Generations Apart
A collection of our West Coast children's visual and written accounts
- living through challenging times.
Embedded Files
Judi and Lisa on behalf of MVEC wish to compile a record of our West Coast children's experiences during not only this time but in past times where children have faced similar challenges.
Judi and Lisa on behalf of MVEC wish to compile a record of our West Coast children's experiences during not only this time but in past times where children have faced similar challenges.
Below is the recollection of an 81 year old West Coast man Alister Johnstons' period of 'learning during lock-down', about 65 years ago on a small farm up the 9 Mile!
Below is the recollection of an 81 year old West Coast man Alister Johnstons' period of 'learning during lock-down', about 65 years ago on a small farm up the 9 Mile!
How technology has changed but not the challenges children face regardless of the generation.
How technology has changed but not the challenges children face regardless of the generation.
What is your story?
What is your story?
Learning outcome:
To record the experiences of West Coast children from the past 100 years in order to create a History of West Coast people during times of difficulty and challenge - this will be turned into a book to be kept in local museums and at Shantytown.
On the Tasks page is the different options each student can choose from. The drop down menu of each option has more information and examples to give ideas.
West Coast students of any age are invited to submit any number of the tasks stated to Lisa : mvecshantytown@gmail.com
Along with entry needs to be name; year at school and what school you attend.
If you wish to have your submission anonymous then please state and this is how it will be.
These submissions need to be in by 15th May.
It will be assumed that any work submitted has full permission for publication as this is the intent for work submitted unless notified otherwise.
It will be assumed that any work submitted has full permission for publication as this is the intent for work submitted unless notified otherwise.
"I think it was about 1953 (not sure), there was the Polio out break in New Zealand and all the schools were closed to stop the spreading of the disease. I don't think many died but a lot were maimed from it. I remember a boy with a twisted arm.
The isolation didn't bother us because we were used to it living where we did up the Nine Mile. We sat around the radio and listened to the school study talk. We didn't have a clock back then but I think it was about 10 in the morning. Not even a transistor radio, an old valve one that took 5 min to warm up! Home work came in a folder once a month by post. It had a school journal in it with stories and a crossword on the back. Everyone had to do the crossword. We did the homework and then posted it back. I don't remember doing school work every day and when there wasn't school work we just played outside, we all had push bikes!
There were no TVs then, no cell phones and Country & Western was the only music played on the radio. Not many people had motor cars either. We were lucky that we lived on a small farm and had a veggie garden. You were lucky to have a fridge and running hot water! We had to share a bath in a large bucket that was heated from the wood burner.
I remember when I went to boarding school at Rangiora getting the immunization injection. The 1st was to check for a reaction (to see if you have had it) and then the 2nd injection was to immunize you for 60 years.
I only did 1 year at high school and was in the mines by 15. The good old days!"
17/04/20
Alister Johnston, 81 years old
Next time you are at Shantytown, visit the Rewa Hospital and see the iron lung on display.
Next time you are at Shantytown, visit the Rewa Hospital and see the iron lung on display.
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