Manawatū Conversations

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.

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.

Sir Mason Durie and Hapai Winiata spoke during Marise’s training and made her think how she could make a difference for all the Maori people she worked with.

Did curative and palliative work in the oncology ward in 1984 before there was a hospice.

Had to sit hospital exams before sitting state finals – medicine, surgery and obstetrics.

Low pass rate in Palmerston North she believed was political.

She was one of the first nurses to administer IV chemotherapy.

Maori were overrepresented in oncology.

Worked in maternity unit then after the birth of her baby she worked part time in different wards.

Started bachelor of nursing study at Massey University.

Qualified as a Plunket nurse and worked part time in the community.

After the second baby was five months old resumed working full time.

Became a hospital educator for new nurses from Polytech working alongside charge nurses.

Lived in the country and was not able to be sociable as a teenager.

Was reliant on other people for transport.

The only bicycle in the family was heavy with a wicker basket at the front.

Was young when New Zealand changed from imperial to metric measurements so can work easily between the two.

Several acquaintances died within a short time.

Left school after the seventh form and went to the Palmerston North School of Nursing in 1980 for three and a half years.

First experience was involved with dealing with dead patients.

Shirley Kinsella was a very good anatomy and physiology tutor

As Marise started nursing, Massey University started its undergraduate degree nursing courses for already registered nurses.

Polytech course has been going for over 40 years.

Hospital training allowed nurses to be trained at minimal cost to themselves.

Attended Newbury school which had a roll of about 50 children. Loved reading. Enjoyed having access to books and was encouraged by her teacher. Learned to write on a chalk board before she wrote on paper. Covered exercise books with wallpaper. Moved from Newbury school to Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School. First teacher there was Tom Kelliher. Caught a Rutherfords bus to school. Talks about department stores in Palmerston North in the 1960s. She visited PNINS recently and found it very similar to when she was there. Talks about different teachers she had at school. Developed an interest in Te Reo Māori. Went to Freyberg High School with a roll of over 1500. Couldn’t take Te Reo Māori there. Her parents wanted her in the domestic stream but she preferred, and went into the professional stream.

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.

Marise was born in Palmerston North and lived on rural properties in Manawatu near Alison Mildon’s family

Marise’s father was a farm worker not a farm owner and, at one stage, worked for Alison’s father.

She caught Weld Motors buses to school. If she missed the bus father would take her in the car.

Good community spirit. Help each other.

First vehicle an Austin A40 van. Only father drove.

Grandmother had an Austin A30 until she died. Grandfather didn’t drive because of a head injury.

Alison’s sister and brother-in-law had a feijoa farm.

Marise developed a liking for the violin.

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.

Group discussion, first child

Mike Lawrence, first child born in 1965 when husbands weren’t allowed in the delivery suite. Had to wait in waiting room for eight hours. He had to work full time but enjoyed feeding the baby and doing what he could.

Bottles sterilized in Milton Solution. Solid food was Farex.

Washable nappies not easy to dry in a Taumarunui winter. Wringer washing machine and a drying cabinet.

Anne Weir’s first child 1975. A big boy. Everything went well.

Husband not present but would have been allowed in the room.

Baby suffered from cholic but otherwise well behaved.

Alison Mildon didn’t have the experience of a baby of her own but did observe other people’s babies and the different way babies were cared for over the years.

Stuart Birks first child was born in 1981. Stuart was well involved in the birth process. The mother was Asian and there were some cultural differences.

General discussion about nappies, cradles and other equipment.

Prams have changed over the years and now parents go jogging with a baby in a pram.

Not the same concern about sun protection as there is now.

On returning from overseas was probably suffering chronic depression and lost all her confidence.

Worked in library at Victoria University, Wellington.

Struck up a friendship with a person who became her sister-in-law.

Returned to London and met her husband-to-be.

Both returned to New Zealand.

Got a job at Massey and was there for 17 years.

Took voluntary redundancy. Took course in IT at Polytech.

Husband has a stroke and dies.

Was involved in protesting against removal of Fitzherbert Avenue trees and construction of Turitea windfarm.

Worked at Somerset retirement village

Went to The Gambia by herself.

Very naïve. Couldn’t understand French and had no plans.

A person she met at the airport found accommodation for her.

Travelled to the capital, Banjul. Very primitive. People lived in compounds.

Food at markets very expensive.

Living conditions were very difficult.

Couldn’t get visa extended.

Went to Paris then to London.

After three years returned to New Zealand.

Suffered from chronic depression.

Worked at Victoria University library