Oral History Projects

My interviews for oral history cover a range of subjects and purposes, but most are life histories.  As people interviewed gift their life stories, and they are always interesting, I like to think they will be shared. Most of the following recordings are intended to be accessible for other researchers, as indicated.

 

Oral Histories at the Alexander Turnbull Library

commissioned by Theatre Archives New Zealand—Pūranga whakaari o Aotearoa:
Link to Interviews from 2003-2007
Link to Interviews from 2011-2014

These are a series of in-depth life history interviews, all with basic indexing that includes name/keyword searching.

 

Current list:
2003

Bernard Esquilant and William Menlove. Founders of the Southern Comedy Players, Dunedin

Yvette Bromley. Co-founder of The Court Theatre, Christchurch

2004

Raymond Boyce. Professional designer, working in theatre, opera, & ballet

Ralph McAllister. Teacher of drama; director

2005

Patric Carey. Founder of the Globe Theatre, Dunedin

2006

Paul Minifie. Actor; director

Raymond Hawthorne. Founder of Theatre Corporate, Auckland; actor; director

Ian Mune. Actor; director; film maker; writer; teacher

2007

George Henare. Actor

Martyn Sanderson. Actor; Director; founder of Downstage Theatre

2011

Bill Sheat (OBE). Lawyer; arts advocate, member on Drama Panel of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council; inaugural chair of the board of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School; inaugural chair of the Film Commission; chair of the Royal Ballet

Roger Hall. Playwright; teacher

2012

Pat Hawthorne. Original staff member of Downstage Theatre. Former board member of Playmarket and Theatre Archives New Zealand

2013

Ray Henwood. Actor; co-founder of Circa Theatre

Renée. Playwright

2014

Peter Vere-Jones. Actor

Elric Hooper (MBE). Artistic Director of the Court Theatre, Christchurch, 1979-1999

2019

Jennifer Ward-Lealand. Actor; director; board member

Michael Hurst. Actor; director

​Susan Wilson. Actor; director

David Carnegie. Co-founder of Fortune Theatre, Dunedin; Academic

Simon Prast. Co-founder ATC; Actor; Director

Simon Bennett. Co-founder BATS Theatre, Wellington; Director


South African Elections OHP (1994 – 1995)
Project/ Recording Dates: 1994 – 1995
Commissioner: No commissioning body
Copyright Holder: Sarah Gaitanos
Location: Alexander Turnbull Library
Content: 3 Interviews
1 Andrew Ladley June 1994 Restrictions
2 Russell Marshall 9 August 1994 Restrictions
3 Bernard Grice 1994 – 1995 Restrictions

 

Te Kura Toi Whakaari o Aotearoa/ New Zealand Drama School OHP  (1995 – 1997)
Project/ Recording Dates: 1995 – 1997
Commissioner: –
Copyright Holder: Sarah Gaitanos
Location: Alexander Turnbull Library & Nola Millar Library
Content: 13 interviews (46 tapes, 13 printed abstracts, 13 online abstracts)
1 Rona Bailey 20 & 26 July 1995 3 tapes     No Restrictions
2 George Webby 21 Jul, 8 August 1995 4 tapes

No Restrictions

3 Rawiri Paratene 6 September 1995 5 tapes

No Restrictions

4 Miranda Harcourt 6 & 26 September 1995 3 tapes

No Restrictions

5 Peter Hambleton 27 October 1995 3 tapes

No Restrictions

6 Ruth Graham 16 November 1995 4 tapes

No Restrictions

7 Malcolm Murray 16 December 1995 3 tapes

No Restrictions

8 Jane Waddell 7 February 1996 3 tapes

Restrictions

9 Hone Kouka 27 March 1996 3 tapes

No Restrictions

10 Robin Payne 7 & 9 June 1996 5 tapes

Restrictions

11 Sima Urale 10 July 1996 2 tapes

No Restrictions

12 Tim Balme 4 November 1996 3 tapes

Restrictions

13 Annie Ruth 25 & 27 November  1996 5 tapes

No Restrictions

 

Reserve Bank of New Zealand OHP (2006 – 2009)
 
Project/ Recording Dates: March 2006  Sept. 2009
Commissioner: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Copyright Holder: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Location: RBNZ & Alexander Turnbull Library
1 Barry Norton 30 March 2006 3 tapes

