Interview with Anne Duncan

Anne Duncan was born in Dunedin in 1933. Mentions that her mother was Isobel McArthur from Strath Clyde and her father, Geoff Taylor, grew up on the family orchard in the Conroys Gully area. Gives details about the Taylor family. Comments on the influence of both the Taylor and Dawson grandmothers in establishing the orchard. Describes how Granny Dawson acquired the trees for the orchard by bartering produce. Talks about the location of the orchard. Describes the original house on the orchard, `Rosevale', the cottage and `Knowl Top' which was built in the 1920s. Recalls the vegetable garden, flower garden, tennis courts and shrubbery.

Describes how her mother was the main caregiver for the children, cooked for large numbers on the orchard, worked in the packing shed and was active in the local community. Describes how students working on the orchard were treated as family members and became lifetime friends. Recalls tennis parties and swimming at Conroys Dam. Recalls the role of her father in orchard planning and management and his involvement with the DSIR. Talks about his having gone to Ruakura after high school before returning to the orchard. Mentions the orchard was part of the research station at Earnscleugh and he attended meetings in Wellington. Describes how the seven children in the family attended boarding school either at Waitaki Boys High School or Craighead. Recalls helping on the orchard as children, going rabbiting and smashing birds' eggs to reduce the number of birds.

Discusses the orchard's reputation for quality over one hundred and thirty years. Mentions that Taylors and Iversons were the first orchardists in the area. Recalls stone cottages built by Chinese miners in the area. Mentions the film `Illustrious energy' which was made in the area. Describes how they began producing the Dawson cherry and gives details of other varieties of cherries. Mentions apricots, peaches and nectarines. Comments on her father's willingness to experiment. Describes cultivation and spraying. Comments on the absence of protective clothing. Recalls the use of frost pots from the 1940s to 1960s to prevent the effects of frost on the fruit. Describes how labour intensive this system was and its replacement by overhead sprinkler systems. Describes how the picking was done with a box being worn around the neck by the picker. Comments on different pay rates for male and female pickers. Describes how fruit was graded and packed.

Recalls the beginning of fruit being flown directly from Alexandra to the North Island by Bristol Freighter. Mentions that this no longer happens. Describes the role of Turners and Growers in this process. Discusses how decisions were made on sending fruit to the various markets. Recalls family holidays at Warrington.

Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008552 - OHC-008553

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2660.

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-009237 - OHLC-009238