ROBERT JOHN CHISHOLM

Interviewer: Ann McKenzie

Abstractor: Robyn Powley

Interview: 7 October 2013

(In the recording the interviewer notes that the date is 6 October 2014. However, all the paperwork and the date stamp on the original recording give the date as 7 October 2013 so this is the date used for the record.)

TRACK 1

00:23 Interview introduction – identification – ROBERT (ROBIN) JOHN CHISHOLM – born 25 July 1931- Recording agreement

02:05 Brothers – KEN WILLIAM HUGH and COLIN JONES – doesn’t remember GRANDPARENTS -Details

02:56 ‘PUKI’ – two railway houses – flat roofed – 1945 one house still there – other burnt down – surveyed road – Explains 04:44 GRANDPARENTS – both sides migrated to NZ - from BORDER COUNTRY near SCOTLAND, one couple – WALKERS from THE BORDER country – HUGHEY and JACK from KIRKNESS - SCOTLAND - the other couple. The CHISHOLM book – CENTENARY – IRON WORK on the swing bridge at ALEXANDRA – RUSSELL TOWN (2km from FORTROSE) – started BLACKSMITH SHOP – port below – WAIMAHAKA – three pubs - Explains

07:30 Father lived at FORTROSE – married and went to ‘PUKI’ – OTAGO MOUNTED RIFLES – TERRITORIALS – Explains

08:21 Earliest Memories - ‘PUKI’ – 2 years old – old COPPER – WASHHOUSE – WOODSHED – DAIRY – Huge TABLE – 5 feet in diameter – RED PINE – SAWMILL 10 chain away – house now in TOKONUI – BILL HENRY – BURGESS’S – R2 CATERPILLAR – HENRY WILKES – LIZZY WILKES – ROBIN WILKES – ADRIAN POOLE – all owners of the house at various times – Explains

12:38 Recalls – 3 CHIMNEYS – front windows opened out – side windows went up and down – big VERANDAH faced NORTH/NORTH EAST – big BEDROOMS in the front - big PANTRY – big KITCHEN – little SCULLERY – BATHROOM in a lean-to – big TANKS

15:00 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:03 Bands around the TANKS – still there 1945 – 800gallon tanks – Describes

00:54 Recalls - 2 years old – moved to TOKANUI – PASCOE’S – MOTHER made scones – watched kids going to school – ANDY and KEN - about 3 years old

01:35 Recalls - House – 4 rooms – LOUNGE made into a KITCHEN – LEAN-TO – WEATHER-BOARD still original – 90 years old

02:19 Recalls - Food - VEGGIES – MILK – HOMEMADE BUTTER – Milked own COWS – big shed at PUKI – CREAM sent in ‘on the RAIL’

03:02 Recalls – big shed BURNT DOWN – ‘THE BIG FIRE’ - 1930’s – from FORESTVALE – WAIKAWA – CURIO BAY – started with BURN-OFFS – father fought the fire at PUKI GEORGE GREGG – fighting the fire too – BLACK PINES were felled to stop the fire – late 1930’s – water was SMOKEY and BLUE – OPEN-TOP TANKS – SMOKED TEA

04:48 Recalls – CLOTHES – rough material – rash on legs - MOTHER relined clothes – made new pockets – 70lb SUGAR BAGS made into APRONS and TROUSERS for kids

05:47 Mentions - HARNESS ROOM – STABLES – pinched leather – ‘told off’

06:02 Recalls - SCHOOL YEARS – ‘TAR BUM/TAR BOT’ – took revenge on the son – SOLE TEACHER – MOANA McWILLIAMS – during the war - TWO TEACHERS – reliever teacher MR HUDSON

07:08 Recalls – cutting for the TRAM – SAW MILL – LIME DUMP – ROBERT BRUTTON(SP?) - BOARDING HOUSE – RAILWAY HOUSES – sharp SPIKE like a CHISEL through his foot – blood pouring out of his foot – MISS McDERMOTT (married a THWAITES) – JOCK THWAITES (manager) – foot wrapped in a cloth – TEACHER PIG-BACKED HIM HOME with the groceries

