Interview with Janet McCallum

Janet Mary Candon McCallum was born in Calcutta, India, in 1947 of British descent. Describes parents' backgrounds, their arrival in New Zealand 1948 and childhood on a Wairarapa farm in the early 1950s. Talks about Catholic boarding school experiences in Wellington, winning fellowship to Paris, travel in Germany and England and post-graduate study at Victoria University, Wellington. Talks about teaching in Wairoa and studying te reo Maori. Describes Mckenzie research fellowship 1973 to study Maori children's use of English. Mentions family issues. Describes husband Chris, teaching English at Port Moresby University and involvement in feminist issues. Talks about New Guinean attitudes to women, and helping produce a newsletter for local women. Talks about travelling in Asia, returning to New Zealand, the birth of daughter 1979, and how creche enabled her to study journalism. Describes work as Press Officer for Tourism and Publicity Department, and attitudes to women within the department.

Describes living in Whangarei, part time radio work, involvement in Whangarei Women's Centre's newsletter, the birth of twins and the family's return to Wellington in 1986. Mentions work experiences as press officer at Department of Health, researcher for Royal Commission of Social Policy, work for childcare association, and discusses own child care arrangements. Comments on books that she contributed to including 'Book of New Zealand women' and 'Wilderness women', and talks about influential feminist books. Describes what feminism has enabled her to achieve. Talks about the impact of childcare on women, and comments on the contemporary women's movement.

Interviewer(s) - Jill Abigail

Accompanying material - CV, Biographical information, chronology

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

Physical Description: Textual files - Microsoft word

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-2655, OHDL-001004.

One photocopied photo

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

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-004320 - OHLC-004321

Both printed and digital versions of the abstract are available