Abstract of Mary Ferguson McMILLAN, 1998
Item — Box: 38
Identifier: H03730002
Abstract
MARY FERGUSON McMILLAN
Recorded: 19 August 1998
Interviewer: Ailsa Dawson
Abstracter: Ailsa Dawson (Retyped by Jean Hawkes)
Track 1
00:00 MARY FERGUSON McMILLAN born in 1908 at Mrs KENT'S NURSING HOME, INVERCARGILL – Twin of ANDREW
01:15 [PARENTS] [FATHER]: DUNCAN McKENZIE – Farmer [MOTHER]: JANE ISABELLA McDONALD 02:05 First home at MOA FLAT – Father managed HOWELL'S ESTATE Mr HOWELL – Lawyer in INVERCARGILL – His death – Described
Own father bought farm in 1909 – MORTON MAINS estate, near WAITUNA – Built home – Planted trees – Lived at KAPUKA while home being built Father kept draught horses for ploughing – Kept sheep until they pined and died Cobalt deficiency caused stock losses
07:35 Lack of cobalt caused pernicious anaemia in humans – Father died aged 60 from this when self aged 16 – No cure at the time – He married late in life and had eight children – ANNIE SUTHERLAND – WINIFRED – BETTY – JANE ISABELLA – ANDREW K (twin) – DONALD J C – INNES D
10:40 [EDUCATION]: WAITUNA PRIMARY SCHOOL – One or two teachers – Walked 1.5 miles Technical COLLEGE for two years – HIGH SCHOOL MAIL – three days a week by train – Delivered by children going home from school People looked after and trusted each other
11:50 DIPTHERIA EPIDEMIC – Precautions taken by mother – Avoided sickness – Described
13:40 [CHILDHOOD GAMES]: Rounders – Marbles – Fun times – Happy at school
14:30 Walked everywhere – School – Church – Dances
15:12 First car seen by self – DODGE from P H VICKERY LTD – FORD CARS most common First AEROPLANE flew over was talked about for months
16:00 Walked 5 miles with twin to catch train to TECHNICAL COLLEGE INVERCARGILL – Later shared a bicycle for this
17:04 Three days a week at TECH – Needed at home for milking and farm Younger siblings went to HIGH SCHOOL – Travelled by bus from WYNDHAM
19:12 Parents used horse and spring cart to go to town.- Father keen to leave town ahead of train which upset horse
20:10 Home built by father was first to have 'Superheater' (hot water cylinder) installed and to have a wash-house – Talk of district – House built of red pine
21:18 Lovely home BUT....Drawbacks included distance of coal range from other parts of kitchen
23:40 Father planted fruit trees – Apples – Pears – Plums
24:05 Outdoor toilet remote from house
24:50 Own parents died when self 20 and sister 18 – Brought up younger siblings – Not hard up (financially) – Lack of parental authority hard
25:10 Self married 8 years later – Brothers took over farm
26:20 [WAR YEARS]: Knitting for soldiers – Remembers father sending draught horses for War Service
27:30 Teenage Years – Dancing – Card evenings – Tennis (on home court) – No Television
28:20 OTERAMIKA HALL for WAITUNA and MOKOTUA – Remembers Batchelor and Spinster Balls – Buses came from INVERCARGILL – Long frocks – Band formed by local on violin and piano
30:00 HALL opening a big affair – Good for local meetings – Still used
Track 2
00:15 Self stayed home to care for family – Remembers catering for threshing mill workers – Fifteen men needing three meals a day for a week
01:00 [SWAGGERS} The men and lifestyle – Described
06:16 FUNERALS involved the district – Held at home before funerals parlours came
08:55 Mother's WASHING DAY – Described
09:45 Dairy Factory at OTERAMIKA – Milk for CHEESE when sheep farming decreased
10:45 STILTON cheese made at SAXELBY'S factory at WOODLANDS Mr SAXELBY – Englishman – made this cheese in 1920s – Factory closed when he died
12:05 Sugar of Milk factory at EDENDALE
12:50 RABBITS tinned at WOODLANDS factory
13:15 LINEN FLAX factory at WOODLANDS – War effort – Flax used for wingers of bombers Self remembers ARMY harvesting flax – Men had to be fed
15:45 Own interests – Tatting – Gardening – Cooking – Tennis – Reading
16:01 Self married neighbour – ALEXANDER McMILLAN – Moved to his farm at WAITUNA Raised four daughters – Marjorie (Mrs BOULT) – LOIS (Mrs McMILLAN) – KATE (Mrs ALEXANDER) – MARY (Mrs FERGUSON) Stayed in district until retirement to INVERCARGILL Husband died in 1972 Travelled overseas – Daughters travelled after completing education
18:40 Self born and cred SOUTHLANDER – Knows place well – Great place to spend life
19:25 Resident of ROSE LODGE – Explained
20:16 Widowed for 20 years – Stayed on farm for 5 years – Moved to HOLLYWOOD TERRACE then to ROSE LODGE
22:45 End of Tape
NOTE: Mary died in 2014
Recorded: 19 August 1998
