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Description
Local people giving recollections of the past, sometimes opinions of the future. Hear about the lives of people in your local community, where they are from and what they have experienced. Discover how the area has changed over the years.
323 Episodes
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Lived in the country and was not able to be sociable as a teenager.
Was reliant on other people for transport.
The only bicycle in the family was heavy with a wicker basket at the front.
Was young when New Zealand changed from imperial to metric measurements so can work easily between the two.
Several acquaintances died within a short time.
Left school after the seventh form and went to the Palmerston North School of Nursing in 1980 for three and a half years.
First experience was involved with dealing with dead patients.
Shirley Kinsella was a very good anatomy and physiology tutor
As Marise started nursing, Massey University started its undergraduate degree nursing courses for already registered nurses.
Polytech course has been going for over 40 years.
Hospital training allowed nurses to be trained at minimal cost to themselves.
Attended Newbury school which had a roll of about 50 children. Loved reading. Enjoyed having access to books and was encouraged by her teacher. Learned to write on a chalk board before she wrote on paper. Covered exercise books with wallpaper. Moved from Newbury school to Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School. First teacher there was Tom Kelliher. Caught a Rutherfords bus to school. Talks about department stores in Palmerston North in the 1960s. She visited PNINS recently and found it very similar to when she was there. Talks about different teachers she had at school. Developed an interest in Te Reo Māori. Went to Freyberg High School with a roll of over 1500. Couldn’t take Te Reo Māori there. Her parents wanted her in the domestic stream but she preferred, and went into the professional stream.
An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Marise was born in Palmerston North and lived on rural properties in Manawatu near Alison Mildon’s family
Marise’s father was a farm worker not a farm owner and, at one stage, worked for Alison’s father.
She caught Weld Motors buses to school. If she missed the bus father would take her in the car.
Good community spirit. Help each other.
First vehicle an Austin A40 van. Only father drove.
Grandmother had an Austin A30 until she died. Grandfather didn’t drive because of a head injury.
Alison’s sister and brother-in-law had a feijoa farm.
Marise developed a liking for the violin.
An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Group discussion, first child
Mike Lawrence, first child born in 1965 when husbands weren’t allowed in the delivery suite. Had to wait in waiting room for eight hours. He had to work full time but enjoyed feeding the baby and doing what he could.
Bottles sterilized in Milton Solution. Solid food was Farex.
Washable nappies not easy to dry in a Taumarunui winter. Wringer washing machine and a drying cabinet.
Anne Weir’s first child 1975. A big boy. Everything went well.
Husband not present but would have been allowed in the room.
Baby suffered from cholic but otherwise well behaved.
Alison Mildon didn’t have the experience of a baby of her own but did observe other people’s babies and the different way babies were cared for over the years.
Stuart Birks first child was born in 1981. Stuart was well involved in the birth process. The mother was Asian and there were some cultural differences.
General discussion about nappies, cradles and other equipment.
Prams have changed over the years and now parents go jogging with a baby in a pram.
Not the same concern about sun protection as there is now.
On returning from overseas was probably suffering chronic depression and lost all her confidence.
Worked in library at Victoria University, Wellington.
Struck up a friendship with a person who became her sister-in-law.
Returned to London and met her husband-to-be.
Both returned to New Zealand.
Got a job at Massey and was there for 17 years.
Took voluntary redundancy. Took course in IT at Polytech.
Husband has a stroke and dies.
Was involved in protesting against removal of Fitzherbert Avenue trees and construction of Turitea windfarm.
Worked at Somerset retirement village
Went to The Gambia by herself.
Very naïve. Couldn’t understand French and had no plans.
A person she met at the airport found accommodation for her.
Travelled to the capital, Banjul. Very primitive. People lived in compounds.
Food at markets very expensive.
Living conditions were very difficult.
Couldn’t get visa extended.
Went to Paris then to London.
After three years returned to New Zealand.
Suffered from chronic depression.
Worked at Victoria University library
Went to teachers college enjoyed it but didn’t like going on section.
Chose infants because she lacked the confidence with older children.
Bonded for three years – probationary assistant for one year plus two.
Broke bond and travelled overseas with another person.
