PETER DOUGLAS GIFFIN AYSON

Interviewer: Wendy Williamson Abstracter: Jean Hawkes

TRACK 1

00:00 Interviewer identification

00:44 Origin of his first names... PETER DOUGLAS GIFFIN (AYSON) Born 1924 at GORE.

01.12 Father – WILLIAM JAMES TELFOR AYSON, farm worker, dredger, alluvial miner, coal miner. Born at WAREPA in 1868. WAIKAIA – Mentioned. Mother – EVA MAGDALENA [COOPER] born 1882 at INVERCARGILL. Homemaker.

02:01 Siblings – Vi [VIOLA HARRIETT MAY] born 1903, Arthur William [WILLIAM ARTHUR JAMES] in 1905 (died 1906), Syd [SYDNEY TELFOR] in 1909, Bee [BEATRICE ADELAIDE] in 1913, Molly [EILEEN MARGARET ] in 1916.

02:39 Grandparents – grandfather WILLIAM AYSON born 1840 – died 1938. Grandmother MARY GIFFIN AYSON born 1850 – died 1935. Lived in WAIKAKA.

03:10 Book written by grandfather – life story 'Pioneering in Otago'. One copy in BALCLUTHA MUSEUM. Books written by Peter – appointed Chief of Clan AYSON Society, compiled the AYSON story ('Looking Back'), updated in 2000 as 'The AYSON story' NEVILLE PEAT from DUNEDIN – Mentioned. Family first settlers at WAREPA.

05:56 Holidays spent at WAIKAKA, farm 'SOUTHBROOK' purchased in 1872, sold at conclusion of war. Leased until 1891. Grandfather's flights to NORTH ISLAND added to list of modes of transport – Explained. 07:26 At high school when grandfather died.

07:34 Grandfather to NEW ZEALAND in 1853. Grandmother from SCOTLAND, settled in ADELAIDE. He went to AUSTRALIA, married her and brought her back, she was 16.

08:03 Books written about both sides of family.

08:20 Memories – Age 3 when VERA (cousin) married, 5 year old at school in 1929 at WAIKAIA. 09:10 Peter baptised on the day of eldest sister's marriage. Peter described as a 'Late Lamb'

10:02 House at WAIKAIA, still there, wooden – Described. 10:58 Mother doing laundry – Described. Beatty washing machine – Mentioned.

12:19 Food – mother great cook. Orchard and vegetable garden. Potatoes pitted for storage – Described. INVERLOCHY – Mentioned.

13:40 Clothing – made by tailor or dressmaker. Wore boots, father's treatment of them – Described. DAPHNE THOMSON – Mentioned...

15:00 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:00 More about DAPHNE THOMSON.

00:14 Games at School – marbles, skipping etc; cricket and rugby Started school in 1929.

00:59 Chores – Described. No pocket money for home chores. Money gained from cutting other people's lawns. Money spent on going to pictures.

01:31 Saw first talking movie at WAIKAIA – Named. Silent movies with HERBERT DE LAURIE playing piano. 'LADDIE' (dog) at movies – Described. BILL McKISSOCK – Mentioned.

03:04 Influential people in family – STAN BREEN (brother-in-law) – golf and boxing. GREENVALE STATION – Mentioned. BILL DUFF (headmaster at school) – taught English, love of cricket and rugby. 04:10 Family life – like being an only child. Relationship with parents – Described.

04:56 Father's interests – cricket. Mother (MARY GIFFEN) from ADELAIDE and mention of [George] GIFFEN cricketer. Movement of bed into lounge – Explained.

06:14 Typical Christmas gathering – Described. Some 21st birthday celebrations.

06:54 Gift evening for MOLLY, not for BEATRICE, not sure about VI. MOLLY worked for GILMORE (or GILMOUR) storekeeper at WAIKAIA.

07:45 Discipline – Parents strict about manners – Described. PETER talked all the time. Father's advice when he started work – Explained.

09:00 Religion – Mother was Anglican, Dad Presbyterian. Attended Sunday School. Mr BOYD, Mrs GILMORE – Mentioned Wore 'Sunday Best'. Taught to say prayers at night. Relevance of religion as a child and as an adult – Explained.

11:19 Education – attended GORE HIGH SCHOOL, stayed at hostel. Fence dividing boys area from girls. At the start 10 in class. At Primary School class of about 7 children. Favourite teacher at Primary School – BILL DUFF – discipline described. Some High School teachers overpowering. 'CLICK' was WALLACE CLARK (nephew of Mr & Mrs ALEX CHRISTIE of INVERLOCHY) BILL DUFF'S attitude – Explained...

15:00 End of Track 2.

TRACK 3

00:00 BILL DUFF continued. MR (BILL) MOFFITT – Mentioned. Attitude to sport, learning new skills – Explained.

