Interview with Mike Meads

Interview with Mike (Michael) Meads, born in London in 1938. Refers to his parents who died when he was young, childhood, the war, boarding school, and the Channel Islands. Outlines moving to Melbourne, Australia where he worked for a time in the Department of Social Services. Talks about moving to New Zealand, working on a farm near Gisborne and later farming near Marton 1962-1969. Discusses working for the Ecology Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) from 1969 and his interest in skinks, geckos and bats. Talks about working on possums in rata trees and trapping moths. Discusses his main interests - giant wetas, transferring them to Maud Island after rats and mice were removed. Comments on other endangered invertebates including land snails and weevils, and work on offshore islands. Refers to his book 'Forgotten fauna : the rare, endangered, and protected invertebrates of New Zealand' (DSIR Publishing, 1990). Talks about the restructuring of the DSIR into Crown Research Institutes (CRIs), and being transferred to Landcare Research. Discusses commercial surveys and lignite mining on the West Coast. Mentions the use of 1080 poison by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Comments on his retirement hobbies - vintage cars and orchids, marine invertebrates and working as a fisheries officer. Refers to museums, Darwin and the Galapagos Islands. Reflects on his career with the DSIR, communicating with lay people and conservation. Mentions belief in oneself, observation, lateral vision and interpretation.

Interviewer(s) - Zoe Brownlie

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-023170 - OHC-023172

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s) OHA-7608 (handwritten summary). 1 interview(s). 2.28 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-7608 (handwritten summary).

Colour photograph of Mike Meads (2005)

Search dates: 2005

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