Interview with Joan Moffatt

Joan Moffatt, nee Walker, was born in Wellington in 1924. Her parents moved to a soldier's farm in Te Horo in 1923, where she lived until marriage in 1948. Mentions walking three miles to Te Horo Primary School, segregated playgrounds, games, tennis, and boys tending headmaster's garden. Talks about being left handed. Recalls children's chores, ironing, mother's household tasks, living without electricity, and family pets.

Talks about Graeme Walker and his poultry farm which was a major employer, his siblings, and farming being in the blood. Mentions family vegetable gardens, birthday parties, Christmas, attending Wellington Centennial Fair, Te Horo dances. Recalls the Trembarths, Grants, Thorntons and Spiers, the blacksmith and shoemaker, Sunday school, her grandfather. Refers to mother having children at St Helen's Maternity Hospital, Wellington. Talks about meeting husband, Ray Moffatt, a dairy farmer, and farming in the Otaki Gorge.

Mentions four brothers in Home Guard, her father's response to brother enlisting for World War II, serving in Italy and developing a love of opera. Mentions self and mother knitting socks and baking for Merchant Navy, making Hussifs (needle cases), the Patriotic Society's farewell dances for soldiers, hosting English Merchant Navy sailors, and young women writing to servicemen. Mentions her brother serving in Italy and developing a love of opera. Mentions her father belonging to the Wellington Mounted Rifles, being badly wounded at Gallipoli and in France, being sent back to Britain, and evacuation orders.

Interviewer(s) - Anne Thorpe

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-11060

Quantity: 1 C90 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 49 Minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3871.

Photo of Joan in garden; the Walker family; Ray & Joan's wedding photo 1948

Search dates: 1930 - 1950

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