Interview with Lesley Max

Max Lesley (nee Shieff) born North Shore, Auckland 1945. Gives family background and mentions maternal grandfather's arrival in New Zealand 1911, later opening a furniture business in Karangai Happy Road called Home Furnishers Limited and establishment of the Star Hat Company in Auckland by paternal ancestors. Recalls Jewish upbringing and awareness of Jewishness as a child and lists Jewish observances and Friday nights in her home. Talks about Habonim and Hebrew School. Discusses mother's training and work as speech teacher and her community work, being elected onto the Board of Management at Takapuna Grammar School and her election to the Takapuna City Council. Recalls attending St Anne's primary school and describes experience of being Jewish at a church school. Mentions experiencing anti-semitic treatment from a teacher at Belmont School (Intermediate). Discusses being Jewish at Takapuna Grammar School. Discusses education at Auckland University, marriage at the age of 21, going to London with husband who was studying Orthodontics and experience of teaching for a year at Bulstrode Girls' Secondary Modern School at Hounslow near Heathrow Airport.

Recalls returning to New Zealand and starting a family. Discusses changing social expectations of motherhood and voluntary work undertaken while bringing up her children. Talks about birth of second son in 1973 with Down's Syndrome and being `thrust' into the world of special education. Describes the ignorance which prevailed about similar children. Discusses the beginnings of what became a lifetime of lobbying to improve conditions in New Zealand for her son and other children. Notes that son became the first child at Auckland Grammar School with Down's Syndrome. Discusses involvement with: IHC; HIPPY (Home Instruction Programme for Preschool Youngsters); formation of `Family Start' and involvement in the setting up of the Pacific Foundation for Health, Education and Parenting in August 1990, with Gordon Dryden as Chief Executive and self as Executive Director. Discusses activities of the Foundation which included setting up Family Service Centres and describes characteristics of the first Family Service Centre, known as the Kelvin Road Preschool and Whanau Centre. Continues to discuss future prospects of HIPPY being established in more locations and comments that it fits with the Government's `Closing the gaps' strategy.

Access Contact - see oral history librarian

Interviewer(s) - Ann Beaglehole

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-011706-011708

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 Electronic document(s). 2.30 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-4078; OHDL-000105.