TBC

2 Alison Scott 21 April 2006 3 tapes

TBC

3 Sir Frank Holmes 3 – 31 May, 8 June 2006 15 tapes

No Restrictions

4 Peter Ledingham 10 October 2006 3 tapes

No Restrictions

5 Bruce White 20 November 2006 3 tapes

Restrictions

6 Gerard Matthew Cook 21 February 2007 3 tapes

Restrictions

7 Brian James Lang 15 & 20 March 2007 380 mins

No Restrictions

8 Carol Somervell 11 December 2008 126 mins

TBC

9 Valda Phillips 12 December 2008 70 mins

TBC

10 Alan Bollard Nov 2008-Sept 2009 12 hours

No current access

 

New Zealand Society of Authors/ PEN OHP (1999 – 2005)
Project/ Recording Dates: 1999 – 2005
Commissioner: New Zealand Society of Authors/PEN
Copyright Holder: New Zealand Society of Authors/ PEN and some individual interviewees
Location: Alexander Turnbull Library
Content: 3 interviews, 29 C60 cassettes, 1 C120 cassettes, transcripts
 
1 Alistair Te Ariki Campbell 26 Nov., 9, 15 Dec, 2004 6 tapes

Restrictions

2 Ian Cross 28 Nov., 6, 8, 9 Dec. 2004 7 tapes

Restrictions

3 Tony Simpson 3 March 2005 3 tapes

Restrictions

 


Sir Peter Quilliam (2001 – 2002)
Project/ Recording Dates: 2001 – 2002
Commissioner: Private commission
Copyright Holder: Peter Quilliam
Location: Peter Quilliam Estate
Content: 1 Interview, transcribed, edited and published as desktop publication.
1 Sir Peter Quilliam Dec 2001 – Jan 2002 4 tapes

Public access not yet applicable

 

Nola Millar OHP (2002 – 2003)
Project/ Recording Dates: July 2002 – 18 March 2003
Commissioner: Sarah Gaitanos for Nola Millar Biography
Copyright Holder: Sarah Gaitanos
Location: Alexander Turnbull Library
Content: 10 interviews (16 C60 cassettes)
1 John Batstone
2 Beverly Calvert
3 Felicity Day
4 Catherine Downes
5 Jenepher Glue
6 Kay Goodburn
7 Ray Henwood
8 Ralph McAllister
9 Colin McColl
10 Rangimoana Taylor

 

(Most interviews for this project are not listed here. They are held by Sarah Gaitanos.)

 


Ed Perry (2003)
Project/ Recording Dates: March 2003
Commissioner: Private commission
Copyright Holder: Ed Perry
Location: Ed Perry Estate
Content: 1 Interview, transcribed.
1 Ed Perry March 2003 2 tapes     Access not applicable

 

New Zealand Theatre Archive Puranga Whakaari o Aotearoa OHP (2003 – 2007)
The emergence of professional theatre in post World War II New Zealand
Project/ Recording Dates: 2003 – 2007
Commissioner: New Zealand Theatre Archive
Copyright Holder: New Zealand Theatre Archive
Location: Alexander Turnbull Library
Content: 10 interviews (28 C60  cassettes, 2 digital sound recordings, 3 DVDs, 9 abstracts, 1 transcript
1 Bernard Esquiliant, William Menlove 21 October 2003

No Restrictions

2 Yvette Bromley 23 October 2003

No Restrictions

3 Raymond Boyce 9 & 16 November 2004 5 tapes

No Restrictions

4 Ralph McAllister 23 February 2005 2 tapes

No Restrictions

5 Patric Carey 16 & 17 October 2005

No Restrictions

6 Raymond Hawthorne 5 & 6 July 2006 6 tapes sides

Restrictions

7 Paul Minifie 6 July 2006 3 tapes sides

Restrictions

8 Ian Mune 1 and 7 July 2006 7 tapes sides

Restrictions

9 Martyn Sanderson 8,9,20,22 August 2007 10 hrs 48 min

No Restrictions

10 Bill Sheat 20, 23, 30 Dec. 2011 4 hrs

No restrictions

 

Clarice Nancy Coory (nee Abernethy) (2005 – 2006)
Project/ Recording Dates: 16 May 2005 – 13 January 2006
Commissioner: Claudia Coory
Copyright Holder: Claudia Coory
Location: Family holds recordings and documentation. Agreement allows eventual deposit in ATL.
Content: One interviewee, 25 interview sessions, transcribed and edited.
1 Clarice Nancy Coory 16 May 2006 — 13 January 2006 20 tapes

access not yet applicable

 

