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Abstract of Murray McINTOSH, 2020

 Item — Box: 29
Identifier: H01930002

Abstract

Murray McINTOSH

Interviewer Ann McCraken

TRACK 1

0.10 Recording agreement

0.30 Born in RIVERTON, went to TUATAPERE school

1.02 Father was a BUSHMAN. They were allowed to catch POSSUMS

2.04 2 Older and 1 younger brother. They all went possum hunting.

2.50 Stretching techniques

4.30 Buyers would come round or skins sent to Dunedin.

6.20 Kangeroos on the Bluff hills, Kangeroos did not live.

7.11 Worked at freezing works. Still hunted as only winter pelts were bought.

7.44 worked at MCCRACKEN FARM ( for the interviewer's father in law)

8.00 Moved into town when he married. Delivered bread, then hunt for pigs and possums, then worked at the Old Kelvin.

9.22 Also worked at the ELMWOOD

10.36 Had a truck to go to FOREST HILL, to lay the line.

11.00 Setting trap and use of CYANIDE.

14.00 use of EUCALYPTOS and FLOUR.

END TRACK 1

TRACK 2

0.50 Had to clean the bait

2.00 Take dead possum back and skin it.

2.30 His wife assisted him.

3.00 Technique for dealing with possum.

6.00 Set a line where you suspect a possum would be.

6.50 Male Possum is a buck, female is a doe

7.30 He has never known possums to breed more than once a year.

8.57 Pelts very good if the possum had good food.

10.10 Temperature also affects the pelt.

13.44 Good memory for where he put the lines in the bush.

14.40 When he was in TUATAPERE he would come into town to work.

14.50 He was then foreman on a RABBIT BOARD

14.56 He had a SHOTGUN accident

END TRACK 3

TRACK 3

1.0 Shot gun accident

0.43 Had to apply for a new job, on a RABBIT BOARD

1.26 Poisoning rabbits using OATS

4.10 Sold the poultry farm and bought a MOTORCAMP at Waitaki Bridge

4.25 Still possum hunting in MARLBOROUGH

5.20 Had a CANNING FACTORY at the motorcamp. Canned SALMON

10.10 Sold the motorcamp.

10.40 no demand for possum skins. So they bought a farm at WAIMAKRIRI.

11.00 Went possum hunting with JOAN after marriage at WAIMAHIKA got over 7000 possums

13.00 Went to a skinning competition. He was 40 at time.

14.30 Books written about him and his wife possum hunting.

END OF TRACK 3

TRACK 4

0.37 Bought a house in OMARU

0.58 Travelled around stations in MARLBOROUGH

3.00 STATIONS they visited.

4.50 Collected lots of possums

6.00 Average 200 Possums a week.

7.33 BLUFF STATION in Marlborough had a big problem with TB (TUBERCULOSIS)

END OF TRACK 4

TRACK 5

0.17 Permission for the SOHP to record session.

0.45 Moved back to INVERCARGILL 2004

1.38 ‘Possumed’ for Johnny O’Brien and other farms.

3.31 Was very known for walking including a 14hr walk.

4.30 When he started in the Southland area $6 to $7 for a skin.

6.18 He had the FIRST CYANIDE LICENCE in Southland

7.13 Catching a lot less possums currently.

8.12 He thinks that ENVIROMENTAL COUNCIL stopped poisoning for possums in the hedges. Now he thinks they are building up again and getting killed on roads.

10.50 He will go back to possum hunting when he is feeling better.

END OF TRACK 5

Dates

  • 2020

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Extent

From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)

Language of Materials

English

Creator

Repository Details

Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository