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Date: 16 March 1989 - 16 Mar 1989

From: NZOHA Country Library Service Oral History Project

By: Harsant, Florence Marie, 1891-1994

Reference: OHInt-0058/06

Description: Florence Marie Harsant talks about her childhood as the daughter of a school teacher who taught at native schools, her own education and relationship with Maori, learning to speak Maori, her father's attitude to learning Maori and her reading tastes. Notes difference in dialects around the North Island and refers to her autobiography `They called me Te Maari' and the radio programme produced by Alwyn Owen. Discusses her work with the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) as the Maori organiser in the North Island, her personal hatred of alcohol and having to give up this work because of ill health. Describes going to live in Hahei, the horseback and ferry rides necessary to get there, conditions of life in such a remote place, her marriage to Horace Henry Harsant and her life bringing up her children in Hahei. Recalls her history of library membership, writing to the women's pages of various farm magazines, taking a correspondence course in journalism and her subsequent story writing. Describes why and how she came to set up a Country Library Service `B' library in 1952 in her home at Hahei. Gives details of the library systems used, subscriptions, supply of cataloguing cards, selection process, increase in number of books supplied and the changing nature of users and reading tastes over the years. Describes the routine when the book van was there, talks about the first Field Librarian Joe O'Neill and about having the drivers to stay. Discusses the great importance of reading and having access to books when living in such a remote place and the impact the library has had on the community. Explains the continued difficulties of travel in the area, detailing the ferry service and recalling trips out to have children. Details how she looked after other people's children and teaching school in her own home. Describes her husband's accident and its impact on the family. Discusses her favourite book van drivers Joe O'Neill and Jim Sutherland and making friends through the library. Describes the current library service she runs from her home through the National Library Postal Book Service. Talks about the publicity she has received from writing her book and being awarded the Queens Service Medal (QSM). Venue - Whitianga Interviewer(s) - Judith Fyfe Venue - Mrs Harsant's home at Whitianga Accompanying material - Printed abstract contains list of publication Relationship complexity - Diary and materials held in Manuscripts & Archives at MS-Group-0246 Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-002055, OHC-002056, OHC-002057 Tape numbers - OHA CLS 2714, 2715, 2716, 2717, 2718 Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 2.30 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-0310. Printed abstract contains two portrait photographs of Florence Harsant, one dated ca 1913. Search dates: 1891 - 1989