Horokiwi Community Association OHP (2005 – 2007)
Project/ Recording Dates:  23rd September 2005 – 27th February 2007
Commissioner: Horokiwi Community Association
Copyright Holder: Horokiwi Community Association
Location: Deposited with Horokiwi Community Association (with agreement to be deposited into the Oral History Centre at the Alexander Turnbull Library)
Content: 9 interviews
1 Graeme Houston 23, 25 Sept 2005

TBC

2 Lenora Kibble 11 Oct 2005

No Restrictions

3 Frances Holey 30 Oct 2005

No Restrictions

4 Bette Haig 7 March 2006

TBC

5 Mary Margaret Roil 3 April 2006

No Restrictions

6 Eric John Roil 3 April 2006

No Restrictions

7 Keitha Booth 11 Dec 2006, 20 Jan 2007

No Restrictions

8 Carole Hartney 30 Jan. 2007

Restrictions

9 Elizabeth R. Maunsell – Cox 26 Feb. 2007

No Restrictions

 

Archives New Zealand OHP (2007)
Project/ Recording Dates:  23 March 2007 – 31 May 2007
Commissioner: Archives NZ and The Ministry of Culture and Heritage
Copyright Holder: Archives NZ
Location: Deposited with Archives NZ (with agreement to be deposited into the Oral History Centre at the Alexander Turnbull Library)
Content: 6 interviews
1 Judith Sidney Hornabrook 23 March 2007 2hrs, 15mins

No Restrictions

2 Pamela S. Hall (nee Cocks) 5 April 2007 4hrs, 6mins

No Restrictions

3 Raymond Frank Grover 20, 23 April 2007 5hrs, 5mins

No Restrictions

4 Rosemary Collier 11 May 2007 TBC

TBC

5 Michael Hodder 18 May 2007 3hrs, 10mins

TBC

6 Stuart Strachen 31May 2007 3.7hrs

TBC

 


Peter William Milne (2007)
Project/ Recording Dates: 29August 2007
Commissioner: Private commission by Joanne Elizabeth Rusk
Copyright Holder: Joanne Elizabeth Rusk
Location: Joanne Elizabeth Rusk, agreement held to deposit files in OHC
Content: 1 Interview
1 Peter William Milne 29 Aug. 2007 1hr, 56min Access not yet applicable

 


Statistics New Zealand OHP (2007 – 2008)
Project/ Recording Dates: September 2007 – January 2008
Commissioner: Statistics New Zealand
Copyright Holder: Statistics New Zealand
Location: Statistics New Zealand, agreement held to deposit files in OHC
Content: 2 Interviews
1 David Benjamin Archer 12, 13 Sept 2007 4hrs, 6mins

TBC

2 Leonard (Len) Cook 27 Nov, 3, 18 Dec. 2007, 17, 18 Jan 2008 9.7 hrs

Restrictions

 

IPPNW NZ OHP (2008)
Project/ Recording Dates: 29th November 2008
Commissioner: IPPNW NZ
Copyright Holder: Russell Tregonning for the IPPNW NZ Branch
Location: Alexander Turnbull Library
Content: 1 interview (digital sound recording on DVD containing abstract and photograph)
1 Dr. Ian Ambury Prior 27 Mar, 1, 8 April 2008 99 mins

No restrictions

 


Judith (Judy) Williams (2009)
Project/ Recording Dates: January and February 2009
Commissioner: New Zealand Portrait Gallery
Copyright Holder: New Zealand Portrait Gallery
Location: Oral History Centre, ATL.
Content: 1 Interview
1 Judith (Judy) Williams 27 January & 2 February 2009 190 mins No Restrictions

 

Clare Galambos Winter biography
Project/ Recording Dates: 2005-06
Commissioner:
Copyright Holder: Sarah Gaitanos
Location: Sarah Gaitanos. Agreements signed for eventual depositing at ATL
Content:30 tapes + digital interviews recorded as WAV files.
1      Clare Galambos Winter       30 tapes    
2      Steven and Judy Sedley       67 mins    
3      Peter Averi      112 mins    
4      Catherine Hodder       33 mins    

(Other interviews for this project were not recorded as oral history)