Interview with John Bongiovanni

Interview with John Bongiovanni, born in Elgin, Scotland, in 1952. Mentions his Italian-born father was a prisoner of war in Scotland who returned to Scotland after the War. Refers to his family coming to New Zealand in 1962, his father, a gardener, working initially for Sir John Ormond, and his schooling.

Talks about completing a degree in horticulture at Massey university and then getting a job in the Port Agriculture Service in Auckland. Describes the on-the-job training through a buddy system, technical training with tutors, the manuals and formal exams. Comments that he quickly became a tutor in plant pathology and revamped the manual. Talks about being rostered alternately at the port and the airport, and outlines the inspection work carried out. Mentions that containerisation was just beginning but he still saw labour-intensive handling of cargo. Comments on the culture change when women were first employed in the Service. Discusses the fumigation service and qualifing to be a supervisor there. Refers to the chemicals used, safety, and later getting self-contained breathing apparatus. Talks about aircraft disinfection, DDT being used in the past, and new procedures using contact inseticides on surfaces developed by Air New Zealand and MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) scientists Pat Dale and Ruud Kleinpaste in the early 1980s. Refers to problems in calculating the amount of spray to use because of different configurations of compartments in planes, avionics and air circulation. Mentions complaints from passengers about spraying for airborne pests in passenger compartments. Comments on managing the new procedures, teaching them overseas, and attending international meetings on aircraft disinfection.

Discusses inspecting apples, and the impossibility of detecting dormant insects in apples in cold storage before they are exported. Refers to going to North America to check New Zealand apples there, and also to check Californian packhouses handling export grapes for New Zealand. Comments on the senior positions he held in the Quarantine Service in Auckland and Wellington, including being assistant director in 1986 with responsibility for training and the procedures manual. Talks about working in MAF's auditing services 1986-1992, and then becoming Natonal Advisor for Border Inspection (i.e. manager) after a restructuring in 1992 which split policy and service delivery. Refers to user charges being introduced. Discusses the introduction of x-ray machines for international airports after strong lobbying by grower groups, and the use of beagle dogs. Reflects on coworkers Julian Brown, Jaimie Baird and Neil Hyde.

Interviewer(s) - Megan Hutching

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHDL-001096

Quantity: 1 digital sound recording(s) digital sound recording(s). 2 Electronic document(s) - abstract, form. 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 2.19 Hours and minutes Duration.

Physical Description: Sound files - wave files; Textual files - Microsoft word

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHDL-001097, OHA-7299.

Search dates: 1952 - 2009

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

Alternative form available: Both printed and digital versions of the abstract are available