09:39 Recalls - games – RUGBY – played HALDANE – QUARRY HILLS - shut down 1939/40 – HERBIE NORTH – WALLY SHANGSTER - THE DEPRESSION – THE WAR

10:52 Recalls - ONE TEACHER – 25 to 30 PUPILS - then back to TWO TEACHERS - only ONE MILL going – WAIPIATA (SP) MIL – closed at start of DEPRESSION

11:42 Recalls - BIRD NESTING – CUTTING TREES DOWN – after-school jobs – kept home to COOK – mother unwell – SHACKLOCK RANGE

13:42 RACECOURSE – booklet of races in WAIKAWA MUSEUM – SAM WALKER – races ‘couple of times’ in the summer – RACES on WAIKAWA MUD FLATS – Explains

14:25 Recalls – plenty of FRESH VEGES – SWEDES - SPUDS

14:49 Recalls – BRAIN DAMAGED – by a RAM

15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:01 Name of farm WARD (?) – PERENDALE – Ad in FORTROSE STORE WINDOW – Ram not claimed – RAILWAY KIDS – Ram would HEADBUTT if the kids put their heads down – describes

02:06 Recalls - DISCIPLINE at home – RAZOR STRAP – WAGGED SCHOOL and CHURCH – boots and shoes kicked off on way to school - put on again on way home – BLISTERS – CALLUSES - PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH at TOKONUI – wore SCHOOL CLOTHES – CLEAN SHIRT

04:11 Recalls - SECONDARY EDUCATION – 1 YEAR – left home 6.00 am – TRAIN – home 6:50 pm - sometimes 9.00 pm – train would dump LIME – TOPEKA – MUSHROOMING – TISBURY – WAIMATUA – MOK0TUA – GORGE ROAD – TITIROA – WAIMAHAKA – SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE – 30 ‘something’ in the classes – DICK WEBB form teacher – coached SOUTHLAND RUGBY TEAM – EX ALLBLACK – RANFURLY SHIELD 1946

06:40 Recalls – ONE YEAR at HIGH SCH00L – ‘6 and a bit’ before STARTING PRIMARY SCHOOL – heard about GUY FOX at school – about 1935/36

07:54 Recalls – FIRST JOB – driving a TRACTOR – 14 years old – WAIRIO – DUNEARN – TOKONUI – FORTIFICATION – LANDS AND SURVEY – RHEUMATIC FEVER – DR TOM – driving about 12 HOURS/DAY – ‘GOOD WAGES’ - TWO and THRUPPENCE/HOUR

10:00 HARRY and MICK GIBB visited when in HOSPITAL – 7 WEEKS at PARK – and another NINE – worked for them – FOUR MILES out to BACK PADDOCK - PLOUGHED – BUSH WHACKING – felled logs with CROSS-CUT SAW – pulled out with D4 – HALDANE – Carrying Company – had a TRUCK – carted logs – BURGESS’S MILL – Explains

12:25 Time Off – DEER STALKING – MARRIED LEELA (SP) who was housekeeping for his FATHER – a WIDOW – moved to TOWN - worked for a CARRYING COMPANY – SOUTHLAND COUNTY – ROADING – engineers JONES – GRAHAM HYDE – established roads – FORTIFICATION – QUARRY HILLS – MARANUI - put money in CHISHOLM BROS – MILKED COWS – COLIN joined in – TRUCK – D6 – Explains

13:43 CHILDREN – LEX – DALE SANDER the oldest born 1952 or 53 – then LEX ROBERT – born THREE years after DALE – Details

15:00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:03 LEELA’S CHILDREN – BILL – MARIE – TRISH – ‘Ready-made family’ – TOKANUI – CHISHOLM BROS - Did up the house – milked 18 cows – COW BALE - JERSEY BULL – HER (LEELA) tossed by the bull – ‘BALDY’ McEWAN – LORNEVILLE – horns off with a JACKHAMMER – Describes

03:22 CHISOLM BROS – 4 boys – KEN – farmed/did the books – rest of the brothers drove DOZERS and TRUCKS – BUSH CLEARING – D6’s – BRASS BROS – were CONTRACTORS - ANDY – JACK BRASS – MOONBEAM MILKBAR – HOPKIN’S PLACE at REDAN – took over some of their RUN and 1 DOZER – bought a D7 from a FRENCH MAN at BLUFF – after the HARBOUR was built – Explains

