Grace Radcliffe Oral History

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00’ 30” Introductions. Grace was born in the city and first lived in Brooklyn on the skyline in Karepa Street but had to walk to and from Brooklyn School each day (some 2km). Around the time of the Great Depression, they moved to a house lower down and closer to the village centre. Her father, Alfred Jenson, loses his business (‘A. C. Jenson’) as a cabinet maker and upholsterer during the depression when she was aged 13 shortly after she started at Wellington Girls College.  

03’ 00” Bitter memories of the unsympathetic headmistress at Wellington Girls’, (Violet Mary Greig) who didn’t comprehend the hardships many families were facing. She was an English migrant (many of whom dominated secondary school administration in this period) and to this day Grace feels quite negative towards the English because of their condescending attitude. 

04’ 15” After finishing school she begins her first job which is in a bookshop in Vivian Street and also attended ‘night school’ learning sewing and millinery as well as ‘Gilby’s’ ['Business College'] where she learnt typing and shorthand. She recalls the Museum and War Memorial being built during the depression. Life improves once the economy improves and her father’s business starts up again and becomes profitable until the introduction of television wipes out the market for radio cabinets which her father specialised in making.   

06’ 50” Starts work in an advertising agency in the CML building at the tail-end of the depression but doesn’t enjoy the work as she feels that it this trade was “a world of lies and half-truths”. Shifts jobs to begin working for a firm importing engineering equipment.

07’ 55” Grace joins a tramping club and meets her husband Douglas Radcliffe while on a tramp. After marriage she moved to Ngaio which was a “whole new world” which she didn’t know that well. It felt quite isolated after living in Wellington and people didn’t move around so much. Miss Hendrickson and her sister (Jessie and Jean) lived locally and were of Danish descent (like Grace’s father) and they formed a friendship. The Hendricksons were both excellent dressmakers. 

13’ 06” People in Ngaio often met through the various churches. Memories of the Goldsmith and the Trestice [sp?] families, the only two Jewish families in the area. Recollections of the Gotlieb family. People who were members of the Anglican Church tended to “run things” but often neglected to consult those from other churches (Presbyterians, Methodists etc). Mentions the Chew and the Gibson family (‘Mrs Gibson’ was born Annie (Anne?) Chew). Chew milled timber in the area to build local houses.

19’ 30” Having a family meant the Grace was so busy that she didn’t get that involved with community affairs. Notes how hard women were expected to work as well as raising money for the church etc. ‘Jumble sales’ used to be very popular for buying used clothing but this is now done more through charity shops. Most women used to sew but this is a dying craft. Notes changes in society e.g. people leaving items such as crates of fruit at Ngaio Station to be picked up later, doors were left unlocked etc. Things started to change in the 1960s. More private car ownership meant less reliance on the train. Recalls the fruit markets at Jacob’s Place in Te Aro.

25’ 28” Memories of the old Ngaio shops which were more comprehensive. Recalls ‘Lee & Shevril’s’ grocery store in Kenya Street, the “Star Store” in Ottawa Road, a green grocer, Mr Patterson the shoe maker, the butcher, a drapery shop that also sold school stationary. Most shopping was done locally in part because the family did not have a car. This changed after they acquired their first car in 1951 / 1952 and people with cars helped out those who didn’t.

29’ 05” Memories of when her first child started at Onslow when it was brand new. Felt that the first headmaster (Mr Watt) made a great effort to make it a “good school” because it was so new. Discipline was strict (almost too strict) but Grace feels that he “drove himself into an early grave”. No money was spared to provide good facilities for the school and there were many fund raising efforts through things like school fairs to build new facilities such as the school hall which the school lacked when it first opened. Stage curtains were made for the stage.

32’ 38” [Pause between side 1 & side 2 of original cassette recording]

32’ 40” The family picnics were enjoyed and these were sometimes organised by the local churches. End of year Christmas lunches at Ngaio School were popular, often organised by the deputy headmaster, Mr Craig. Local personality Harold Marriott plays a trick on the children.

36’ 36” The area has changed as land subdivision has taken place over the decades. Crofton Downs was very rural and they would visit to pick blackberries. Memories of Churchill Drive being created to give Wellington an alternative exit out of the city. Walks to Otari Wilton Bush for picnics took place.  Please to see how Trelissick Park has developed. Picking mushrooms used to be popular but this is not really possible any longer due to land development.

43’ 10” Notes how her husband (who grew up in the area) remembers the first State houses being constructed on former dairy farms around the Bankot Crescent area. Coal fires used to belch smoke that would cover the suburb. Now people are becoming more “garden conscious” and the suburb is looking much greener than it use to.

44’ 30” Memories of the Waihine storm of 10 April 1968.

48’ 42” Notes the former rail sidings along the Johnsonville railway line and the stock yards in Johnsonville. Houses close to the rail line used to be impacted by soot and iron filings from the tracks. Two engines would be used to haul trains up the Wadestown Loop as it was so steep. One engine would be decoupled around Ngaio and returned to Wellington. Used to travel to Wellington by train.

53’ 15’ Women aren’t as ‘meek’ as they used to be and are much stronger now which upsets some men. Enjoys Ngaio which she feels is very comfortable suburb, a “good average”.