Sweet Talking oral histories

Interview with John Pearson a prominent cane farmer in the Herbert River District in the 1950's. In the first part of the interview, John talks about his family background; his experience as a navy officer in the war; his involvement with the Australian Volunteer Coastguard; the plantation mills; indentured labour from the New Guinea islands, as well as his involvement in the Farmer’s League. In the second part of the interview, John talks about the Cane Grower’s Organisation and their student university scholarships, as well as his feeling of accomplishment after his long hard life.

Interview with Katherine Frugoni, a wife of a cane farmer and daughter of an Italian emigrant. This is the second part of a two part interview, part one is unavailable. In the interview Katherine talks about her father and husband being interned during the Second World War; her struggle during the time they were away; the difficulty of being of Italian descent during the Second World War, as well as the loss of her only daughter to a virus before antibiotics were introduced.

Margaret Flanders, wife of a cane farmer, 'Tirrion' in the Gin Gin district. Due to the age of the recording the audio of the interview is of low quality. Margaret talks about her parents and early life on farms; meeting her husband and working on the farm with him; struggle to study at university and be a farmer’s wife, as well as her life as a mother and her love of the traditions of the cane burning.

Interview with Jack Takagaki, son of a Japanese migrant who came to Australia in 1901. In the first part of the interview, Jack talks about his father’s migration to Australia; his father’s farm and respect for the work horses before the mechanisation of the farm, as well as his father’s tractor being confiscated by the Allied Work Council. In the second part of the interview, Jack talks about his father and himself being interned in 1941; life and conditions within the camp; his acceptance into Agricultural College as a way out of the camp, as well as his father’s release from the camp.

Interview with Kevin Cutler, engineer at Bingera and Milliquin Mills, Bundaberg 1940-1977. In the first part of the interview, Kevin talks about his study to be a tradesman; sitting for his engineers ticket; meeting his wife; going to work in Milliquin as a boiler fitter; the mill tradesman strike as well as the mill employee social events. In the second part of the interview, Kevin talks about the dangers of working in the mill, as well as cane farming before the mechanisation of the farm.

Interview with Denis Foster retired staff member of Sugar Research Institute 1952-1985. In the first part of the interview, Denis talks about his education at university and his work as chemist; his involvement with the air force; working at the CSIRO in wood chemistry and carbohydrates; the rough nature of early mills and the chemistry work done in the mills. In the second part of the interview, Denis talks extensively about his career and research in the sugar industry, including travelling to mills solving problems and bulk sugar terminal research.

Interview with Pat Duritz, manager at the Townsville Bulk Sugar Terminal. Pat talks about his being an electrician and then an engineer; his move to bulk sugar terminals in 1962; the hard work at the terminals; the sugar shed fire of 1963; working with rough weather, as well as the different types of sugars he dealt with.

Interview with Maria McGee, emigrated to Australia in 1930 and married a cane farmer. In the first part of the interview, Maria talks about her family’s emigration to Australia; her father leasing a farm; clearing the land, planting and cutting by hand; her father buying a tractor and then losing it to the Allied Work Council, as well as her childhood on the cane farm. In the second part of the interview, Maria describes her childhood home; the community spirit of the neighbouring farms; cooking for the workers, as well as the crushing parties where farmers and workers got together to eat, drink and swap stories.

Interview with Doug Jacklin a cane farmer and engineer at Pleystowe Sugar Mill. In the first part of the interview, Doug talks about his family background; the days before and after mechanisation on the farm; the community spirit of the neighbouring farms; fighting drought and army worms; his apprenticeship as an engineer, as well as his work surveying for maps. In the second part of the interview, Doug talks about his work as an engineer in the mills; his work performing maintenance on the various equipment; the major changes in machinery and workers within mill over the years; his involvement with the agricultural shows, as well as the importance of sugar research and international and local cooperation and sharing of information between mills.

Interview with Tom Wilson, a carpenter at Fairymead and Bingera Sugar Mills. Tom talks about his work as a carpenter in the mills; welcoming women into the workforce, as well as the social aspects of working in a mill.

Interview with Joyce Shuttlewood who lived on a cane farm her whole life. In the first part of the interview, Joyce talks about her early years growing up on a cane farm; using methylated spirits to heat water and cook; the hard work of washing the farm clothes, as well as the various pests in the cane. In the second part of the interview, Joyce talks about beetles; the planting of different varieties of cane to prevent pests and disease; fertilizer; green cane cutting; cane fires and their dangers; mechanisation and the big changes in the industry, as well as her love of the farming life.

