Margery Williamson

Interviewer: Rebecca Amundsen

Abstractor: Marion Hawkes

TRACK 1

00:00 Interview identification

0:27 Margery Williamson born 4 August 1926

0:44 Father FREDERICK WYBROW occupation ‘carried coal’ worked as a coal deliverer [details] Worked for GIBBS COAL - worked during DEPRESSION

1:49 Father’s parents lived in GORDON STREET INVERCARGILL names AGNES WYBROW and WILLIAM WYBROW - recalls visits - Christmas gatherings. Hard workers brought up family. Parents came from WAIKAWA to INVERCARGILL. Grandfather worked on RAILWAY when he came to INVERCARGILL.

2:38 SELF’s father had two brothers and two sisters.

2:57 Mother EVELYN MCLEAY born in INVERCARGILL. Mother’s parents Lived in DON STREET. Grandfather worked on WEST COAST came home twice a year For holidays. Not sure what his occupation was. Recalls childhood memories

3:47 Mother had three sisters and one brother – recalls visits

4:28 SELF Recalls childhood first home remembered in LIDDELL STREET describes house - garden

5:21 SELF had two sisters - one younger one older. Eldest sister [1 year older than self] died of convulsions as baby.

7:23 SELF explains life growing up – visiting – birthdays – going to swings at DOON STREET – crowds of kids – wait your turn. Main chore drying dishes

7:25 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:12 SELF shares birthday memories growing up. Had family ‘high tea’ - gift usually something you needed like clothes – didn’t get many toys – special toy growing up dolls pram. Christmas time – jovial – family affair – big family gatherings at home – couldn’t afford to go anywhere.

1:45 SELF grew up late 1920s early 1930s when DEPRESSION was on – people worked - wages were small – didn’t remember any children come to school with no food

2:17 SELF recalled had school friends would play together after school

2:30 SELF shares about discipline growing up and social visits with grown ups – got growled at for fighting – had to be sorted – got on together

3:32 Sister was about 18 months younger than SELF. Sister close together in age and good friends

3:50 SELF’s mother used coal range to cook and bake – helped with this. Mother taught SELF and sister to cook – liked to bake

4:46 SELF started school at 5 years old. Went to SOUTH SCHOOL – worked hard – had homework – liked school - mentions teacher MISS MELVILLE. Headmaster was MR LAWLESS - shares memories and details – did marching – all kids did marching – quite a few children in class - describes SOUTH SCHOOL as ‘one big long frontage’. Children’s artwork was put on wall. Liked arithmetic and spelling. Describes how exams were marked - not keen on geography and history and wasn’t good writer - had exams once a year to find out if ‘good enough’ to go up a class. Didn’t mind reading – had journals – relates how felt about school

9:26 SELF had special friend at school – walked to school together, who lived other end of street called ESMAE [sp?] WILSON talks about friendship – played together at school - didn’t remain friends when left school

10:28 Went to SALVATION ARMY CHURCH [Corner CONON and TAY STREET] as child. Aunty was in SALVATION ARMY - talks about Church Service and Sunday School – hymns and speeches - had Sunday School first and then you could go to Bible Class after Sunday School if you wanted to – attended for few years – describes where Church was situated

11:37 SELF stayed at SCHOOL until STANDARD SIX – was 13 ½ when left school – first thing was - go and find a job.

11:53 Friends asked if SELF wanted job – told to ‘go into STRANGS put name down and they will let you know’ - didn’t take long to get job – Jelly season October to March – no telephones – so sent a note if you had a job – didn’t have job interview – told you what to do - describes work and first day of work – shares details of job process

14:04 SELF describes JELLY MAKING PROCESS at STRANGS FACTORY

15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:00 SELF describes JELLY MAKING process - STRANG’S made essences too - SELF enjoyed work - did this work for two seasons and then got permanent job – when got permanent job went to TIN SHOP to make tins – details about products

1:50 [reference to recent newspaper article about pulling down piece of building -STRANGS FACTORY building]

2:05 SELF refers to offices in front of building

3:08 SELF describes where she was standing in photo ‘standing in back part – COFFEE part’ - tall building in photo is now WEA BUILDING [used for Adult Education – run courses] - where offices were - more description of photo – describing different parts of STRANG FACTORY and where that is in relation to photograph

4:49 SELF describes how TINS were made at STRANGS FACTORY – different size tins – describes production process – 1 oz; 2 oz; 4 oz; 8 oz and 16 oz tins were made - worked with friend called FREDA – worked well together enjoyed job

6:31 FOUR BOSSES at STRANGS they were called - ‘MR JIM’ - ‘MR HAROLD’ - ‘MR DAVE’ - ‘MR ROBERT’ – they were all STRANGS brothers – best bosses – describes bosses – people were happy working there

7:28 SELF and FREDA have remained close friends

8:09 SELF worked five days a week 8am to 5pm - CHRISTMAS time busy – extended hours 6pm to 9pm - Pay was 18 shillings and 5 pence [per week] when started work - When left job was being paid 2 pound 18 shillings and 6 pence [per week] - You could buy things because they were cheap - gave parents 10 shillings for board money [didn’t pay that all the time]

9:26 SELF worked at factory during the WORLD WAR II – didn’t change the work – changed if somebody left because they enlisted – doesn’t remember anyone enlisting from STRANGS – had to be a certain age to enlist [21 – 18?]

10:14 WAR didn’t have any impact on products

10:20 SELF relates about ration books and how they worked – describes - mentions about nylons - shoes and went to ABRAHAM WACHNER’S for shoes – - he didn’t make his own shoes - very cheap - shop was in DON STREET

11:35 SELF met husband at STRANGS – his job was packing the orders - had known him for years - went to dances – got together – relates - husband did not go to WAR

12:36 SELF got married a year after met husband

13:08 SELF stayed at STRANGS 6 years – was 21 years old when she left

13:17 Went to work at H & J SMITHS – waitressed there for 6 months

13:42 SELF got married moved to ADAMSON CRESCENT – used to live in PRINCES STREET In a house made into a flat – moved to GLENGARRY in 1960s - GLENGARRY SHOPPING CENTRE built in 1966 – SUPERMARKET opened same year

14:34 SELF shares living in ADAMSON CRESCENT – good neighbours – people helped one another - house didn’t have any gardens or lawns – lot of work put in

15:00 End of Track 3

DISC 1: TRACK 4

0:00 SELF and husband did work on house together – people helped – some of Husband’s friends from wharf – had vege garden and flower garden – liked to grow anything – grew good cabbages

0:34 SELF relates ‘good family street’ - kids didn’t play out on street – mostly in own yard didn’t go far – used to go to GLENGARRY SHOPPING CENTRE – SELF and husband went shopping on Thursday night and to ‘GLENGARRY’ [pub] and listen to country and western music

1:39 SELF’s children went to SURREY PARK SCHOOL – ‘Diane went to WAVERLEY didn’t like going to school’

2:07 End of Track