Interviewer: Ailsa Dawson
Abstracter: Ailsa Dawson (Retyped by Jean Hawkes)
Track 1
00:00 MARY FERGUSON McMILLAN born in 1908 at Mrs KENT'S NURSING HOME, INVERCARGILL – Twin of ANDREW
01:15 [PARENTS] [FATHER]: DUNCAN McKENZIE – Farmer [MOTHER]: JANE ISABELLA McDONALD 02:05 First home at MOA FLAT – Father managed HOWELL'S ESTATE Mr HOWELL – Lawyer in INVERCARGILL – His death – Described
Own father bought farm in 1909 – MORTON MAINS estate, near WAITUNA – Built home – Planted trees – Lived at KAPUKA while home being built Father kept draught horses for ploughing – Kept sheep until they pined and died Cobalt deficiency caused stock losses
07:35 Lack of cobalt caused pernicious anaemia in humans – Father died aged 60 from this when self aged 16 – No cure at the time – He married late in life and had eight children – ANNIE SUTHERLAND – WINIFRED – BETTY – JANE ISABELLA – ANDREW K (twin) – DONALD J C – INNES D
10:40 [EDUCATION]: WAITUNA PRIMARY SCHOOL – One or two teachers – Walked 1.5 miles Technical COLLEGE for two years – HIGH SCHOOL MAIL – three days a week by train – Delivered by children going home from school People looked after and trusted each other
11:50 DIPTHERIA EPIDEMIC – Precautions taken by mother – Avoided sickness – Described
13:40 [CHILDHOOD GAMES]: Rounders – Marbles – Fun times – Happy at school
14:30 Walked everywhere – School – Church – Dances
15:12 First car seen by self – DODGE from P H VICKERY LTD – FORD CARS most common First AEROPLANE flew over was talked about for months
16:00 Walked 5 miles with twin to catch train to TECHNICAL COLLEGE INVERCARGILL – Later shared a bicycle for this
17:04 Three days a week at TECH – Needed at home for milking and farm Younger siblings went to HIGH SCHOOL – Travelled by bus from WYNDHAM
19:12 Parents used horse and spring cart to go to town.- Father keen to leave town ahead of train which upset horse
20:10 Home built by father was first to have 'Superheater' (hot water cylinder) installed and to have a wash-house – Talk of district – House built of red pine
21:18 Lovely home BUT....Drawbacks included distance of coal range from other parts of kitchen
23:40 Father planted fruit trees – Apples – Pears – Plums
24:05 Outdoor toilet remote from house
24:50 Own parents died when self 20 and sister 18 – Brought up younger siblings – Not hard up (financially) – Lack of parental authority hard
25:10 Self married 8 years later – Brothers took over farm
26:20 [WAR YEARS]: Knitting for soldiers – Remembers father sending draught horses for War Service
27:30 Teenage Years – Dancing – Card evenings – Tennis (on home court) – No Television
28:20 OTERAMIKA HALL for WAITUNA and MOKOTUA – Remembers Batchelor and Spinster Balls – Buses came from INVERCARGILL – Long frocks – Band formed by local on violin and piano
30:00 HALL opening a big affair – Good for local meetings – Still used
Track 2
00:15 Self stayed home to care for family – Remembers catering for threshing mill workers – Fifteen men needing three meals a day for a week
01:00 [SWAGGERS} The men and lifestyle – Described
06:16 FUNERALS involved the district – Held at home before funerals parlours came
08:55 Mother's WASHING DAY – Described
09:45 Dairy Factory at OTERAMIKA – Milk for CHEESE when sheep farming decreased
10:45 STILTON cheese made at SAXELBY'S factory at WOODLANDS Mr SAXELBY – Englishman – made this cheese in 1920s – Factory closed when he died
12:05 Sugar of Milk factory at EDENDALE
12:50 RABBITS tinned at WOODLANDS factory
13:15 LINEN FLAX factory at WOODLANDS – War effort – Flax used for wingers of bombers Self remembers ARMY harvesting flax – Men had to be fed
15:45 Own interests – Tatting – Gardening – Cooking – Tennis – Reading
16:01 Self married neighbour – ALEXANDER McMILLAN – Moved to his farm at WAITUNA Raised four daughters – Marjorie (Mrs BOULT) – LOIS (Mrs McMILLAN) – KATE (Mrs ALEXANDER) – MARY (Mrs FERGUSON) Stayed in district until retirement to INVERCARGILL Husband died in 1972 Travelled overseas – Daughters travelled after completing education
18:40 Self born and cred SOUTHLANDER – Knows place well – Great place to spend life
19:25 Resident of ROSE LODGE – Explained
20:16 Widowed for 20 years – Stayed on farm for 5 years – Moved to HOLLYWOOD TERRACE then to ROSE LODGE
22:45 End of Tape
NOTE: Mary died in 2014
Dates
- 1998
Conditions Governing Access
For access please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Dawson, Ailsa Ruth (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
