Interview with Edna Davidson

Edna Davidson was born in Herne Bay in 1910. Her father was Charles Ravenhall and her mother Mary Rashleigh, a tailoress. Describes how her parents met, married in Auckland in 1907 and lived in Herne Bay. Recalls boating and fishing as a child and attending plays and concerts at His Majesty's Theatre where her father was first violinist. Describes education at Bayfield and Meadowbank Primary Schools. Recalls the 1918 flu epidemic and having `gas stuff' blown down their throats as a preventative. Discusses how her father did not believe in higher education for girls so she left school at the age of twelve and worked at Smith and Caughey's lace department. Talks about a subsequent job with Remuera draper Amy Moore. Describes learning to drive and meeting her future husband, W T Davidson who she married in 1929. Gives details of her wedding dress.

Talks about her husband's contract to dig soil for the waterfront road, his work excavating for the Civic Theatre and their financial sacrifice to purchase a navvy (motor shovel). Describes taking this machine down to Napier for work after the 1931 earthquake and subsequent work at Galatea. Describes moving to Kaukapakapa and sometimes living from their Dodge truck. Talks about moving to Woodhill in 1935, getting a farm which was part of the Casement Aickin estate and her husband continuing to do some contracting. Describes building a house in 1944 and building up a dairy herd. Talks about the war effort at Woodhill, the school, the Country Womens Institute (CWI) and their social life. Describes how there was a forestry settlement at Woodhill but it has since closed.

Interviewer(s) - Gabrielle Hildreth

Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s).

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3326.

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