This interview with Beatrice Johnston, conducted when she was 102 years old, records the memories of a remarkable Southland woman whose life spans a century of extraordinary change. Raised on a family farm near Wyndham during the Depression years, she shares recollections of a country childhood, travelling to school by horse and cart, farm chores and family life.
Beatrice goes on to describe the hard work involved in running a farm household, a responsibility she took on at a young age after her mother’s passing, and the importance of church and community connections. She reflects on the impact of the Second World War, including rationing, wartime farming, and the experiences of family members who served overseas. Beatrice discusses the evolution of farming practices, from dairying and sheep farming to Angus stud cattle breeding, as well as the many changes she witnessed in household technology, communications, transport, and everyday life. Her stories extend beyond Southland to overseas travels through Britain, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and the Auckland Islands.
Thoughtful, articulate, and often humorous, Beatrice’s interview offers valuable insights into rural life, and the dramatic social and technological changes experienced across the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
Interviewer: Sue Johnston
Interview Dates: July 2026
Beatrice Johnston with family, undated
Beatrice Johnston on her travels, undated
Beatrice Johnston, undated
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