Interview with Richard Leckey

Richard Leckey was born in Gazaiabad in 1937. Explains that his father worked for the railways, talks about his transfers and recalls memories of Kotri, railway houses and servants. Mentions his brothers and step-sisters, his own schooling at Lawrence College. Recalls his experiences of partition. Talks of his sister living in New Zealand, followed by the rest of the family, and his father's money in India. Talks of his carpentry apprenticeship in Auckland and describes his various jobs with hydro schemes. Mentions his wife's work on a psychiatric ward, his work in the same hospital and at a freezing works. Mentions his returned serviceman's loan, wanting to buy land. Talks of Maori associations, his genealogy, the SAS in New Zealand and why he left it. Explains the changes in his religions and mentions Indian religions. Talks of his family in Australia, Pakistan and England, school uniform, western clothes, mealtimes and games played and mixing with Muslim children. Mentions club membership and cultural differences. Talks of his drinking habit, settling in New Zealand and outlines the differences in lifestyle. Talks about his property in Karamea, and interest in forestry, his carpentry and building.

Awards/funding - Project received an Oral History Grant

Interviewer(s) - Dorothy McMenamin

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008512, OHC-008513

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2645.

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

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-008391 to OHLC-008392