Interview with Nobby Hart, worker at the Macknade Sugar Mill. In the first part of the interview, Nobby talks about early days working in sugar mills; teaching chemists how to cook and separate sugar, as well as his work in the mill nurseries. In the second part of the interview, Nobby talks about the effect the depression had on his father; the mills’ stance on not employing Italians; mechanisation of the mill as well as his work as a union organiser.

Interview with Sam Bezzina, a cane farmer who emigrated from Malta 1935. In the first part of the interview, Sam talks about emigrating from Malta during the depression and the work available in Australia; buying a farm with his brothers; the importance of tractors and fertilisers to his success, as well as the big improvements in the cane farming industry. In the second part of the interview, Sam talks about the cane inspectors; the process of cutting cane; mechanisation of the farm; the community spirit of the neighbouring farms, as well as his retirement.

Interview with Violet Groundwater, widowed at early age with six children and ran a cane farm. Violet talks about her early memories of the sugar industry; losing her husband and deciding to keep the farm; running her farm with hired help; her involvement with the 'fair-go fighters'; running for council as well as her family and retirement.

Interview with Ernie Maguire, a mill worker, cane cutter and a mechanical harvester operator. In the first part of the interview, Ernie talks about the dramatic change in the sugar industry he saw while working as a mill worker, a cane cutter and a harvester; cane burning; the community spirit of the neighbouring farms; the pride cutters took in their work, as well as working with the early experimental harvesters. In the second part of the interview, Ernie talks about the advantages and disadvantages of cutting green; the people he has met during his career, as well as his marriage.

Interview with Denise Fritz, who lived and worked on cane farms her whole life. Denise talks about the early years growing up and cane farming; clearing and planting by hand; mechanisation of the farm; the downsides of farming; the dangers and accidents on the farm, as well as becoming involved with community clubs and events.

Interview with John Camilleri, cane inspector at Farleigh Mill. In the first part of the interview, John talks about his father’s farming property and his siblings; the mechanisation of the farm, as well as his grandfather’s death. In the second part of the interview, John talks about the hard work of the female cane cutters; the changes in the industry over time; his work as a cane inspector and making maps; teaching the younger generation, as well as the introduction of technology on the farm.

Interview with Ray Muller, an early pioneer of green cane harvesting in Mackay. Ray talks about his childhood cane farming with his father; early insecticides; crop varieties; green cane harvesting; cane fires; the wet season; socialising and learning from other farmers, as well as the deregulation of the once controlled sugar cane industry.

Interview with Fred Thompson, retired union organiser. In the first part of the interview, Fred talks about the early days of sugar industry; the change to the industry and structure; the community spirit of the industry as well as the union strikes. In the second part of the interview, Fred talks about the unions opening up the refinement of sugar in the north, as well as the bureaucracy within the industry.

Interview with Lawrence Mizzi, cane farmer, inventor and builder of mechanical cane harvesters, and his wife, Yvonne Mizzi, the daughter of a cane farmer. In the first part of the interview, Yvonne and Lawrence discuss their family history; their courting and marriage; the hard work they both did on the farm before mechanisation; the use of indentured workers during the war; the early cane harvesters they built. In the second part of the interview, Yvonne and Lawrence discuss their movement into hydraulics; finding a trustworthy company to back them; their trouble getting patents, as well as the struggle they had in such a competitive industry.

Interview with Mario Cristaudo, sugar cane worker and member of the Mill Suppliers Committee. In the first part of the interview, Mario talks about his father emigrating from Italy and finding work in Australia; the mechanisation of the farms; mill penalties; disease in the green cane; involvement with the Mill Suppliers Committee and their movement against continuous crushing, as well as a serious heart attack that stopped his work with the committee. In the second part of the interview, Mario talks about union working tickets; the shortage of cane cutters during the war due to army and internment camps; his father’s interment, as well as meeting and marrying his wife.

Interview with Elizabeth Stevenson, female mill worker and wife of a cane farmer. Elizabeth talks about her early life; her work in the mill laboratories and as a boiler; the difficulties of being a female worker in a male driven workforce, as well as her experiences working in sugar mills.

Interview with Joe Toft, inventor and developer of early mechanical cane harvesters and loaders. Joe talks about his childhood on a sugar farm; the early days of cane cutting; the burning of cane during the war; his founding of J.A. Toft Company to make a mechanical loader, as well as his movement into hydraulics with his brother and the founding of Toft Bros Industries Ltd.