ROBERT ERNEST MONTEATH

Interviewer: Nancy Burnett

Abstracter: W. Brent Coats

First interview: 11 May 2017

DISC 1: TRACK 1

00:00 Interview introduction

00:56 ROBERT ERNEST MONTEATH – Born 9 March 1935

01:14 Interview agreement

02:01 Grandfather – THOMAS MONTEATH – Taught school at EDENDALE - Relocated to GORGE ROAD – Taught at GORGE ROAD SCHOOL – Second teacher - Details

03:20 Father born GORGE ROAD – Road contractor – Bought land – ROBERT ERNEST – Details

04:01 Mother – MAY MILLER [Mother’s maiden name is officially recorded as DEACON] – Details

04:40 Parent’s land – GORGE ROAD

05:05 [Interviewer introduces RAY WAGHORN who is in attendance throughout interview] Land was extension of HODGESON ROAD, GORGE ROAD-KAPUKA SOUTH – Details

05:26 CONTRACTING using horses – Load and tip system - Describes

05:57 Father served WORLD WAR ONE – Wounded in FRANCE – Repatriated to ENGLAND – SLING camp SALISBURY – Describes

08:21 WAR did not affect father – Became QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT – OTAGO SOUTHLAND REGIMENT - Details Married after war

09:19 Father’s SIBLINGS – DOROTHY, EDITH, HORACE, MACK, ERIC, JIM – Details

10:13 Interviewee’s SIBLINGS – older sister NGAIRE (sp?) - Farming at BUNNYTHORPE – FRANCES – HELEN twin to Self – Details Fights with older siblings – Recalls humourously

12:14 Self born in INVERCARGILL – CAIRNSMORE private hospital – Twins expected – Nurse COLLIER (sp?) – Describes

13:09 GORGE ROAD SCHOOL – Walked to school – Mile and a half – Sister NGAIRE road pony – PADDOCK for horses RODE horses at 6 years – All families had ponies – Describes

14:49 TEACHERS – Mr. COX

15:00 End of Track 1

DISC 1: TRACK 2

00:00 Sister NGAIRE taught GORGE ROAD then NIAGARA 60 PUPILS at GORGE ROAD – Details

01:00 NIEDERER’S FLAXMILL – Loud scutter NOISE from mill - Describes

02:32 Originally FLAX natural resource – Later replanted – CYCLE of growth and cutting took 4-5 years Shipped to FOXTON – Used for carpet, rope – Local flax fibre not good enough for twine – Explains

04:40 26 WORKERS at GORGE ROAD MILL – Labour intensive methods – FIBRE stripped, washed, laid to dry, bleached – Describes Mrs. SHAND – Best “man“ at mill

06:43 NIEDERER MILL – Originally sawmill – Burned down then flax mill built – Describes MILL on main highway

09:14 Self was AXEMAN – Began with evening sports – Double handed saw COMPETITION Self and GEOFF HARVEY best– Formed partnership – Describes 13:11 Represented NEW ZEALAND in SYDNEY 1962 – Mentions

14:24 Describes DIFFERENT STYLES of Axe COMPETITIONS – Standing block – Underhand – Details Good axes needed

15:00 End of Track 2 DISC 1: TRACK 3

00:00 …Could shave with axe – Interviewee’s axes in DUNEDIN – Mentions

00:56 Saws SHARPENED by saw doctor BILL HOLLAND Axe SHARPENED with flat file – STONED with pine oilstone – Smoothed with hand – Explains

02:48 RUGBY – Southern clubs – SOUTHLAND COUNTRY – SOUTHLAND team mid-20s age – Toured TIMARU and OTAGO – Beat OTAGO 105 to 5 over 3 games – Details Self played prop position

04:57 Attended SOUTHLAND BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL – No rugby – Work at home during weekend – Mentions

05:47 Family FARMED GORGE-KAPUKA SOUTH ROAD – Small DAIRY herd – CROPPING – Developed land DITCHING – Originally clay tiles by hand then digger - Describes

07:59 CROPPING – Originally oats for horses – SHEAF stacks – Built to keep dry – Describes Turned into CHAFF – “Fuel for 6-horse team” – Describes

11:02 Growing grain CHEAPER than buying oats – Most people had patch of grain – Little WHEAT grown 150 SHEEP on farm – About 30 cows – MILKED by machine – First house with ELECTRICITY in area – Describes

