Interview with Karen Olsen

Interview with Karen Olsen, born in the Hutt Valley in 1966. Outlines her family background, childhood in Silverstream and Maungaraki, and training as a Meteorological (Met.) Service observer in 1985. Discusses working as a briefing officer at Wellington Airport, the number of women in the Service, and the differentiation between observers and forecasters at the time. Talks about going to Raoul Island in 1988 as the first woman sent by the Met. Service, and preparations including a baking course and training in the hospital Accident and Emergency Department.

Discusses travelling to Raoul Island on a fishing boat, being transferred by helicopter, and taken straight to the green lake [a volcanic crater] for training. Describes the accommodation, learning to milk the cow, the abundance of food, and rats as a problem in the garden. Comments on mail drops by Air Force helicopter. Refers to visiting yachts, diving and fishing, and the Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve being established after she left. Recalls picnics on rat-free Meyer Islands where the bird life was abundant. Mentions her leisure activities, the importance of celebrations, home made presents, and using the radio regularly to maintain contact with home. Discusses her work - weather observations, balloon flights, making hydrogen for the balloons, providing early warnings of cyclones approaching New Zealand, and recording weather statistics. Refers to training colleague Chris McCarroll to do the meteorological observations. Describes the work of other members of the team including maintaining the deisel generators and the water supply and mowing the lawns. Comments that the four person team worked well together, sharing tasks and learning new skills. Comments on earthquakes being a daily occurrence and taking lake measurements during an eruption alert. Mentions the impending transfer [of control of the island] from the Met. Service to the Department of Conservation (DOC), the building of an airstrip for emergencies, and road maintenance. Comments on DOC's removal of farm animals and the passionfruit vine. Reflects on how her experiences on Raoul Island changed her.

Interviewer(s) - Kim Morton

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-016811 - OHC-016812

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 Electronic document(s) - abstract. 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration.

Physical Description: Textual file - Microsoft word

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-5993, OHDL-001031.

Search dates: 1966 - 1988 - 2001 - 1989

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

Alternative form available:

Listening copies OHLCD-1322 - OHLCD-1323

Both printed and digital versions of the abstract are available