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Interviews, commentary and sound effects from the Tahakopa Timber Mill, intended for broadcast by the BBC.
An unidentified Mobile Unit announcer introduces the Tahakopa Mill programme, which is a tour of one of Hogg and Company’s sawmills based in the Catlins District. Set in an isolated area of rural Southland, the mill is only accessible via pitted roads and is without phone or power. One of fifty, the site includes an office, mill and cookhouse.
The [unidentified] interviewer speaks with mill manager, Mr Abb Griffen who explains he began working at the mill at age 16 and over the past 32 years has felled about 4,000 acres of timber. Griffin says some of the bush felled is on private land but most is state owned forest. The timber includes red pine, rimu, black pine, a small percentage of totara and kamai for the tram wheels. Tractors work on a grade of 1 in 5 and handle up to 30 tonnes.
A variety of mill sound effects and equipment descriptions follow: whistles (five variations), the hauler and tractor, felling of a tree (saw, chop, fall), axe chopping, sawing effects (several saws), a call of "Timber!" as a tree falls.
Interviews with the [unidentified] log-hauler driver, interview with [unidentified] head bushman. Interview with chief breaker-out, Gordon Hayes [18:00] who explains his job. Interview with a [unidentified] shoeman who describes his role.
Interview with a [unidentified] tram layer who introduces Mr Young, the head tramway man. Background noise at the sawmill, description of mill work and descriptions of the main saws (including the breakdown saw and the peculiarities of saws) with Mr Griffen.