Rough and ready back then but still home, sweet home

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 633, 23 April 1996, Page 15

Rough and ready back then but still home, sweet home

"I REMEMBER . . . "

Ex Ohakune resident GerryCranston reminisces about life in the 1930's: During a lifetime of work in the Ohakune and Taihape districts in the centre of the North Island, I have frequently heard the phrase, "home is where you make it." On one of my first contract fencing jobs as a 17year old, my accommodation was to be a wellconstructed 1 2 foot by 12 foot whare. This contract job was at Mr Joe Morton's farm out past the Ohakune Cemetery. The whare was situated out the back of his farm with not another sign of habitation in sight. As was quite normal in those days the roof was made of corrugated iron, with no ceiling. To lie in bed at night and hear the noise of heavy rain on the roof, was quite frightening to a youth of my age, until you got used to it. The fireplace and chimney was also constructed of corrugated iron. The fireplace was huge perhaps six feet across and simply consisted of a huge pile of ashes with an iron bar strategically placed above the ashes and poking through the corrugated iron each side, to hang billies or a dixie on for cooking and heating purposes. The fire was rarely allowed to go out, as when you had finished your cooking or heating, you simply banked it over with ashes. On returning home you simply raked off all the ashes exposing the live coals and threw on a few dry chips and away she went. The furnishings (you could only just call them that) supplied, were a bed made by nailing a frame

of four-by-two timber on to four four-by-two wooden legs, with sacks pulled tight across the top and securely stapled at each side. A very rough homemade table and a couple of chairs that had seen better days. The only form of lighting was the packet of candles I had taken with me and the light from the open fire. I must say here that one of the great joys in the late evening, was to lie in bed and watch the flickering and dancing of the flames on the walls and roof. For reading material I had taken severn! of my father' s books with me. Without a wireless in those days, reading was essential. The books I had preferred in those days were mainly thrillers, written by Edgar Wallace. Care had to be taken not to read by candle light for too long, as it became quite hard on your eyes. The coming of electricity to our homes must surely have been the eighth great wonder of the world. I had been told there was no meat safe or cooking utensils supplied, so I took a frying pan, tin mugs, cutlery, a big knife, two billies and a large biscuit tin with me. On arrival I found a dixie hanging in the- fireplace which was of great value. I dug the biscuit tin down into the ground to keep my meat in. All the rest of my bread, butter, jam, treacle, salt etc simply stayed on the table for the duration of my

contract. I should state here that I replenished my supplies once a week. Mr Morton did not have a generous nature, far from it, but he did keep me supplied with milk from his house-cow. Each time he came up to see how I was progressing he would bring me a bottle. Outside, beside the door, was a 400-gallon corrugated iron tank on a wooden tank stand, situated so it would catch the rain water from the roof. This of course was the water supply for all cooking, drinking and washing needs. I soon learnt that any spare plates, tin mugs etc if left out on the tankstand during rainy days or nights soon became squeaky clean, and ready for further use.

No latrine of any description was supplied. You managed simply by digging a hole behind a stump at a suitable distance from 'home'. In other places I worked there was a long-drop, but not on this particular job. I suppose as this whare was so rarely used other than to store the odd tools or hay in. As far as ablutions went, I had supplied inyself with a four gallon kerosene tin. On rising to immediately step outside, run some icy cold water from the tank into the tin, place it on a handy stump, and with your hands splash water over your head and face, was the surest way I have ever found to bring you lOOpercentawakein seconds. Aftertheday's work, I would heat water in the dixie for washing purposes. However primitive or humble home may be, it always made me feel a little sad to pack up and say goodbye .