Richard Victor and Oliveanne Brennan PIPER

Interviewer: Rebecca Amundsen

Abstractor: Robyn Powley

Interview: 2 September 2014

TRACK 1

00:28 Interview introduction – identification RICHARD VICTOR PIPER – born in 1940 - INVERCARGILL – OLIVEANNE PIPER – born in 1949 – AUCKLAND

01:28 Recalls – RICHARD – born in INVERCARGILL – CHELMSFORD STREET – SALFORD STREET - RACECOURSE – family went to DUNEDIN when he was SEVEN – ST BERNADETTE’S SCHOOL – ST KEVIN’S boys only – SECONDARY – CHRISTIAN BROTHERS – then a PHARMACY apprenticeship – H.H.F. GRANT – in STOCK EXCHANGE DUNEDIN – TRAMS – J LAHOOD – finished PROFESSIONAL EXAMS 1962

02:56 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:07 Recalls – Registered PHARMACIST 1963 – four years as an APPRENTICE – made EMULSIONS – OINTMENTS – MEDICINES in liquid form – MALTEXO – cabinet with HEROIN – COCAINE – OPIUM - DEXAMPHETAMINE – RITALIN – many had no restrictions – RECYCLED BOTTLES – ‘TAILOR MADE’ PRODUCTS – COUGH MIXTURE ‘INVERCARGILL FAMOUS’ – no age restrictions then – now 12 YEARS AND OLDER

03:32 Recalls – First started – LINO on floor – SCRUBBED each SATURDAY – then CARPETS – COMMERCIAL CLEANER – then CARPET (fitted) – ‘OLI came along’- bought the COFFEE BAR – expanded – bought the HARDWARE – expanded – 4/5 REFITS

04:48 Recalls – OLIVEANNE – born in AUCKLAND – educated/worked there – CHRISTCHURCH -RICHARD and his FATHER (JOHN) – CHRISTCHURCH RACES – LUNCH – RACES – BIRTHDAY – MARRIED 12 weeks later – 44 years ago – first visit - KELVIN HOTEL – QUEENSTOWN SKIING

06:25 Recalls – OLIVEANNE – brought up CHILDREN here – “Wonderful place” – joined the PHARMACY when children went to school – STORE – “SELF EXPRESSION’ – couldn’t get new LEASE – joined RICHARD – looked after the TEAM – PHARMACY – BUYING – NO 1 UNICHEM PHARMACY

08:07 Recalls – sold 100s of babies PLASTIC PANTS – DISPOSABLE NAPPIES – MIRACLE MARGARINE, PRESCRIPTION ONLY – TYPED PRESCRIPTIONS - INITIALLY HAND-WRITTEN – ‘PHISH’ – FILM – COMPUTORS

10:30 Recalls – took the CHILDREN OVERSEAS – ‘SATURDAY MORNINGS THE WAY TO GO’ – first PHARMACY in INVERCARGILL to open on SATURDAYS

11:22 Recalls – PHARMACY lot of TRANSITION – when an APPRENTICE PHARMACIES sold TOOTHPASTE, TOILET SOAP, FEMININE HYGIENE – SHAMPOOS – CONDITIONERS – HAIR COLOURING – continued to sell in the PHARMACY - EAR PIERCING

12:34 Recalls – OWNERSHIP of PHARMACY – ICC decided to BUILD GLENGARRY – TENDER – then changed their mind – UNCLE – CARL FISCHER (SP?) – built the SHOPPING CENTRE – PHARMACY shop available – didn’t know about COMMERCE – started at HOSPITAL PHARMACY – TONY CARONI (SP?) – SYD LITTLE – started GLENGARRY PHARMACY OCTOBER ’66 – DISPENSARY behind a wall – smoked

15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:06 Recalls – stopped SMOKING 35/40 years ago – sold DRENCH – PENICILIN injections for SHEEP – VETERINARY PRODUCTS – SOUTH ISLAND CHEMICALS – SHARLAND’S WAREHOUSE – KEMPTTHAL and PROSSER WAREHOUSE – STEPHENS (SP?) SOUTHLAND – FAIRBAIRN and WRIGHT – all sold DRUGS

01:36 Recalls – could buy ALCOHOL – sticker ‘FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES ONLY’ – SHERRY – products all had LATIN NAMES - BABY BURPER – kept the FORMULA

