Interview with Goff Ashwell and Alan Caddick about their experiences of being part of the Ten Pound Pom migrant scheme from the United Kingdom in the 1950s. 'Ten Pound Poms is a colloquial term used in New Zealand to describe the British subjects who migrated to New Zealand after World War II. The Government of New Zealand initiated the scheme in July 1947.
Summary of interview
0.00 - Recording details and introductions
1.33 – Start of first block (general discussion) Preference for married migrants?
4.09 - Why choose to migrate?
10.00 - conditions of the ten pound scheme
12.39 - The process for coming out
15.26 – sailed from Glasgow on the Captain Cook, outline of the route and trip
16.49 – Alan and wife lucky to have a cabin to themselves
18.14 – Goff’s voyage as single male
19.05 – not knowing where going in NZ until arrived in Wellington
20.31 – gender mix of migrants
21.39 – crowded on ship? Crew
22.38 - catering
23.24 – fixed table for meals for the voyage
24.08 – tipping
25.21 – military service in NZ?
26.02 – migrants taking out NZ citizenship?
26.53 – not needing UK passport to come out
30.07 – NZ citizenship and oath of allegiance to the queen
31.08 – first impressions of NZ
33.12 – information on NZ for migrants?
33.55 – don’t join migrant organizations, become New Zealanders
35.32 – boat arrived in Wellington, wait for next morning because dockers gone home
36.34 – allocation of jobs,
38.17 - Alan’s background as a fireman in UK
40.35 – no culture shock
42.27 – luggage??
43.54 – differences between Birmingham and Wellington fire brigades
47.22 – fire brigade flat, plus why Alan became a farm hand
49.35 – Start of second block
49.41 – reunions
50.28 – Goff’s ongoing contact with family on first farm, then driving tankers
51.56 – Goff’s first return visit to UK
53.20 – Alan on family in UK, siblings in the war, losing contact since
59.05 –why Alan didn’t stay on the farm, experience in shoe retailing
1.05.33 – migrants similar to Kiwis?
1.08.03 – Alan taking up singing in a choir
1.12.58 – impressions of schools compared to England
1.21.12 – The Captain Cook club
