Manawatū Conversations

Jacquie Campion has lived around Feilding for about 40 years.

She came here from Wellington with her two young children.

At first, she lived around Kimbolton and Kiwitea.

A trained hairdresser, she began doing mobile hairdressing.

It was a great way to get out and meet local people.

She later sold early home computers and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Her success with Britannica even took her on overseas trips.

She then moved into office work and property management.

That eventually led to a long and successful career in real estate.

Jacquie says real estate is really about talking and listening to people.

Away from work, horses and dressage are a big part of her life.

And after 40 years, she’s very much at home in the Feilding community.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Tom Barry explores how New Zealand farming can become more sustainable while creating new income opportunities. He highlights the potential of turning forestry waste into biofuels instead of leaving it to cause erosion and flood damage.

He also sees renewable energy as a win for farmers, with solar and wind farms allowing livestock to keep grazing while providing valuable extra income.

The discussion also covers aquaculture, with Tom describing the promise of mussels, salmon and kingfish as low-carbon export industries that could create jobs and boost regional economies. He believes these industries have a bright future if practical challenges can be overcome.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Examines proposals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from New Zealand agriculture by 2050. The speakers explain how lower livestock numbers, greater farming efficiency, and increased use of horticulture and forestry could contribute to meeting emissions targets. Discussion on the role of the Emissions Trading Scheme, carbon credits, and alternative land uses. The conversation also considers the economic impact of these changes on farmers, including investment opportunities and market risks. The programme provides an overview of the issues shaping the future of New Zealand farming

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Tom Barry reflects on leaving England in 1968 to begin a career in animal nutrition at Invermay Research Centre in Dunedin. Adapting to New Zealand's farming systems, larger-scale agriculture and different seasons was a huge change, but it soon became home. During 17 years of research, he worked on improving sheep nutrition and pasture production, while also meeting Annette, marrying, and settling in New Zealand. In 1985 he moved to Massey University, where he found a passion for teaching and supervising PhD students. Looking back, Tom describes how agricultural research has evolved from increasing production to developing more sustainable farming systems for the future

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Tom Barry grew up on a small dairy farm in Yorkshire, England, where life was hard and children were expected to help from an early age. An unexpected year in hospital gave him access to a much better education and opened doors that had previously seemed closed. Although his parents wanted him to stay in a secure industrial job, Tom’s passion was always agriculture. Encouraged by New Zealand agricultural leader Max Cooper, he came to New Zealand in 1968 and built a long career in agricultural research before spending 25 years at Massey University. Looking back, he says the decision to follow his own path was the making of his life, bringing both a rewarding career and the lifelong partner he met soon after arriving.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

For Leona Revell, every live performance is a unique shared experience—no two shows are ever quite the same. She believes theatre helps people feel seen and represented, just as it once gave her confidence by seeing herself reflected on stage. Whether through improv or traditional productions, theatre brings people together, builds empathy, and invites us to see the world from different perspectives. It can challenge our thinking, spark conversations long after the curtain falls, and even provide a welcome escape while supporting our wellbeing.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Leona Revell is the Outreach Director at Centrepoint Theatre, where she's passionate about taking theatre beyond the stage and into communities that might not otherwise experience it. Her favourite approach is improvisation, which she describes as a powerful way to build confidence, joy and genuine connection through the simple idea of listening and adding. Growing up in Taranaki, school theatre sports first sparked her love of performance, leading her to study the performing arts and later teach theatre sports in Palmerston North schools. Today she helps develop Centrepoint's youth workshops and creative programmes, believing theatre brings people together through confidence, teamwork and a real sense of belonging. 

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Maurice remembers the farming reforms of 1984 as one of the toughest periods for rural families, with low sheep and wool prices putting many farms under real pressure. There were brighter moments too, including winning a sheep competition that earned the family a trip to Honolulu, which they extended with a visit to the United States, leaving friends to look after the farm. He recalls how warmly they were welcomed wherever they went. Back home, Maurice's wife Chris became the local rural school bus driver, earning respect with her firm but fair approach while also helping on the farm and keeping the books. Together they lived a largely self-sufficient lifestyle, growing their own food, preserving fruit, and remaining closely connected to their school and community.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Maurice Entwisle's love of practical work began early. At school he developed strong engineering skills and even won a prize for metalwork, talents that soon saw him helping neighbours repair machinery and tackle farm jobs. One of his proudest achievements was helping build a bridge across the Kiwitea Stream, using railway lines driven deep into the riverbed—a bridge that still stands after many major floods. Maurice remembers farming as long, demanding and sometimes dangerous work, but also deeply rewarding. As farming evolved from community hay baling to modern machinery, the family concentrated on sheep and cattle, while his wife Chris became a familiar face driving local school buses.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Maurice Entwisle was born in Feilding in 1937 and grew up on the family farm at Beaconsfield, a property his grandfather acquired in 1921. His early years were shaped by country life, from cycling along gravel roads to a tiny one-teacher school at Beaconsfield to later boarding at Feilding Agricultural High School. Although he never enjoyed the classroom as much as the farm, he developed practical engineering and farming skills that stayed with him throughout life. Maurice also recalls wartime rationing, radio reports from the war, and the hard work of transforming bush and rabbit-infested land into productive farmland.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.