Interview with Cicely Lawler

Cicely Margaret Lawler was born in Whitburn, County Durham, England in 1930. Talks about being a child of divorced parents, growing up with her father, an estate manager in Highcroft. Mentions being evacuated during World War II; rationing, and transport during the war. Mentions father's remarriage, her stepmother Dora, and stepbrothers. Mentions her mother Hilda, who worked in the ambulance service during the war. Mentions her sister dying of whooping cough. Talks about her education, her goal to become an obstetrician, and attending University of Durham Medical School. Talks about medical training and work as a house surgeon and registrar in the 1950's, working shifts of up to 36 hours. Mentions hospital lifestyle, parties, National Health Service, attitudes of male doctors to women.

Describes the difficulties involved, as an English protestant, in marrying her Irish catholic husband, Derry Lawler, whom she met in 1956-7. Talks about resistance from family and the Catholic Church. Mentions difficulty with the instruction course on marriage to a catholic.

Talks about working part-time as a polio vaccinator, describes feelings about giving up work to raise five children. Describes emigrating to New Zealand, by ship, while pregnant. Compares household appliances in England and New Zealand in the 1960's. Talks about her children, and her husband's career as an anaesthetist in Auckland.

Describes having single mothers in her home, via an arrangement with Presbyterian Social Services; mentions Bethany Hospital. Talks about journeys back to England and Ireland, family visits, her mother-in-law, and what she misses about England. Mentions New Zealand's standard of living, attitudes to sport, politics, Maori, immigrants. Talks about friends, housekeeping and housework, her chronic back problem, feelings towards Catholic Church and influence of religion on her life.

Mentions husband's illness and death. Talks about her voluntary work with Care and Craft group, and the Mater Hospital, since the 1970's.

Interviewer(s) - Maureen West

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-10827 - 10833

Quantity: 7 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 6.30 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3829.

Search dates: 1939 - 1950 - 1945 - 2000