Went to Rome and became an au pair.
Travelled to Trieste then returned to Rome as an au pair. Not satisfactory.
Separated from her friend and travelled to Vienna, Germany and London by herself.
In London worked in a hotel at a wide range of jobs.
Travelled to The Gambia by herself.
Was a girl guide until high school. Fortunate to have Cecily Snoxell as captain.
Went to Freyberg High School. Obtained drivers license and drove to school.
Started in professional class – languages etc.
Did well with English in third form but hated it in fourth form. Nearly the bottom of the class.
Four different maths teachers.
Did not enjoy secondary school.
Not many friends.
Was accredited University Entrance qualification
In 1966 went on a five-month trip with her mother and grandmother to USA, UK, Ireland, Denmark, Italy then ship to Australia and flew back to New Zealand.
She didn’t know what she wanted to do. Wanted to be a nurse but got no encouragement.
Became a nurse aide at Dannevirke hospital and liked it.
Born in Kairanga the youngest of three.
Was fearful of the Korean war in 1950s. Father said if it came to New Zealand they would head for the hills.
Two sets of grandparents living quite close
When she was four years old two Dutch men came into her life
Was deeply affected by watching someone tied to a tree in film Davy Crockett
Was told as a child she had ‘an old head’
Enjoyed farm life but had conflicts with her brother.
Went to a small country school where three classes shared a classroom and a teacher
Strapped for discipline. Fingernails and teeth were inspected.
Didn’t belong to groups with other children. Didn’t like cliques.
For a long time it was difficult for her to believe people liked her.
Learning was not hard.
Very few toys as a child. Liked dolls.
Sue Sterling, Part 3 of 3. Has written a book Manawatu Striders, Runners and Walkers : The First Four Decades available from Palmerston North City Library.
Had finished interviews for the book before Covid struck.
Travelled to England with husband in March 2020.
Lived in Reading.
Covid shutdowns in UK affected their plans so they returned to NZ early.
New Zealand in lockdown but they were able to return because they had NZ passports.
Their house was still rented out so rented accommodation in Auckland,
Had to self isolate.
Eventually returned to their home in Palmerston North
Kept in touch with family and U3A with video communication.
Returned to Britain in April 2022 after Covid restrictions had eased.
Sue has been a member of Manawatu Striders since 2006.
She has written a book Manawatu Striders, Runners and Walkers : The First Four Decades available from Palmerston North City Library.
Striders is for adults.
Motto ‘complete not compete’
Meet on Sunday mornings and form groups of five or six people. Two hours.
Started as a running club but now includes walkers.
No dogs!
Runs events in January and February for the public.
Parkrun is a similar organization but not associated with Striders. Time is recorded and entered on their website www.parkrun.co.nz and can be compared with other contestants.
Challenges in Striders created by Covid.
Changes to routes caused by increased traffic on roads. More use of walkways.
Runners sometimes use the Manawatu Gorge track.
Striders have a uniform.
Local membership was 300 but has dropped to about 150.
Sue Stirling, Part 1 of 3. Taught social studies, geography and history at Awatapu College.
Was also a teacher librarian.
Discovered boxes of school archives which included sports results, photos, newsletters and school magazines.
After retiring Sue wrote the school history 1976 – 2015.
It is a PDF file available from manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz
School’s philosophy was to expand a child’s learning to the best of their ability.
Originally a flat system – no tall poppies. Certificates were presented for participation in activities. No streaming.
The school had several deans and a guidance counsellor.
Later a dux system was introduced.
Awapuni special needs school was integrated with Awatapu College in mid 1990s.
There was strong approval from parents for a school uniform.
Awatapu College had its own board. Most other schools were controlled by the Department of Education.
Andrew Stephens on Men's Sheds. Men’s Sheds started in Australia funded by Australian government
Known as Menzshed, started in Kapiti (Waikanae) in 2010 as a community organisation
Men doing something with their hands. Friendship is important
Many members had moved to a smaller home and didn’t have any tools
140 Menzsheds in NZ now and still growing
Men’s Shed (Menzshed) started in Manawatu in 2011
Was able to access central government funding because of focus on mental health
Kapiti District Council provided an old store shed at Waikanae Beach. This has now been replaced.