05:54 Recalls - Developed many ROADS – FORTIFICATION - FALKNERS (SP) – BUSH ROADS – HOGG and Co – land clear from the MATAURA RIVER through to AWAKA – TAHAKO VALLEY (SP) – 2000 ACRES of MANUKA – BILL SINCLAIR

07:24 Describes – clearing the BUSH – MANUKA – crushed – THREE DOZERS worked side-by-side – ordinary bush DOZED – KAMAI - jacked out – HEAPS were BURNT OFF - WINDROWS

10:21 Recalls - RECONSTRUCTION of the ROADS – SCRAPER behind tractor – FORM NEW road and leave over WINTER – firmed up – others like PLASTICINE – MINISTRY OF WORKS – RIVER GRAVEL – MATAURA - ROTTEN ROCK – SOUTHLAND COUNTY – good ENGINEERS – HALL-JONES – GRAEME HYDE

13:21 Recalls – established many ROADS – FORTIFICATION – QUARRY HILLS – MARANUI – GLENWAY (?) – had been CLAY TRACKS

13:53 Recalls - SOCIAL TIMES – PUB – RUBY (played until 37 years old) – TOKANUI v MARIST – LEX – RUGBY – BOXING (until near 50) – DEER STALKING

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:01 Recalls – 7 DEER up the VALLEY – CHARLIE – MYSELF – GINGER GRAHAM (SP) – FALLS CREEK opposite MT CHRISTINA – MILFORD - UPPER HOLLYFORD – about 30 DEER BAILED UP – 27 DEER in 20 MINUTES – skinned them – PUP TENT – 4 MILES to VEHCILE – (ROBIN) PACKED OUT 10 SKINS – CHARLIE LEITH – GINGER – SKINS paid for the trip

04:46 Before FOOTBALL SEASON – ROAR – about 250 POUNDS – SKIN BUYERS at LUMSDEN – CATLINS – Explains

05:52 Recalls - RUGBY DAYS – played for TOKANUI – SOUTHERN STAR – 30 odd (age) – played as a JUNIOR 1947 – RORY O’CONNOR – KEITH BEN (SP) – LIFE MEMBER of the RUGBY CLUB

07:42 Recalls - FISHING – early ‘50s – around the SOUNDS – STEWART ISLAND – REX BRADSHAW (SP) – CODDING – DUSKY SOUNDS – PEGASUS on STEWART ISLAND – FISHING STATION – TE ANAU – TROUT FISHING – BOAT SOLD when he turned 80 – SID ALAN (SP) – WAIKAWA – BLUFF – PORT ADVENTURE - BUCK (?)

12:42 Recalls - BIVVY – PORT ADVENTURE – TUTAKI BAY (SP) – MORRIS (SP) FALSE TEETH ‘LOST’ – PETE ‘found them’

14:29 Recalls - Shifted to PASCOE’S – didn’t go to school from there – shifted to a RAILWAY HOUSE - GANGER’S house

15:00 End of Track 5

TRACK 6

00:07 Recalls – Lived at the GANGER’S houses until FATHER bought the farm 1934/35 – started SCHOOL ‘about 35/36’- shifted to a MILL HOUSE – WHITAKER and PEARCE’S (SP) MILL – McLEOD’S HOUSE – BARKERS – SNOWY EGERTON – shifted to BAYWOOD – house shifted to BERT HAMILTON – BOB HAMILTON – DERMODY’S – HOAM’S (SP) – JIMMY KLAITZ (SP) – then house shifted to FORTROSE – all 3x2 STUDS – house shifted 4/5 times

03:56 Recalls – MILL going in the 20’s – the SLUMP early 30s closed it – STAN ADAMS

04:08 ‘PUKI’ – neighbours LEITH’S (SP) - were on SHERRIF’S SECTION – BILLY and JACK started SCHOOL – BLACKBERRY WINE man – MOTHER expert ELDERBERRY WINE maker – GORDON LEITH and ROBIN made a BREW – ALLIE ANDREW and ISABEL LEITH – VAL – PARSNIP WINE - the after-effects of drinking the wine – describes

08:00 Interview finishes