AUDIO

Interview with Harry Saunders

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Date

12 Dec 1988 - 12 Dec 1998

By

Saunders, Ranulph Hereward, 1946-

Reference

OHInt-0159/06

Description

Ranulph Hereward (Harry) Saunders was born in Whangarei in 1946. Talks about his name derivation and traces his Irish ancestry back to 1243. Describes his mother's family, the Pickmere family, as one of the early Northland pioneering families. Notes that his father built houses on farm settlement blocks.

Talks about forestry and politics including the National Party's East Coast planting scheme, being on the board of the new Hawkes Bay forestry company with Duncan McIntyre and forestry planting under lease arrangements with Maori owners. Comments on the large percentage of forestry employees who are Maori.

Recalls starting work as a forestry labourer in 1962 and starting a four year cadetship as a Ranger Trainee in 1963. Initial training was at Whakarewarewa and postings included Reefton Ranger School, Waipoua Forest and Forest Research Institute, Rotorua. Gives details of the training programme. Describes conversion of indigenous to exotic forestry. Recalls being posted to Mohaka, where his family was born, and becoming disillusioned with his career and working as a flooring contractor. Describes returning to forestry and working at Golden Downs and then Wharerata where he was Officer-in-Charge. Talks about Ian Glennie.

Discusses restructuring. Refers to previous talks of amalgamating Lands and Survey and the Forest Service. Describes his aspirations towards commercial exotic forestry. Refers to the `Green Book', restructuring and his views on how corporatisation was handled. Talks about being appointed Forest Manager, New Zealand Timberlands, Hawkes Bay.

Accompanying material - Photo of Harry Saunders in the 1980s; photo of Harry Saunders in 1966; the New Zealand Forest Service Rangers' School 1964 class; photo of Harry Saunders and his brothers and sisters about 1950; Harry Saunders' curriculum vitae

Venue - Napier : 1988

Interviewer(s) - Judith Fyfe

Venue - Mr Saunders' home at Napier

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-001892; OHC-001893; OHC-001894

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 3 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 296.

Search dates: 1946 - 1988

Use/Reproduction

Requires the written permission of the interviewee: Interviewee review date December 1993. Public use also requires the written permission of the donor. Copyright: Forestry Corporation

Access restrictions

Restricted - Content cannot be accessed without permission - Access requires written permission of both the donor and interviewee

Part of

NZOHA New Zealand Forestry Corporation Oral History Project, Stage II

Format

3 C60 cassette(s), 1 printed abstract(s), 3 Hours Duration, Oral histories, Equipment used: Sony WMD6C Cassette Recorder ; Sony ECM150T neck microphone

There are 4 items in total.

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