01:17 Favourite school subjects – History, English, Geography. Brewery, next to High School – Mentioned. Visit to KING SOLOMON MINE – Described 'CLICK' CLARK, BILL DUFF – Mentioned. 03:11 High School very interesting, didn't want to leave. Aged 16 when he left. Reason for leaving school in 1940 – Described. 03:55 Didn't want to work in POST OFFICE. Would have liked to study History at university. Worked at WAIKAIA POST OFFICE. Mr McDONALD – Mentioned. Exchange clerk paid eighty pounds per year, supplemented income with rabbitting. Rabbitting – Described. BILLY BOND, FRESHFORD, POST OFFICE UNION – Mentioned. Left WAIKAIA to BLUFF, into Army and Air Force. On return (as a telegraphist) found his job had been kept for him. ARROWTOWN, SOUTHLAND RELIEF, WAIKAKA, WAIKAIA, TUATAPERE, WYNDHAM, INVERCARGILL and Morse – Mentioned. Disillusionment about job – Explained. Transferred to BNZ [Bank of New Zealand]

07:36 War Service.

07:56 Spare time – Clubs, dances and cricket. RIVERSDALE, HAZEL McKECHNIE with LOUIE, BESSIE and JIM McKEE, ERIC SANSON – Mentioned. 08:32 Hobbies – Cricket and rugby, a good ball. Girl friends. Played cricket in GORE, RIVERSDALE, TUATAPERE, WAIKAIA. Owned a lot of cars.

10:10 Enjoyed fishing and shooting.

10:15 Met MARY at a dance at RIVERSDALE – Described. KEW – Mentioned.

11.00 Small wedding, big wedding dance 1952. Deaths of both fathers – Mentioned.

11:22 PETER and MARY have 4 children – 'CHARK' MARK in WESTERN AUSTRALIA (married with 2 children) – PHILIP in GORE – JENNY (married lives in NAPIER with 2 children) – TREVOR in CZECH REPUBLIC (married to MARIE)

12:30 Involved with service clubs, pastoral care in churches.

13:07 Would like to meet the Queen. Reason – Explained. Liked WINSTON CHURCHILL.

14:00 Happiest time in retirement – Explained.

14:34 Traumatic times in war years, early years farming, illness – Explained.

15:00 End of Track 3



TRACK 4

00:00 From BNZ went farming at RIVERSDALE in 1954. Property out of INVERCARGILL, worked for accountants GILL McCARTNEY & SUTHERLAND. Health problem – Explained. Returned to KNAPDALE. Retired to GORE, worked for insurance broker and financial adviser.

01:17 MARY had no intention of marrying a farmer. Conversation with mother on wedding day – Explained. Farm 280 acres – Described. 'Old' BILL HORRELL – Mentioned. 400 acres at KNAPDALE. Rabbits. Southdown sheep. Bred pigs. Poultry unit. Left family farm (RIVERSDALE) 1971 – Described.

04:55 80 acres at WILCOX ROAD, INVERCARGILL. PHILIP (son) farmer. KNAPDALE – Described. HOKONUIS – Mentioned. PHILIP to AUSTRALIA, returned to NEW ZEALAND.

06:15 Depression – lived pretty well. Grandfather helpful, money to daughters-in-law. WARDELL'S in DUNEDIN – Mentioned. STAN GREEN (brother-in-law) – Mentioned.

08:09 End of Track 4



TRACK 5

00:00 ANZAC Day Speech. MARK, HOSPITAL HILL, GARTH & VALMA MAHAN, BARRY & ISABEL LAWRENCE, 'BABBLING BROOK' [PETER AYSON] – Mentioned.

00:57 Childhood memories of ANZAC Day – Described. WAIKAIA HALL, WILLIAM CHRISTIE, MOLLY AYSON, ELSWICK & LEAMINGTON STREETS, AYSON'S CORNER – Mentioned.

02:06 Laurel symbolic of Victory. Wreaths. ANZAC Parades – Described. 29 lives lost. Conscription came in 1917. First three years of war all were volunteers. War zone conditions – Described. 03:15 New Zealand casualties high from two world wars. From WAIKAIA district 118 went overseas, 29 did not return from World War 1, 9 from World War 2. 03:39 WAIKAIA, RIVERSDALE, Dr DON McKAY (wrote 'The Fallen') – Mentioned. World War 2 – ERIC CAMERON (brother of LAUREL, uncle of LINDSAY, friend of MORRIE PATERSON), NORMAN CHRISTIE (uncle of RAY), INVERLOCHY, NORMAN & WALLACE CLARKE, LEN COLLINS (brother of MARK), BURNHAM CAMP, JIM FARRINGTON, LEWIS FERRIS ('POLEY').

