Interview with David Scurr

David Scurr recalls father who worked as miner in England, South Africa and Australia before New Zealand; father in the 1913 Denniston strike; Golden Queen Gold Mine; flooding in Rotowaro; local Maori; going to school at Huntly; mail; bread and meat deliveries; first car on road from Pukemiro (ca 1920); dances and movies at Pukemiro; reference Mr Munro and establishment of Rotowaro store; delivering goods with horse and cart; first butcher's shop in Rotowaro; brother killed in mine accident; reference mine manager, Mr Ralph Cohen.

Talks about various members of family; mining on the West Coast; Ralphs Mine; mothers work as midwife; houses in Rotowaro; Mrs Scurr talks about teaching at Rotowaro School; Maori farming; football; entertainment at Rotowaro; reference Cooper Awa; alcohol restrictions restrictions for Maori; policing the pa.

Describes how Pukemiro and other mines were found and established; the Ralph family; Munroe's Store; connection with Pukemiro store; doing deliveries; general store at Seddonville; church and community at Seddonville; working winch at top of mine; spragging wheels; a fire at Rotowaro ca 1923; haircuts; more on West Coast mining; the Huntly Extended Mine; different levels of management jobs and qualifications; mining a 20 foot seam.

Discusses old mining techniques; dangers of firing shot improperly; story about manager who became inspector and condemned his own mine; Canadian mining techniques and machinery; future of coalmining; cleaning the boilers at Rotowaro; haulage and installation of transformers to change from direct current to alternating current; farming during the Depression (1930s); clearing the land; learning to farm; problems of mines under farm; problem getting compensation; importance of good rope in mine; working the backshift; problems selling farm.

Venue - Huntly

Interviewer(s) - Jamie Mackay

Venue - 36b Bailey Street, Huntly

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-004398 - OHC-004399

Quantity: 2 C90 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 3 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 730 - also contains excerpts of tape transcripts.

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

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-002891 - OHLC-002892