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A ‘Family Gathering’ recording for the BBC, of the Pearson family of Seatoun, Wellington. The family emigrated to New Zealand from Southbank on Tees, North Yorkshire. The family comprises of Mr Pearson and Mrs Amy Pearson and their two daughters Maureen aged 22 and Mary aged 21. Their son Alan is away. They say hello to family at home; Gran, Jenny and Susan.
Mr Pearson was born in Saltburn on the North East coast of Yorkshire, where he left at aged 15 to serve as an engineer at Stockton, when he was 18 years old he served as an engineer at sea until he was 21. While at sea he travelled around Africa, India and America. Mr Pearson then returned home and worked at Smith’s Dock Company on the South Bank, Middlesbrough. Where he worked until he served in the first world war for four and a half years, then returned to Smith’s Dock and worked there for 15 years.
He met and married Mrs Pearson in 1920. Mrs Pearson describes how she met Mr Pearson whilst going to meet some friends from the train. She remembers that she wasn’t working at the time, she helped in the house and had some dressmaking jobs. Before that she worked as a dressmaker for Robert Med and Co in Stockton, before moving to Great Ayton which is where she met her husband. They comment on the coincidence that Captain Cook’s home town was Great Ayton and Captain Cook is on the bank notes in New Zealand.
They had been married seven years when they were asked to come out to New Zealand by Mr Pearson’s mother. Much to the disappointment of Mrs Pearson’s father who feared for his daughter as he didn’t understand what life would be like in New Zealand.
They planned to go to live on a farm in Paparoa and recall their first impressions of getting off the steamer and travelling to Paparoa. Mrs Pearson thought at first that New Zealand was a ‘dreary looking place’ but was ‘amused at the houses built up to the hills’ in Wellington. They arrived in Auckland the next day, after a terrible journey travelling by train with three babies. Mr Pearson’s first job was in Milford working for a builder.
The family recount the arrival at the farm, which was 15 miles from the railway. They were disappointed that the furniture hadn’t arrived. They travelled by car, Mr Pearson recalls having to carry the family over a flood stream including Mrs Pearson, as they couldn’t see the edge of the bridge with it being so flooded. The building was old, but the farm was good, Mr Pearson’s brother in law helped with the work. They got up at 4am for milking and finished at 8am, followed by breakfast and odd jobs such as fencing. The first job was to build a toilet, they used rain water and collected water from the creeks for any use other than drinking.
The two Coates brothers were their nearest neighbours, Mr Gordon Coates was the current Prime Minister at that time, who they only saw occasionally but they didn’t get to meet him. Their sister in law went to tea with him once.
They recount not having anyone pass their farm, Mr Pearson’s sister once exclaimed to Mrs Pearson ‘Amy it’s a man!’, she found out it was only a drover looking after some cattle. She didn’t see anyone else after then for six months.
The slump came and they left farming, Mr Pearson did odd jobs for six months before getting a job as a fitter with ‘shell company on maintenance’ and general work in the plant. He was transferred from there to look after the machinery in the tenant case factories.
When they lived at Karaka Bay Mrs Pearson started to sew, she put her machine out on the veranda and got 25 shillings for one dress ‘in the slump’. Today she states she would get three pounds and fifteen pence for the same dress in England.
The children left for school at 8.30am returning at 4.30pm, for their bread and butter ‘then they were off down to the beach’. They compare the beaches in New Zealand to the beaches in England, the colour of the sand. They don’t miss the amusements at the beach in England, they comment that there is ‘more room to move’.
Mrs Pearson discusses the fashion differences. She believes the working girl in New Zealand dresses better than back at home, as in New Zealand she feels they have more money to spend. The clothes are lighter in New Zealand and they sell for more money, there are more linings and the women’s clothes seem heavier in England. In New Zealand ‘we make a better class of clothes than they do at home’. Clothes are simpler, there are more clothes in New Zealand due to the climate but girls sew less in New Zealand.
Just before Maureen turned 14 years of age, she earnt 15 shillings a week for four months making women’s underwear. Moving on to work in a printing office, for 23 and sixpence. With a four shilling rise every six months, by the age of nineteen Maureen was earning three pounds and ten pence. Maureen is now earning five pounds a week as a forewoman. Mary worked in a printing works for two years and nine months, until she joined Maureen and worked with her.
Maureen describes how the printing works is short staffed as the girls have to serve five years in the trade until they get fully experienced and get full wages. The building they work in is old and wooden, with dust from the papers which is hard to keep clean and isn’t well laid out. Mary comments that the conditions in New Zealand factories are quite good, as are the wages and ‘the girls get quite a bit of liberty’ with the foremen not standing over you and watching you work. They ring Mrs Pearson during the days as they are allowed to use the phone at work but don’t like to do it too much and have time off for morning and afternoon tea. They describe the role of the foreman, that it’s making sure the work gets done on time and goes out.
At the weekend Maureen and Mary go to the pictures and a dance on a Saturday night and the beach in the summer.
Mr Pearson describes the difference in the role of a foreman in England being more strict and being watched, to that of New Zealand.
Women are getting more independent. Mary comments that working conditions are much easier than when she first started working and there is a lot more movement in jobs in New Zealand. Mr Pearson suggests the unions are stricter in England and suggests it is easier to get a job in New Zealand without prior experience in a trade.
Mary comments that there is a distinction between office workers and factory workers in New Zealand. ‘The shop girls think they’re so much better because they don’t wear overalls’. New Zealand female workers earn four pounds as an average wage. The ‘award wage’ is average of three pound twelve, the average is about five shillings over the award.
Mr Pearson compares the foreman’s job in New Zealand to England, there is a ‘better spirit’ in New Zealand. He comments that they are doing work of their own accord, don’t have to be watched as much as they are doing work they enjoy and are grateful for the work. Mrs Pearson believes there is more trust in New Zealand. Mr Pearson believes it is the way they are trained, the workers take more pride in their work as they are trusted and more confident in their work.
They comment that they like the openness of New Zealand, the houses aren’t as close together and there is less smoke. However, ‘we still think of England as home and love it just as much’.