04:34 Men decorated from World War 1 – ROBERT McKAY of WENDONSIDE, (uncle of DON); BILL MOFFITT of WAIKAIA, GORDON CHARTRES of GLEN APPER (?) and GREENVALE STATIONS. World War 2 – NORMAN CHRISTIE of INVERLOCHY, WATTIE STIRLING. Post War – IAN ('SNOW') McKEE.

05:16 Family at war – 4 MOFFITT sons (PERCY, BERT, BILL, CLARENCE), 3 McIVOR sons (RUPERT, STANLEY, RODERICK, CECIL in WW2) (Sister SYLVIA in DUNEDIN). 3 HUME sons (WILLIAM, DICK, HELM), STUART HELM (son of DICK) in MALAYA. (HAZEL COLLINS' rellies) 3 COLLINS members (MARK (late ALAN's father), CHARLIE (FAY RUTTER'S father), HORACE (BRIAN'S grandfather) CLARENCE and JAMES STEWART (uncles of LEN VARLEY and JUNE COUTTS), 4 MOFFATT members (ARTHUR, FRASER, ROY, DOUG (late husband of NANCY) (ROLLIE'S brothers) 3 COLLINS members (HAROLD, GLEN, HUGH served KOREA) (brothers of MARK) 3 RICHARDS members (HENRY, JOHNNY, CHARLIE late husband of DOROTHY)

06:43 JACK & JIM DICKISON of GLENARY, JACK & BILL HURLEY, JOE & JIM FARRINGTON, COLIN & LES KERR, LANCE & VAL LAWRENCE, HARRY & MORRIE BROSNAN,.

07:16 Feelings of family left at home – Described.

07.40 Theme of talk 'Honour All People Who Served in All Wars' CRIMEAN, BOER, WORLD WARS 1 & 2, J FORCE (JAPAN), MALAYA, KOREA, VIETNAM and Peace Keeping Forces – Mentioned.

07:55 CRIMEAN WAR – WAIKAIA servicemen include HARRY BLUFF (?), PETER RADFORD senior, Sgt WALKER (Police), W WOODWARD.

08:09 BOER WAR – JOHN CARROLL, ALEX WEBSTER, GRAHAM McKECHNIE (JEAN'S father), BILL MOFFITT.

08:41 Stories – DUNCAN & ALEXANDER MURCHISON. ALAN & NANCY WEATHERBURN (Nancy granddaughter of COLIN ROBERTSON) JIM MAHON, LEITHEN HOUSE at GREENVALE STATION, ADDIE DICKSON (MARION GILLESPIE & ANDREW'S father), WAIKAIA RIFLE CLUB, CHARLIE COLLINS, GORDON CHARTRES, BILL MOFFITT.

10:46 BERT EDWARDS (BRUCE'S father), JIM McDONALD ('JIM MAC') married RENEE (?) (friends of CHRISTIES and WILLIAMSONS), LOBB.

11:15 Thanks to – JIM MAHON, WENDY WILLIAMSON, MARIE DICKSON, MARION GILLESPIE. 11:21 JIM McDONALD, BEA (AYSON), CHARLIE & GEORGE WOODWARD. KING SOLOMON GOLD MINE, WATTIE STIRLING, BOB McKAY (wife BESSIE wrote 'Amanda' about WAIKAIA VALLEY also book about MATHESONS of OTAUTAU), PHIL (?) PAYNE.

13:28 WALTER THOMPSON of STEEPLE CREEK (RONA'S father). BILL MOFFITT, FRED DOWLING, LINDSAY WALKER, HARRY WILKIE (bootmaker), UMBRELLA MOUNTAINS...

15:00 End of Track 5



TRACK 6

00:00 ANZAC Day Speech continued...

00:05 BILL PINKNEY of GLENARAY, WAIKAIA HOME GUARD, CHURCH PARADE, 00:47 World War 2 – BILL McKEE (JEAN'S husband), 49ers (WAIKAIA RUGBY TEAM), IAN McKINNEL (married HELEN), DOUG 'MICK' DENNIS (TERRY'S father), JACK HURLEY (MYRA'S husband), STAN RAMSAY (JEAN'S husband), BERT DUNNET (married RITA McBAIN), PETER GARDEN, BERT SCOTT, JIM MUTCH (JOE & BETTY'S father), BILL LOGAN (married RUTH), SYD DAVIDSON (FAY'S father), McIVOR family, NZ ROAD SERVICES, FRED CAVANAGH (married VAL), IAN MILLEN (?), DOUG ELLIOTT, ERIC FULTON

03:01 MAX WHITE, WATTIE STIRLING, PETER RADFORD of CHINESE GULLEY, TUP & SUE STIRLING.

04:18 Appreciation of district expressed.

04:41 Quotes.

05:50 End of Track 6