More Info →Keith Clark, Part 1, Early years, 1930s-40s - Manawatu Conversations

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 22nd September 2020. Part 1 of 5.  Born in Richmond, Nelson. Great-great-grandparents arrived there in 1842. Moved to Karamea, whitebait, eeling, 1930s. Hokitika and West Coast. Independent childhood, hunting, sharing community, no power. Father was dairy factory manager, prize butter maker. Lots of chores. Wartime, few young men, so shooting rabbits, etc. for farmers. School 50% Maori. Learned Maori techniques, eeling, etc.. Skipped levels at school so in high school at 12. Biked 6 miles to school. Cadet unit, marksman, testing rifles for home guard. Bren gun squad at 15. Joined the home guard. Off school to work mornings in the dairy factory. To Canterbury University at 16. Went hunting, bad weather, seriously ill. To Auckland to recuperate then back to factory. Started teaching. Given sole charge 9 pupil school position at 17 to see if fit enough.