Interview with Les Graham

Les Graham describes family background, his childhood in Stratford, education, work as message boy at the Midhurst Post Office 1924, work hours, job as junior mechanician in Stratford, training, technical courses by correspondence, equipment used in telephone exchanges, Strowger Company equipment, Western Electric systems, Siemans systems, Ericsson systems, effect of humidity on systems, technical hierarchy among engineers, social life at Post Office, the Stratford Telephone Exchange, repair trip routines, linesmen, maintenance faults, the first teleprinters - Murray Multiplex, toll calls.

Details experience of the Napier earthquake in 1931 while converting the Hastings Telephone Exchange to automatic, helping in the temporary hospital, establishing a temporary telephone office.

Talks about the concentration of the telegraphists, the advent of female employees, Maori employees, further work in Hastings and later marriage to Lawna Brown. Describes move to Whangarei as mechanician in 1931 with Steve Garratt, engineer in charge Grant Milne, salary, Ericsson equipment, work throughout the North - from Wellsford to Houhora including Dargaville, colleagues at Whangarei, the Depression and 1930s, work on long distance transmission, carrier systems, microwave systems, radio telephones, call up procedures, technical aspects, reception, work during World War II and importance of security, impact of American presence, post-war work in Wellington as telephones became a necessity, work during retirement, satisfaction with working life.

Accompanying material - Five typewritten pages '40 years as a mechanician (technician) in NZPO : telephone communications from the 1920s' by Les Graham

Venue - Wellington

Interviewer(s) - Judith Fyfe

Venue - At Les Graham's home at Brooklyn, Wellington

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-000764 - OHC-000767

Quantity: 4 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 4 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 115.

Search dates: 1909 - 1984

Alternative form available: Listening copies available OHLC-006672 - OHLC-006675