AUDIO

Interview with Alf Harris

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Date

20 May 1983

By

Harris, Alfred John, 1897-1987

Reference

OHInt-0096/14

Description

Alfred John Harris born Marton 1897. Gives some family background - father, Walter John Harris, was a Marton pastrycook and baker. Recalls first visit to Wellington via train to Te Aro Station; father's dislike of rugby; chores and home activities; discipline; religion; politics, with reference to Dick Seddon; housework; schooling, with reference to becoming the first bugler in the school band; method of carrying schoolbooks bound by leather strap and first job as a general help for Dr Godfrey of Waipukurau before starting work as message boy at Waipukurau Post Office at the age of 14. Describes the post office bike. Mentions move to the Exchange and in free time, practising morse which led to being sent to the Telegraph School in Oamaru on a three months training course, reaching 30 words per minute. Mentions Bill Payne from Masterton. Mentions the `Mareroa'( Lyttelton ferry). Talks about World War I, joining up in 1917, slightly under age, getting into the Canterbury Regiment, training at Featherston along with other signallers and then by foot to live under canvas at Tauherenikau. Describes the voyage across the Pacific in the `Athenic' with a Chilean warship escort to Panama, arriving at Newport Mews ? naval base, on to New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia and the perilous convoy to England. Recalls Flu Epidemic (1918) when serving as signaller at Mulheim in Germany. Mentions Army discipline and leave entitlements after the war; marriage in 1920 and change of career from Post Office to Customs. Discusses comparison between Post Office and Customs. Talks about social life in Customs Dept, with reference to Pier Hotel, also discusses the changeover from ledgers to card system. Mentions comptroller, Peter Johnsen.

Venue - Wellington

Interviewer(s) - Judith Fyfe

Venue - 20 Pembroke Street, Northland, Wellington

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-000578, 000579

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 2 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-0065.

Additional description

Alternative form available: Listening copies are available at OHLC-005367 to OHLC-005368

Use/Reproduction

No public use without written permission of the donor Copyright: Copyright held by New Zealand Customs Department

Access restrictions

Restricted - Content cannot be accessed without permission - Access requires written permission of the donor

Part of

NZOHA Customs Department Oral History Project Part I

Format

2 C60 cassette(s), 1 printed abstract(s), 2 Hours Duration, Oral histories, Sound quality: Technical problems, Equipment used: Marantz Superscope cassette recorder and AKG microphones

There are 3 items in total.

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