04:37 Recalls – the GLENGARRY area 1966 – lot of STATE HOUSES – influx of PACIFIC PEOPLE – BURGESS HOMES – people were LOYAL, WONDERFUL, FAMILY, CARING – ‘A very special time’ – “DR PIPER” – the ‘OFFICE’ was THE GLEN

07:33 Recalls – the TAVERN – ‘A social meeting place’ – BROMPTON’S COCKTAIL (SP) – RACECOURSE – ASCOT PARK – first home DERWENT STREET – BURGESS HOME

09:50 Recalls – the NEIGHBOURHOOD – DERWENT STREET – young families/older families – ‘NAPPY VALLEY’

10:26 Recalls – BROKEN INTO (PHARMACY) five or six times – ‘Held Up by GUNPOINT’ – ‘KEYSTONE COPS MOVIE’ – BURGLAR biked across GLENGARRY – BB GUN – RITALIN – DIAZEPAM – ‘took the MONEY but paid it back’

12:28 Recalls – took over the POST OFFICE – as a SERVICE ‘to our people’ – took over the BANK – a service ‘to our community’ – LOYALTY

13:55 Recalls – PHARMACY first to sell PREGNANCY TESTS – APPETITE SUPRESSANTS/LOSING WEIGHT/AYDS – ‘a caramel lolly’

14:41 Recalls – Built relationships by TALKING/’treat them like your best friend’

15:00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:14 Recalls – “Come out the back and I’ll make you a cup of tea” – to help upset customers in the shop – “amazing team”

01:14 Recalls – first exposure to DEATH – traumatic

01:53 Recalls – received lots of news – pregnancy – baby – school/kindergarten – chook

02:37 Recalls – GLENGARRY KINDERGARTEN built – building houses in DERWENT STREET – GLENGARRY PHARMACY paid for the CARPARK around front of the SHOPS to the TAVERN – TRUST and COUNCIL LAND

05:30 Recalls – LATE NIGHT THURSDAYS – ELEPHANT RACES – BABY COMPETITIONS – WOOLWORTHS SUPERMARKET – KITE FLYING – SANTA CLAUSE – THE WIZARD – lots of ADVERTISING 1 - 3 pages

07:42 Recalls – delivered PRESCRIPTIONS – all over INVERCARGILL - AVON ROAD/CLIFTON – ROWENA JACKSON – VICTORIA MEMORIAL – BAINFIELD PARK

08:16 Recalls – THURSDAY EVENINGS – ACTIVITIES – MAKE-OVERS – WEDDING MAKE-UP – BALL MAKE-OVERS – closed at 9.00 pm – then 8.00 pm – finally stayed at 6.00 pm – GLENGARRY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION – coloured LIGHTBULBS – FRANK ROSE

09:58 Recalls – glass of ORANGE while waiting for SCRIPTS – NON-SUGAR LOLLIPOPS – MOTHER’S DAY ROSE – CHRISTMAS CAKE – GLENGARRY HOTEL CHRISTMAS PARTY – Invited to WEDDINGS – BIRTHDAY PARTIES – COMMUNITY CENTRE – POKIES – 6 O’CLOCK CLOSING – BELL SYSTEM

13:50 Recalls – RETIRED from the PHARMACY 2004 – from 1966 – 2004 – profitable – 60/40 split – prescriptions/shop – Government paid for medications – mark-up

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:24 Recalls – Closure of the SUPERMARKET – NEWSPAPER ‘INTERVIEW’ – it was devastating – bought another shop – ‘Got Bigger’ – SOUTHLAND SAVINGS BANK – POST OFFICE – BANK – “We had a COMMUNITY to look after”

02:28 Recalls – a DIVERSE community – GOVERNMENT HOUSES on SOUTH SIDE of YARROW STREET – new houses and families on the NORTH SIDE – lots went to GLENGARRY to RETIRE

03:56 Recalls – DR ADAM HUNTER had a PRACTICE – corner GLENGARRY CRESCENT and CREE STREET – made JARS of JAM for NICHOLAS – then DR TERENCE WONG (sp)

05:59 Recalls – Moving on – “End of an era” – DREAM was to make a MALL – STEVE THOMAS – GARAGE – “It’s been a great journey – fantastic”

08:11 Interview finishes