Preliminary Interview with Audrey Golder
Came to Hamilton at 15
lived near Norton Rd extension - quite rural- 9 acres
previously lived on farms around Waikato
- Te Aroha
- commercial class at convent
First job at Woolworths for nearly 1 year
then to Caro's for 18 months
- Caro's went from Victoria St back to Alexandria St on Collingwood St
- Shop set out with different counters for each department.
- Also an aviary dept, remembers Harry Swindles, the bird-man
Applied for a job at the Hamilton Public Library and got it BUT Manpower wouldn't let her take it and sent her to Braemer hospital as wards-maid. After some time was offered nurse training, turned it down because it was a drop in wages, her supervisor notified manpower that her employment was finished ( which was news to her). Manpower sent her out to the Government gardens at Tuhikaramea growing vegetables. The workers assembled in Frankton, and were trucked out to the gardens. Hard work but lots of fun.
Her fiance was in army, sight impediment prevented him from going overseas and was stationed in Wellington as Sgt. in charge of Japanese prisoners.
Remembers that Friday night shopping was out from 1942 on because of the blackout. shops were open on Saturday morning instead. Remembers American troops.
Played tennis a lot, biked on long trips - Cambridge, Ngarawahia
Dances - Tues night - The Regent - Modern dance
- ? night - Nawton - Family dance
- Saturday - Frankton - Old time dancing
Had a lot of family responsibilities, caring for family, cooking etc.
Remembers Garden Place air raid shelters, having to move all customers out of shop in a drill, shut up shop etc.
Lived in Te Aroha until age 15 - 1940
Locality
Te Aroha - in town or country?
- life centred there - did your family travel much to other centres
Convent school - describe school, uniform, how many pupils, in town?
- how did you travel to school
- any memorable teachers?
- rivalry, mixing between schools?
- commercial class, teacher (Sister M. Gregory)
Homelife
What responsibilties did you have in your home? Typical day?
Brothers and sisters?
- Take care of them
Spare time
- hobbies
- reading
- play, what games, who with?
Religion
- how much was that a part of your family life?
Health
- was your health good as a young person
- what about the rest of your family
Food
- typical meal
- what did you consider a treat
- anything you really disliked
- what were mealtimes like - family together, strictness?, rules?
Did your family consider itself well- off. Were there very poor families around.
Entertainment and socialising
Was there a picture theatre in Te Aroha.
How often did you go, who with,
What kind of movies did you like best, Remember any of them?
Any clubs, sports that you got involved with
Where did young people generally congregate in Te Aroha
Did your family have a radio, listened to much?
Moved to Hamilton in 1940, to 9 acres in Avalon Drive
Can you describe area
- rural?
- landmarks
- was it a strong community, meet socially?
- Did the family look to central Hamilton or Frankton for shopping , school, etc
What did your parents do there?
Did the war affect your parents farming venture
Employment
Where was your first job - shop assistant at Woolworths
- was it hard to find?
- What was the pay
- how did you get to work
- did you like it, friends, social activity
Next job - at Caro's bargain store
- can you describe where, how big?
- shop setout, counters, change system
- any memorable characters - bird man
- what do you remember about Mr Caro
- friends
Next- applied for Hamilton Library
- What happened, Why, How did you feel about that
Wardsmaid job
- what did that involve
- Why did you leave
Govt. gardens
- how did you get to work
- feel part of the war effort
Entertainment and socialising
Did you continue to live at home while working
- dances - what kind of dances, any considered `modern' .Dance steps
- movies - big part of your life? Influence you or others
- music
- were there any public figures, film stars, musicans that you paticularly admired
- was there any behavior, dress, language that was considered unacceptable or outrageous
- Friday nights in town
- biking, picnics,
- Winter show, AMP shows
- Transport - how did you get around town - if night time
Hamilton in wartime
- Changes as result of war
- Servicemen accomodated here - American
- awareness of progress of the war
- did you have family, friends away at war
- VE, VJ day, which was bigger, had more impact
Awareness of issues
- politics
- Crime/safety
Audrey Golder
Remembers Winter show-
would be packed, it was shoulder to shoulder getting through to have a look ...and we all went...'
Describes correspondence with servicemen overseas, censored mail-
`very frustrating at times...a piece cut out of it here and a piece cut out of it there... try to make sense of it'
Describes feelings about missing friends, deaths. Mentions bitterness at losing friend on bombed Red Cross ship -
`one of the hardest ones...still feel bitter over...he was injured and he was on a red cross ship and that ship was bombed and that was how he was killed...those were the things...'
`And of course it was hard when some of them came home and some of them didn't come home, that's when it really hit you and you really realised that they were gone'
See Also