SOUTHLAND FIORDLAND HOSPITAL with DR. TROTTER (Riverton). AUNTY MYRTLE was there at the same time. Describes antics. DAD and AUNTY MYRTLE ended up in the OLD FOLKS HOME in RIVERTON and had a whale of a time.

37.37 Mentions solemnising the marriage (1926) in TUATAPERE a fortnight after they had celebrated in Riverton. RENE and WALTER HODGES attendants.

38.26 Lists siblings OWEN first, then LOUIS, MAVIS, LESTER and then HAROLD. Started off in the COTTAGE IN LONGWOOD and then moved to the big house at Longwood.

39.44 First day of school sat beside JOHN STEWART (Riverton) Describes schooling. Talks about CHRISTIAN input in the family. When Longwood kids, went to Sunday school was in the Railway Station – filled the place up. SALLIE [SALVATION] ARMY. Then held in the home and Mum took the Sunday School. Mentions text from Sallie Army. Church was at Colac Bay – ALAN SIMPSON, PARISH MINISTER. During the war LEN JONES was in Riverton and came fortnightly to Longwood. One Thursday we went to MacKAY’s and the other was held in the home at Longwood. Met Len four or five years ago and mentioned how he enjoyed the services.

43.26 Dad was involved with the HOMEGUARD. In 1939 Dad got Grandad’s old car unused during the depression and made a truck to cart the milk to the factory. Mentions experiences with truck. Transport on the farm. Describes experience of truck rolling down the hill.

45.54 Mentions HOMEGUARD – army would have commandeered the truck but it was seconded as DAD WAS A CORPORAL and drove the truck with army personnel.

Track 2

00.04 Talks about FARM LIFE. 300 to 400 sheep 100 cows. 500 gallons of milk to the factory at the peak of the season. Milking machines replacing earlier oil engines. Power installation. Describes power going in – 1936. Two hours to milk cows. Talks about going into Invercargill to hear a professor who said not to tie legs of cows.

03.07 Describes milking shed process.

3.55 GRAB STACKER for making the hay. Kids went home from school to help put the hay in. Mentions TOM SHEILDS ELEVATOR. Describes process. Members of the RIVERTON ROWING CLUB helped stack the bales.

06.05 Always involved in the sea and river. DISTRICT PICNIC NEW YEAR’S DAY at Oraki Beach. Fishing contest. Describes. Built boat eleven-foot American Sea scout project boat made of white pine. Describes. Pulled log out of bush with John Deere tractor and built boat. Recalls day boat launched at picnic on the river. Describes in detail sailing experiences.

10.57 Started rowing at age 19. End of sailing. Describes. JOE BAILEY, OWEN, LOU AND GRAEME ROBERTSON represented Southland against Otago.

11.51 Sport – describes playing football for rowing club. Major sport was basketball. Dodge truck from Longwood to Colac Bay drill Hall. ALEC THOMPSON from Riverton, Bank boys, BROOMHILLS, WILLIS’S AND PAT THOMSON. The MORMONS had a station at COLAC BAY. Describes. Played seven a side. THORNBURY – GRACE was the secretary. Describes.

15.48 FARMING WORK When younger brothers left school there was enough work to do around the district contract baling. Dad thought to go into business. Describes. Development of partnership in family.

18.47 Describes purchase of DODGE car in detail.

20.20 Married DAPHNE HODGEKINSON. Mentions death of DAPHNE. Went back to live with family. Describes experience of Daphne appearing to him. Lived in the cottage between big house at LONGWOOD and dairy factory.

22.30 Met and married GRACE 1960. Children. Moved to PURAKINO VALLEY 1969. Describes land. Situation and purchase. Won ballot for land. Sale of blocks.

24.00 Describes in detail development of fishing interest and experiences. Boat named HEKIA. Mentions STEVEN PRATT. BILL TUKA?

27.40 Brother LESTER’S fishing business. Lou starts fishing – boat ELAINE. Describes experiences in detail.

35.50 Talks about Riverton in his youth. RIVERTON REGATTA. Came to pictures on the back of pickup truck. No TV in those days. First car new Morris Ten. Mum and Dad toured South Island. Describes life of Nuffield tractor on farm.

38.00 DANCING IN THORNBURY. LONGWOOD HALL – CENTENNIAL PROJECT. Describes. Drew plans for hall. Learned Tech drawing in Invercargill with JOHN STEWART, JOE BAILEY, LANCE MENNELL and BOB ROBERTSON? by train. Describes experience.

41.30 Working on the farm. Describes equipment and development of land. Mentions DICK COLLIS and PANKHURSTS.

44.00 Events in Riverton – WILLY’S NIGHT TRUCK. WEBB’S Taxi for Christmas Eve shopping in Riverton. 1937.

44.35 Relates funny story about the removal of the old Riverton road and rail bridge. NUTTALL’S STEAM ENGINE was used with TOM MORE directing operations. JR worked out of his boat sitting on a box seat. Someone took the box away. JR in water - came up with hat and pipe in his mouth. Huge task taking bridge down. Jarrah and large bits of wood. TOM MORE and GRANDAD NUTTALL were great cobbers.

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