was the last to edit Richmond Oral History Project
on Jul 10th, 2017 at 10:52 AM
Topic: Richmond Oral History Project
Topic type:
Oral histories relating to the early years of European settlement in Richmond, Tasman (New Zealand).
Transcripts Accessible Through This Website
Please click on the name or topic below to access the abstract. To access the full transcript of an interview, go to the abstract and click on the (Download) link near the top of the page.
Specific Topics
- The 'Wilkes' Shelling Incident' during World War II.
- The History of Jubilee Park
- The early years of Richmond Baptist Church
- History of the Catholic Church in Richmond
- 1929 Murchison Earthquake Stories
Oral History Transcripts by Surname
Background
In October 1983 the then Richmond Borough Council appointed David Runnacles and Les Slater to undertake a research project on the history of the town. In early 1984 the project was expanded with Lisa Van Wessel and Louise Charters appointed to assist.
Part of the project involved the gathering of oral histories, or recollections, about early Richmond from residents of the Borough. They planned to interview about 140 people, with the majority of interviews pertaining to pre-1940's Richmond.
Methodology
A cassette recorder was used to record interviews with older people in the community. Those interviewed had had a close connection with Richmond in the first half of the 20th century. Most of the people interviewed for the project were in their seventies, eighties and nineties when interviewed in 1983-1984.
Once recorded the oral histories were then transcribed (typed out) and returned to the Interviewees for correction and further details. When completed, the written transcripts were indexed, annotated and put in the Council Archives along with the original cassette tapes for future reference.
Access to the Oral Histories Today
The written transcripts of these interviews are held in the archives of what is now Tasman District Council, though they are currently inaccessible to the public.
The Richmond Library has copies of some of these transcripts. They are housed in the Research Room at the Library. Sadly, neither the Library nor the Council Archives hold copies of the cassette recordings.
Ethics
Those interviewed in these oral histories reveal details about their private lives and experiences. Because of this we ask that you approach this material with respect for the individuals whose thoughts and memories are recalled here.
In some cases we have removed addresses or other identifying information from the online copies of the transcripts to protect the privacy of the interviewee.
Copyright
These oral histories are made available for your private research or study only. Please do not copy or distribute these oral history materials in any way.
Disclaimer
These oral histories express the views, memories and opinions of the interviewees and do not necessarily represent the views of the Tasman District Council. The information contained in these transcripts has not been checked for accuracy and may contain errors.
If you do discover an error and you'd like to let us know, either email: LibraryInfoServices@tasman.govt.nz or click on the join this discussion link at the bottom of the item you are looking at.
