Abstract of Russell John ERSKINE, 2006
Item — Box: 9
Identifier: H00380007
Abstract
Interviewer: Cathy Macfie
Abstracter: Cathy Macfie RUSSELL JOHN ERSKINE
00’48” Grandfather (mother’s father) ROBERT HART, manager of Orepuki Goldmine at Roundhill. Mother ANN HART thought to have been born at Roundhill. Describes long journey to SECONDARY SCHOOL: walk to Colac Bay railway station then train to Invercargill. Mother (and possibly other sisters) worked at Mosgiel Woollen Mills.
03’25” Father (HAROLD ERSKINE) ran a taxi service from the Orepuki Garage. Both Orepuki and nearby Roundhill had quite large communities; parents probably met at some local social occasion. Explains gaps in family knowledge.
04’25” Grandfather (father’s father) WILLIAM ERSKINE sailed to Invercargill with his family on STORM CLOUD in 1862. First home in Dalrymple Street, then FARMED Otatara Peninsula. ACCESS only by boat and Bay Road. Details land farmed in southern part of Otatara. Father acquired extensive land area around Erskine and Oreti Roads.
08’00” DESERT LANDSCAPE: east of Oreti Road was like a desert; blowing sand eventually stabilised by lupins. Recalls long, dry summers.
08’52” RABBITS: father on Rabbit Board for some 28 yrs. During war, rabbit meat in demand. Recalls ‘real blessing’ of good pocket money from rabbits, picked up by company from farm gate. Describes methods of catching: shooting, ferrets and trapping.
11’19” ISOLATION: only 5 miles from Invercargill but ‘could have been 100 miles’. Lived near (Oreti) river until Erskine Road house was built in 1930s. No formed road. Describes how road was created by ploughing. ENTERTAINMENT: focus on self-sufficiency and own entertainment. Details some of activities including home-made explosives. Describes making own firearm and testing it on outside toilet.
16’00” ORETI RIVER: describes time spent camping and on the river in home-made punt. Details changes to the river: no sandbanks, silt and ‘nice fish’. DIET in Depression Years was mutton (‘greasy chops’), rabbits and fish. COMMUNICATIONS and TRANSPORT: During the Depression the family had no electricity, telephone or vehicle. Everything was done on pushbike; hard into Invercargill against the prevailing wind. On the plus side, the grocer and butcher both made deliveries.
20’00” TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL: three children made the two mile trip with one bicycle, alternatively biking and walking. Recalls pony (kept in school paddock) which dumped him.
21’25” DOMESTIC CHALLENGES: among mother’s trials were kerosene lamps and candles which left dreadful grease marks. (Reference to recipe for candlewax grease removal.) Returns to theme of ISOLATION with nearest neighbours approx. 1 mile away.
22’50” Describes CHORES, helping with father’s sheep. CONSTRUCTION: a passion for making things. At 18 yrs built garage for Erskine Road house – housed the family’s first vehicle c. 1950. Made nails out of No.8 wire. Family shifted from 1 bedroom house (approx. 7x4m) on estuary c. 1940.
27’39” Unsure which family member gave name to ‘Erskine Road’.
27’54” Errata: Russell Erskine wishes to change his statement that he built three of the houses’ on Erskine Road to ‘two of the houses…’
29’00” Difficult business situation in 1980s limited plans to develop their lower Oreti Road property, now occupied by daughter Deirdre and her family. Russell and wife moved to town (Invercargill) in 1961.
31’10” Recalls LIGHTERS on ORETI RIVER. Took 2-3 days to load with gravel; needed to pick tide to unload at Pleasure Bay. Most gravel came from Waterski and Runabout area. Much of former deep water estuary has now been reclaimed. Describes TRAM SERVICE across causeway to Otatara (before his time).
36’00” WHARVES: wharf pile remains [between current (2007) Macfie and Agnew properties] were originally owned by the Borstal Prison and used to haul gravel, by trolley, up from the river by traction engine and wire rope. Upstream, more substantial wharf remains with wood slabs were associated with earlier timber loading.
38’35” ROBERT ERSKINE, (brother of grandfather William) former President of Southland Building Society had four children including Jack who worked with Ernest Rutherford at Canterbury University. Details. ALEX LITHGOW was grandmother’s brother. Details.
00’48” Grandfather (mother’s father) ROBERT HART, manager of Orepuki Goldmine at Roundhill. Mother ANN HART thought to have been born at Roundhill. Describes long journey to SECONDARY SCHOOL: walk to Colac Bay railway station then train to Invercargill. Mother (and possibly other sisters) worked at Mosgiel Woollen Mills.
03’25” Father (HAROLD ERSKINE) ran a taxi service from the Orepuki Garage. Both Orepuki and nearby Roundhill had quite large communities; parents probably met at some local social occasion. Explains gaps in family knowledge.
04’25” Grandfather (father’s father) WILLIAM ERSKINE sailed to Invercargill with his family on STORM CLOUD in 1862. First home in Dalrymple Street, then FARMED Otatara Peninsula. ACCESS only by boat and Bay Road. Details land farmed in southern part of Otatara. Father acquired extensive land area around Erskine and Oreti Roads.
08’00” DESERT LANDSCAPE: east of Oreti Road was like a desert; blowing sand eventually stabilised by lupins. Recalls long, dry summers.
08’52” RABBITS: father on Rabbit Board for some 28 yrs. During war, rabbit meat in demand. Recalls ‘real blessing’ of good pocket money from rabbits, picked up by company from farm gate. Describes methods of catching: shooting, ferrets and trapping.
11’19” ISOLATION: only 5 miles from Invercargill but ‘could have been 100 miles’. Lived near (Oreti) river until Erskine Road house was built in 1930s. No formed road. Describes how road was created by ploughing. ENTERTAINMENT: focus on self-sufficiency and own entertainment. Details some of activities including home-made explosives. Describes making own firearm and testing it on outside toilet.
16’00” ORETI RIVER: describes time spent camping and on the river in home-made punt. Details changes to the river: no sandbanks, silt and ‘nice fish’. DIET in Depression Years was mutton (‘greasy chops’), rabbits and fish. COMMUNICATIONS and TRANSPORT: During the Depression the family had no electricity, telephone or vehicle. Everything was done on pushbike; hard into Invercargill against the prevailing wind. On the plus side, the grocer and butcher both made deliveries.
20’00” TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL: three children made the two mile trip with one bicycle, alternatively biking and walking. Recalls pony (kept in school paddock) which dumped him.
21’25” DOMESTIC CHALLENGES: among mother’s trials were kerosene lamps and candles which left dreadful grease marks. (Reference to recipe for candlewax grease removal.) Returns to theme of ISOLATION with nearest neighbours approx. 1 mile away.
22’50” Describes CHORES, helping with father’s sheep. CONSTRUCTION: a passion for making things. At 18 yrs built garage for Erskine Road house – housed the family’s first vehicle c. 1950. Made nails out of No.8 wire. Family shifted from 1 bedroom house (approx. 7x4m) on estuary c. 1940.
27’39” Unsure which family member gave name to ‘Erskine Road’.
27’54” Errata: Russell Erskine wishes to change his statement that he built three of the houses’ on Erskine Road to ‘two of the houses…’
29’00” Difficult business situation in 1980s limited plans to develop their lower Oreti Road property, now occupied by daughter Deirdre and her family. Russell and wife moved to town (Invercargill) in 1961.
31’10” Recalls LIGHTERS on ORETI RIVER. Took 2-3 days to load with gravel; needed to pick tide to unload at Pleasure Bay. Most gravel came from Waterski and Runabout area. Much of former deep water estuary has now been reclaimed. Describes TRAM SERVICE across causeway to Otatara (before his time).
36’00” WHARVES: wharf pile remains [between current (2007) Macfie and Agnew properties] were originally owned by the Borstal Prison and used to haul gravel, by trolley, up from the river by traction engine and wire rope. Upstream, more substantial wharf remains with wood slabs were associated with earlier timber loading.
38’35” ROBERT ERSKINE, (brother of grandfather William) former President of Southland Building Society had four children including Jack who worked with Ernest Rutherford at Canterbury University. Details. ALEX LITHGOW was grandmother’s brother. Details.
Dates
- 2006
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This material is copyright of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives. In accordance with agreements held with interviewees, it is strictly prohibited to reproduce (copy) oral history recordings, abstracts, audio extracts or photographs without prior written consent. Applications for the reproduction of these recordings and associated materials, in whole or part, must be made in writing to the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator, c/o Invercargill City Libraries and Archives.
Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Macfie, Cathy (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
