More Info →'Ten Pound Pom' - oral interview

Description: 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