Interview with Alice Siddall

Alice Siddall was born in Wanganui in 1884. Gives details of a working class childhood in Wanganui before World War I. Describes her mother's early death, father's disability and how the family coped. Talks about the early death of a brother and sister and living with her brother Charlie, who worked with the Railways Department, at Bell Road in Lower Hutt in the 1920s and later.

Recalls travel on the Wanganui River to Pipiriki by canoe ca. 1892, living in a whare at Upokongaro, Maori women's tattoos and relationships with Maori. Talks about the Keith Street area, living conditions, the family garden, chores, running away from school and not returning, the town of Wanganui and its personalities, the 1891 flood, the Church of Christ and the Salvation Army.

Recalls clothing, her dislike of trade unions, phonographs, the lamplighter before electricity, `foreigners' and the 1918 flu epidemic.

Venue - Lower Hutt : 1985

Interviewer(s) - Judith Fyfe

Venue - Aroha Hospital, Molesworth Street, Lower Hutt

Accompanying material - Two newspaper articles - one about Alice Siddall's 100th birthday and one about her 101st birthday

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-001329; OHC-001330; OHC-001331

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s).

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 183.

Search dates: 1884 - 1985

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

Alternative form available: Digital copies of the recording are also available in the Library's Reading Room