After the war .....

After the war Grandad Ernie found work as a 'wharfie' in Dunedin, unloading cargo from ships which must have been hard yakka. In 1951 watersiders around NZ  were "locked out" by their employer after workers went on strike for better pay and conditions. The lock-out lasted almost six months and affected 12,000 workers. It was a tough time, and for the duration of the lock-out workers struggled to feed their families. Luckily my Grandparents had a large vege garden and plenty of eggs from their many hens. My mum remembers delivering eggs and veges by bicycle to striking families. It was against the law to support the strikers, but a young girl on a bike was less likely to be questioned about visiting folk in the neighbourhood. However, she does remember the police coming to the house and speaking to my Grandad on a couple of occasions during this time, possibly warning him against helping other strikers.

There is plenty on the internet about the lock-out also books have been published such as this one:

Here is a pic of my Grandparents at a Watersiders dance in Dunedin with their friends Mr & Mrs Coory:

After that Grandad was a 'Rawleighs' salesman for a couple of years, travelling around Otago in his little van. Later on in the fifties my Grandparents had a corner shop for a few years, again hard work and long hours. The kids helped their parents in the shop. It was the 'Sports Dairy' on Hillside rd, Dunedin, still going strong today. Until recently the Carisbrook ground and Hillside railway workshops supplied the bulk of the customers. Both of these are now closed. Grandad was employed at Hillside workshops - first on the night shift during the 1950s then day time (1960s) after they sold the corner shop. He operated a large overhead crane at Hillside.

                               Here is a photo of Grandad outside the Sports Dairy:

During the 1960s Grandad sometimes worked two jobs ie Hillside Railway Workshop and a part-time gardening job. As well as his own large, productive garden he found time to maintain a large garden for a widowed lady who lived nearby. He liked to keep busy. I remember him working away in his garden or tinkering in the garage with his transistor radio in his shirt pocket tuned to National radio. Fond memories.