Financial help from many sponsors.
Menzshed Manawatu have made coffins for stillborn babies
A member of Manawatu Menzshed has built a laser cutter which will cut wood and plastics.
They make items for other organisations to give as raffle prizes
Made park benches for public areas.
As a drama teacher at St Marks school she used the Trinity College syllabus as a framework for the year.
Term one and two were spent learning fundamental skills culminating in a performance in term three.
Persuaded by a Trinity College examiner to do FTCL (Fellowship of Trinity College London) which included writing a thesis.
Invited to become an examiner with Trinity College
Took leave from school to travel to London for assessment.
Travelled for five weeks at a time to examine in other countries – India, China, USA, Canada, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia.
Working with Trinity College was a most humbling, enriching, inspirational experience.
Settled in Palmerston North in 2013 and remarried.
A visit to Pike River memorial resulted in her writing a play for the school to perform.
After maternity leave she returned to work at Air NZ.
Left Air NZ and worked from home typing for Wellington Regional Council.
Still heavily involved with drama activities and acted in performances with Wellington Operatic Society - The Great Waltz, King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Gilbert and Sullivan.
Fiddler on the Roof taught her about the Jewish faith.
Taught speech and drama privately.
Studied singing.
Performed in operas – La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, Merry Widow.
Did some TV advertising work.
Worked for Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ)
Taught drama in a private primary school with a limited authority to teach.
Teaching drama highlighted social issues with children.
Huge changes with introduction of the New Zealand Arts Curriculum.
Went to a Trinity College presentation. A new syllabus in a classroom environment was developed.
Secondary schools had good resources but primary schools were the poor relation especially with drama and dance.
Trinity College examiners starting to examine school group dramas.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Left Department of Internal Affairs after six months and joined NAC (National Airways Corporation) administration about 1975. Worked there 13 years.
Reservations and ticketing was a very manual job pre-computers
NAC merged with Air NZ and she got a job as secretary to the supply manager involved with buying and selling aircraft.
Married 1976.
Transferred to Wellington airport as secretary to the district senior pilot and worked with aircrew.
Erebus disaster had a big effect on staff.
Reads Bill Sewell poem ‘Sestina on History and the Snow’
Took maternity leave in 1982.
Husband was made redundant and became a house husband.
Vicki-Marie wanted to go back to work after three months but her job had been given to someone else.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Born in Hamilton and lived in Claudelands until about eight years old.
Developed an interest in drama.
Father was in the Anglican ministry and family shifted to Auckland.
Faith is an important part of her life.
As a baby Vicki was not expected to live so was christened as Vicki-Marie.
Started formal speech and drama lessons in Auckland.
A good rounded childhood.
Took part in a children’s theatre.
Moved to Te Aroha and Matamata, back to Hamilton then to Lower Hutt.
Went to Hutt Valley High School and continued drama with different teachers.
Hutt Valley High School uniform more casual that Hamilton Girls High.
Learned shorthand typing and book keeping. She was more practical than academic.
Sat Trinity College exams. Involved with repertory productions.
Joined Department of Internal Affairs in Bowen State Building, Wellington, as a shorthand typist.
Very much like Roger Hall’s “Gliding On”. Men wore shorts and walk socks.
Partner, Ross, worked in the same area for NZ Forest Service
Went to night school at Polytech for Pitmans and trade certification exams.
In her family, as a child, education and qualifications were important.
An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Tania is involved with a project called “Untold Stories – World War II Displaced Persons Who Settled in Palmerston North”
It is focused on national and local history that is untold.
An estimated 5000 displaced people came to New Zealand between 1949 and 1952 from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. Many from displaced persons camps from the ravages of WWII and civil war.
The project covers people who came from Belarus, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia.
She tells the story of her father who spent time in a Russian Gulag, was captured by Germans and put in POW camps and eventually became a displaced person in the UK.
Many who came to New Zealand went to a camp for displaced people at Pahiatua where they learned the English language and New Zealand culture then placed in jobs.
They filled New Zealand’s need for skilled labour.
Research for the project is difficult because many records are restricted until 2065.
Polish people though have preserved their own history.
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