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Interview with Ken Gunson
Date: 29 Apr, 6 May 2009 - 29 Apr 2009 - 06 May 2009
From: Honouring seniors oral history project
By: Gunson, Kenneth Desmond, 1926-
Reference: OHInt-0979-04
Description: Interview with Kenneth (Ken) Desmond Gunson, born in Purewa, Northland in 1926. Describes his early childhood, as the youngest of five children raised on a small farm adjacent to gumfields, by a father who was a grader driver for Whangarei County Council, and a mother who kept large gardens and maintained the family's self-sufficiency. Talks about his dislike of school, which he left at 14, and the variety of work he did from childhood, including cutting firewood, working as a farrier, blacksmith, grader driver, and sawmill worker. Talks about hunting for birds, pigs, rabbits and hares. Tells of meeting his wife at a dance in Frankton. Descibes his main job, working on county roads as a grader driver which included roadmaking and making airstrips in isolated back country of the district. Talks about his workmates, and their recreations: dancing, going to the pictures, and various sports. Discusses the family backgrounds of both parents, and their life stories. Talks about Maori history of the district, and lists names of pakeha families who settled there. Interviewer(s) - Patricia Cutforth Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHDL-001253 Quantity: 1 digital sound recording(s). 2 Electronic document(s) - abstract. 1 printed abstract(s). 1 digital photograph(s). 7 electronic scan(s) of original black and white photographic print(s). 2 electronic scan(s) of original colour photographic print(s). 1 interview(s) over 2 days. 1.43 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHDL-001262, OHA-7482. Digital photograph of Ken Gunson and family (2009). Scanned B&W or sepia photographs of: Lizzie cars gone to the beach; Ken and older brother ploughing for potatoes (1930); Gunson kids off to school on horseback (1934); Grace and Ken Gunson (1941); Ken Gunson (1949); Ken Gunson and new Whangarei District Council Cat grader (2 photos, 1965). Scanned colour photographs of: Ken Gunson - farrier demonstration (1974); Ken Gunson (2004) Search dates: 1926 - 2009