Interview with Stanley Chifney

Stan Chifney remembers little of his childhood or schooling. Talks about his reserved occupation at Farnham during World War II, meeting Rosemary (spouse), working in laboratories in Nigeria making vaccines for yellow fever, smallpox, rabies, wunderpest, Newcastle's disease and fowlpox, use of freeze drying to preserve viruses.

Describes life in Lagos, climate, social activities, feelings about life in England, working in Cairo for FAO, religious holidays, dysentery, making a Wildebeest vaccine, writing a booklet about laboratory techniques on freeze drying (in Beirut), worked on vaccines for Rinderpest in Turkey, reasons for resigning from FAO, work as laboratory manager in United Kingdom relating to Foot and Mouth disease.

Talks about immigrating to New Zealand, work for Tasman Vaccine Laboratories, work on anti-tetanus toxoids, home brew making, making wine with Russell Schultz, seminar held in Martinborough in 1978 on horticulture, Lew Saba, Alister Taylor, planting shelter belts, first plantings (Gewurztraminer, Chemin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabinet Sauvignon, Gamay), effect of Pholloxera, spacing of vines, pruning, types of weed control, diseases, controlling birds, use of Masarol, irrigation, support from town, helping other growers.

Discusses various vintages, label design, advertising, the wine shop, mailing lists and gate sales, picking, pruning, bottling, the future of wine making in Martinborough, own future, successes with vintages, the importance of the Winemakers' Association.

Venue - Martinborough

Interviewer(s) - Heather Cormack

Venue - Stan Chifney's home at Martinborough

Accompanying material - Two page cv by Stan Chifney included in printed abstract; three black and white photographs (one of Stan, two of vineyard) not included in printed abstract.

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-003942 - OHC-003944

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 2.47 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 661.

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-003591 - OHLC-003593