13:28 MILKED throughout year – Father had MILKRUN during Winter – Delivered by cart in MILKCAN – Village women filled milk BILLIES – Describes

15:00 End of TRACK 3

DISC 1: TRACK 4

00:29 Self was CONTRACT HAY BALER 25 years – Fickle WEATHER – NEW HOLLAND hay baler – FORDSON MAJOR tractor – Details

02:19 Contracted BLUFF ROAD – STEWART STEVENS farm – Mentions

02:55 FUNDRAISING for GORGE ROAD SCHOOL – Committee of Self and STEWART STEVENS –– OIL RIG at PATERSON INLET - tickets for $17 – FLEW by JET PLANE – CIRCLED ORETI BEACH – TIWAI POINT – FORTROSE – Flying low to see farms – Described

07:02 1989 combined GORGE ROAD SCHOOL and DISTRICT JUBILEE Schools – KAPUKA SOUTH, MORTON MAINS, WAITUNA, OTERAMIKA, KAPUKA – 1017 attended - Details 08:43 ACTIVITIES – Sports meeting – Social event with speeches – Banquet – Describes

10:21 Many LOCALS involved – Self admits had to sometimes be “sharp”

11:19 WIFE from TAKAPUNA – Knew Interviewee’s sister through basketball [not netball] – Taught at TOKONUI SCHOOL – Appointed to OTARA but refused – Saw ADVERTISEMENT for GORGE ROAD SCHOOL – Explains

13:19 MARRIAGE [Does not remember marriage date – Recorded date 15 May 1962]

13:44 WIFE was HEATHER CROUCH CHILDREN – BARBARA, DAVID, JOHN – Details

14:25 Oldest son DAVID attended UNIVERSITY 15:00 End of Track 4

DISC 2: TRACK 1

00:00 …Son JOHN is ARTIST BLACKSMITH – Describes BARBARA in PERTH AUSTRALIA – Built house – Describes

01:43 Self involved building GORGE ROAD COUNTRY CLUB FUNDRAISING – Scrap metal drives – Sold Bobby calves – Describes

04:19 Fundraising helped by MATAURA LISCENSING TRUST and DB BREWERIES – Details

05:01 Club served ALCOHOL - RAIDED by Police on opening day – Describes Club ACTIVITIES – Sports – Pool table – Quiz nights – CHILDREN’s social activities – Details

07:41 [Additional information from Ray] Club added Bistro – Excellent quality food – Describes 09:01 CLOSING of DAIRY factory – First job for Self – Factory produced CHEESE – Self involved in most aspects of production – Built crates - MILK weighed then cured - Pressed into 20 kilogram cheeses – Describes

11:45 CHEESE MAKING process – Milk weighed – Pasteurised through steam – Pumped into 900 litre vats – Rennet added for CURDLING – Chopped into strips to release WHEY liquid – WHEY used for FEEDING PIGS – Later used by EDENDALE factory - Explains

15:00 End of Track 1

DISC 2: TRACK 2

00:00 SALT added to dry CURD – PACKED into cylinders and PRESSED releasing whey – Explains

02:03 [Additional information from Ray] MOKOTUA dairy factory closed 1959 – GORGE ROAD closed 1965 – OTERAMIKA closed 1968 – Details

02:37 Small factories UNECONOMICAL – Impractical to compete with EDENDALE 03:27 [Additional information from Ray] FACTORIS CLOSED due to lack of HYGIENE EXPECTATIONS in dairy sheds – Upgrades ECONOMICALLY UNVIABLE

04:12 End of Track 2

DISC 2: TRACK 3

00:30 [The following stories was supplied by Ray and Interviewee] HOME GUARD – JAPANESE on bike caught at WAIPAPA POINT – PLANS of coastline found in BIKE TUBES Local HOME GUARD dug trenches at WAITUNA LAGOON – Live firing practices – Anticipated JAPANESE invasion – Explained

01:50 GORGE ROAD PINE COMPANY – Biggest chimney looked industrial from sea – Was blown up – Large explosion heard in area – Describes 03:16 [Additional information from Ray] WAITUNA LAGOON was natural port onto land – Through to INVERCARGILL and BLUFF – Remembers PLAYING in TRENCHES

04:00 INTERVIEWEE remembers PLAYING IN TRENCHES during school picnics – LOCATED at EAST END of LAGOON – In tussocks - Describes 05:20 End of Track 3