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Abstract of Sadie May LIETZE, 2021

 Item — Box: 19
Identifier: H00580002

Overview

Sadie May Leitze

Interviewer: Joy Leitze

Abstractor: Barbara Gillam

First Interview: 20th April 2011

TRACK 1

00.00 Recording information

00.57 Born in 1923 at HIGHCLIFF on the OTAGO PENINSULA

TRACK 2

00.24 Sadie was fourth child in a family of 6 children. 2 Younger brothers, 1 older and 2 sisters.

00.40 Father was a small dairy farmer at Highcliff.

01.55 Not sure of acreage of the farm

02.20 Did chores on the farm.

02.40 Milking cows by the age of 5, everyone had jobs to do on farm.

03.50 Milking was done by hand.

05.30 Went to HIGHCLIFF SCHOOL from 5 to 13

05.50 Everyone at the school very healthy

07.30 Played HOPSCOTCH, SKIPPING at school. Boys and girls played together.

10.50 She was sick at age 11. TETANUS from an injury on her chin.

13.07 On Sunday would go walking and visiting.

15.00 Went to SUNDAY SCHOOL, JOHN STEWART from CLIFTON FARM would teach the bible.

18.20 Had a horse the children used to ride.

19.20 Went to DUNEDIN TECHNICAL High School after primary.

19.30 Travelled to school on a MILK LORRY. TRAM and walk home.

20.30 Studied ART course at TECH, ENGLISH and MATHS. Left after 2 years.

21.20 GOVERNMENT bought the 100 acres her father leased. So they had to move. Moved to BURKES owned by mother’s uncle, HUGH MAINLAND.

22.00 Uncle was a CARPENTER.

22.43 All of the children had to work. Sadie got a job at IRVINE & STEVENSON’S

23.25 One sister was married. WINNIE worked at PRIDES. Father had to go on the DOLE. He had to work on the road to get the dole. Father enjoyed it.

24.40 She worked in the JAM FACTORY, stamping the top of the lids.

26.50 She then worked at GREGGS, filling bottles for 2 years.

27.53 Went into service for MRS CHARLES BEGGS to learn how to run a house. In MUSSELBURGH.

32.03 Worked for a cousin who ran a MILKBAR in the OCTAGON

33.00 Lots of service men in Dunedin during WORLD WAR 2

35.25 Never owned a car. Used BIKES to go to work etc.

TRACK 3

0.20 She had holidays, she had a friend called MOLLY who lived on a diary farm on TAIERI PLAIN. At Christmas she would bike over. HANDMILKED 70 cows so others could take a break.

01.52 Went to DANCES.

02.20 Met BILL MONROE at a dance.

03.28 Visited her maternal grandmother in ANDERSONS BAY area on a farm.

04.16 Brother RONALD went to TERRITORIAL ARMY. They all wrote to him every Sunday. He went to the ARMY.

05.12 She was involved in NZ WOMEN’S LAND SERVICE, how that happened.

07.01 Filled appropriate forms. Had to leave the MILKBAR.

09.18 Joined in 1942 the NZ WOMEN’S LAND SERVICE when she was 19.

TRACK 4

00.45 Got a letter with tickets to go to OMARAMA, by train from DUNEDIN to STUDHOLME JUNCTION then bus to WAIMATE and stay overnight.

01.28 Then MAIL VAN to OMARAMA. Was not told in advance much about the job she was going to do.

02.28 Went to meet SIDNEY DAVID TAYLOR at TARA HILLS STATION.

04.18 His wife was MARGERY TAYLOR.

05.50. She had to sleep in a hut with no heating/lighting.

07.25 Was paid 27 shilling and 3 pence a week.

07.50 Stock had to be fed, including 4 ponies. Had to milk the cows before breakfast, The ponies needed to be saddled for the children to go to school. She then had to do dishes and other chores.

