Interview with Robert Consedine

Robert Anthony Consedine born Christchurch 1942. Outlines family background - working class Irish catholics from large families. Recalls being trained to be involved in community and with a strong sense of justice. Describes: school days at Addington Convent; sporting activities; childhood jobs and Catholic School system. Recalls on leaving St Bede's College going to work in Insurance Office for 4 years and National Service for 4 years and gives details of activities at Waiouru.

Other topics discussed include: involvement with Catholic Youth Movement (YCW); Lay Apostolate, with reference to Bishop Brian Ashby; travel experience; work for St Vincent de Paul; organiser for CORSO; exposure to liberation movements; visit of Tissa Balisuriya from Sri Lanka in 1972; involvement with agency for The New Internationalist [development magazine]; trip to Asia with John Curnow in 1973; visit of Dennis Brutus, a South African poet to New Zealand; HART, with reference to Trevor Richards; involvement with non-violent direct action training, with reference to George Lakey and socio-drama; involvement with formation of group known as `Action against the tour'; Women's Movement; experience as house husband while wife, Trish, went out to work; court action against [Robert] Muldoon and Norm Jones; publishing of book `New Zealand 1984 Ltd'; feelings on leaving CORSO, with reference to Toby Truell; local parish community, with reference to Kevin Burns (Parish Priest); fight on electricity issue, aiming to create a national debate about price of electricity in proportion to income, and demonstrating the power of community, referring to visit to Christchurch from Bill Birch; Communism, with reference to North Korea; interest in alternatives to Capitalism; Work with Presbyterian Support Services; Project Waitangi, workshops and involvement with Nga Tahu and Irihapeti Ramsden.

Talks about daughter's (Suzanne) death while on a training course at Outward Bound School, family's reaction, support from friends, funeral and result of inquest.

Access Contact - see oral history librarian

Interviewer(s) - Cecily McNeill

Accompanying material - Article on report into death of Suzannah Consedine during an Outward Bound programme

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-011173-011178; OHLC-005460-005465

Quantity: 5 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 4.10 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3909.

2 coloured photographs of Robert Consedine 18-3-2000

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-005460 - OHLC-005464