Interview with Gordon Sinclair

Born Opotoki in 1907, one of 8 children including twins. Outlines family background - Paternal grandparents, ex Shetland Island farmers - maternal grandparents also Shetland Islanders. Father was manager of Opotiki Dairy Association Ltd.

Recalls childhood in Opotoki; discipline/punishment; delivery of milk; death of brother; smoking; religion; social life; sex education/childbirth; schools.

Commenced work with Wright Stephenson & Co. Auckland as an office junior and rose to Chief Accountant in Head Office. Studied accountancy in own time. Gives details of accounting methods throughout his career and insights into a number of company personalities. Those mentioned include; Sir Clifford Plimmer; Sir William Hunt; J T Martin; S C Sutherland; Ron Trotter (Sir Ronald Trotter); Ian Small (Chief accountant); R W Steele; Jack Burn-Murdoch; O R Morgan; Harold Parsons and Terry Hall. Topics covered include; World War II - young men leaving to serve and its effect on company's business; greater increase in use of machinery; merge of interests between Abraham and Williams Ltd and Wright Stephenson; promotion prospects; Advance account clients; introduction of decimal currency; impact of computer systems in the early 1960s.

Accompanying material - Information re Fletchers

Venue - Tauranga

Interviewer(s) - Hugo Manson

Venue - 81 Sixth Avenue, Tauranga

Quantity: 4 C60 cassette(s). 3.30 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 0155.

Alternative form available: Listening copies are available at OHLCD-0313 to OHLCD-0316.

Copies available at Fletcher Challenge Ltd Archives