09.10 RABBITED all winter.

12.00 Would poison rabbits with STRYCHNINE

13.50 How to dry RABBIT SKINS.

15.30 Sadie was 3rd LANDGIRL the Taylor’s had.

17.10 Had to catch wild horses to be broken by Taylor’s uncle.

19.40 Had to drive a tractor.

22.04 Huge veggie patch on the station.

23.20 Sadie cooked when Margery went away. Margery visited her family.

24.20 Saturday afternoon she did her washing and Sunday she did not work.

26.24 Got leave after more than a year when it was her 21st birthday.

30.52 Very sad when she left station. Sad about leaving the animals.

32.02 Had to MUSTER SHEEP.

34.20 Sadie’s mother came to help her when the station owners went away for a month.

37.02 Listened to RADIO every day at 9pm for the war news.

38.30 Finally got her UNIFORM.

41.10 Had to cut WILLOW wood to cook on.

42.37 Had to fight a TUSSOCK fire.

TRACK 5

00.30 Horse was called Niger, after the NIGER PEAK, part Arab horse.

01.20 There were RODEOS she participated in.

03.40 Girls from the local shop would write to her.

06.06 Had a BATH once a week. LONG DROP for a toilet.

07.15 Letter came to transfer Sadie to KELSO.

07.40 WAGES. Came home with 87 pounds after 2 years.

08.38 Mr and Mrs DAVID JENKINS

9.10 Room inside the house.

10.00 CHURCH at OMARAMA

12.20 She never had to kill any sheep.

13.00 Got a gift of a recipe book from the Taylors and a good reference.

TRACK 6

0.45 KELSO, WEST OTAGO

00.50 Details of her room.

01.30 She looked after the chooks (chickens), veggie garden and lawns

01.45 Farm was called MEADOWBANK, 240 acres

02.10 Possibly 1000 SHEEP.

03.00 COLD AND WET at Kelso

04.20 They had an invalid son BRIAN JENKINS.

06.00 Met her future husband.

08.23 Worked there for 6 months.

09.10 He had been in the army in Tonga.

09.54 He was 46, she was 22 when they married.

10.55 War ended whilst she was a Kelso.

11.30 Would go to church in Kelso, PRESBYTERIAN

12.20 Married in FIRST CHURCH in DUNEDIN, 12 o’clock on 3rd April.

12.50 Her cousin ROLLA DYNES was an attendant. Rolla went on to married Bill’s friend.

13.10 Took her first flight to Wellington then flew to Auckland for their honeymoon.

14.40 Lived on a farm which had no power.

15.40 Grew TIMOTHY SEED.

16.18 Had 5 children. 4 sons and 1 daughter.

18.40 Employed SHEEP SHEARERS.

22.30 Bill was on the KELSO SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

23.00 Was on the board of the church.

24.30 She was involved in the women’s arm of the FEDERATED FARMERS.

25.30 Grew irises

27.30 Daughter moved to AUSTRALIA.

28.00 Moved to TAPANUI in 1980.

29.20 Bill died in 1992 when he was 94 years old.

32.00 One brother still alive in TIMARU and WINNIE, her sister in a home in Dunedin.

32.30 Why she like living in TAPANUI.

37.16 Received a badge for being the wife of an ex-soldier and her service to the land. Not really acknowledged in her own right.

Second Interview: 26th September 2013

Abstractor: Joy Lietze

Track 1

00.00 Recording information

Track 2

03.15 2 years since last record

03.30 Farm work describes

03.43 Retirement Home, Details modernising

04.00 Built New Home; Explains involvement in grounds & house

04.20 House; details – Explanation of STATE HOUSE – 1920s built

06.06 Polite material used for building 06.20 $11,000 paid in 1980 for house in TAPANUI

06.50 Living with wife and son. Mentions

07.00 House; State. Described

08.00 Deido and wallpaper. Described

08.60 Renovations. Explained

09.30 Time taken. Explained

10.25 Health. Describes

10.50 Finding Gold brooch and pistol. Describes

12.00 Jeweller’s at NASEBY. Explains

12.45 Emotions upon leaving farm. Explains

13.30 New retirement home built. Explains

14.50 Old home - explained what happened. Renting for a few years - Sold in 1989 for $30,000

17.00 Work ethic explained ….husband died in 1992 – WILLIAM LIETZE. Looking after.

18.00 Gardening. Mentioned

18.12 1987 MUSEUM work in Tapanui – explained involvement. Catalogue donations to MUSEUM and arrange displays.

19.10 Historical and Household Artefacts division of Museum. Mentioned

19.35 Hoarder of Old Items. Explained

20.00 Valued old things

20.11 WEST OTAGO VINTAGE MUSEUM INCORPORATED. CUSTODIAN Explained.

21.00 People visit from overseas to MUSEUM

21.30 MUSEUM special events – Field days mentioned. INT., HARVESTER FIELD DAY

22.11 Fundraiser for MUSEUM – Boot sale mentioned

22.48 90th birthday celebrated – 25 years’ work at MUSEUM

23.06 Life member of WEST OTAGO VINTAGE MUSEUM. Explained.

23.50 Cleaner of MUSEUM. Described

24.35 3 ½ months visit to AUSTRALIA each year. Described

25.00 1988 EXPO in AUSTRALIA visited described and explained

25.30 1999 Daughter JULIETTE CRANSTOUN moved to AUSTRALIA details 13 years visits son-in-law STEPHEN CRANSTOUN. BRISBANE visits explained

28.20 Family in AUSTRALIA – 2 x Grand Daughters – 1 x Outback at WANDOAN – named ROANNA

29.00 2 x Granddaughter ELAINE married to MICHAEL HEIDRICHAS – 3 Great Grand Children

29.30 Relationship to daughter. Explained

30.00 Travel to BRISBANE AUSTRALIA – using wheelchair. Detailed.

31.30 Travel to EUROPE in campervan detailed in 1998

33.20 Photographs – mentioned enjoyment of photography – describes enjoyment of sharing photos

34.30 WOMEN’S DIVISION OF FEDERATED FARMERS – joins. Mentioned

34.50 PLUNKET in KELSO. Mentioned

34.55 ASSOCIATION OF PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN at KELSO CHURCH. Mentioned

35.00 Volunteer experiences. Explained

36.00 Community involvement, Explained

36.30 Old age beginning. Describes

37.00 Advice on old age. Explains/details/recalls

38.00 Old age pension. Explains

39.00 Enjoyment of everyday details a typical day

40.00 Garden – vegetables grown. Describes

41.00 Hospitality explained – Baking

42.00 Christmas Cake baked for others. Details

43.00 Afternoon activities explained. Knitting for 24 great grandchildren.

44.30 Visitors explained enjoyment of chatting

45.15 Old days remembered versus today – people happiness. Explained

45.45 ’Children to be seen and not heard’ explained quote

46.48 Advice ‘be grateful’. Explained

48.00 Help given to others enjoy family. Mentioned

49.11 Time most satisfying – now explained – sewing. Mentioned

50.50 Sewing explained/detailed – given away

53.00 Helping others. Explained

53.40 Australian women – lazy lifestyle. Explained

55.00 Obesity today contrasted to earlier life. Explained

56.25 Career – if had life over – Education as a teacher

57.16 Changes in life time explained lack of water and electricity

58.30 Copper water heating. Explained

58.30 Washing machine bought early 1950s. Mentioned. Bore water

59.10 Tank water restrictions. Explained

1.00.00 Coal range mentioned

1.00.39 Advice to young women – ‘drink plenty of water’ ‘keep active’

1.01.20 Thoughts/advice passed on mentioned

1.02.00 Family visits described in relation to advice

1.03.02 Health valued explained personal input in food and exercise

1.04.11 Evenings. Explained

1.04.47 RSA CLUB TAPANUI details activities

1.07.55 ‘Lovely Man’ definition. Explained

1.08.50 Significant people – 13 grandchildren - 24 great grandchildren. Details

1.09.30 “Grandparent”. Explained

1.11.10 Message from SADIE to family

1.12.00 Hopes for grandchildren. Explained

1.12.38 LAND ARMY friends. Mentioned

1.13.00 Reunions recalled

1.13.30 LAND ARMY Memorabilia “Bronze Bell”. Explained

01.14.21 BRONZE BELLS (16x) for WOMEN’S LAND SERVICE. Detailed

01.16.15 Shearing sheds. Mentioned

01.16.30 GORE RSA ROOMS mentioned Bell hung there.

01.17.10 WOMENS LAND SERVICE WW2 1940 -1946 need to be remembered. Explained

01.18.40 Inscription on Bells WLS – Badge

1.20.53 Otago Daily Times article Decermber.8 -2012 “Bronze for Sterling Service”

01.21.27 No regrets mentioned

01.21.48 Future mentioned

01.22.22 Drive car 1987 Mazda new car. Explained

01.23.30 Rich life and Friends-Family – health

Interview ends

Dates

  • 2021

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Extent

From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)

Language of Materials

From the Record Group: English

Creator

  • From the Record Group: Lietze, Joy (Interviewer, Person)

Repository Details

Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository