Joe Northover talks about work on farms with his parents, picking spuds, shearing, getting his license and buying a car
Joe Northover
Audio Recording
Audio Transcript
Joe Northover: Greg got work up there see on a farm so I started work on a farm as well. And that’s where I learnt how to work there. We still worked in with Dad like on the times off, in the spud field. On his days off Dad just dug a spud field. And picked potatoes. And vegies like pumpkin and that as well.
Denise Cook: Would he just paid for how many he picked or –
Joe Northover: Sometime we never got paid. We used to get lollies and that. Dad used to give all the money to Mum. These days you used get something like fifty cents a bag. That was hard work. But they still got him and Uncle Henry. Old fellows. Like I went up to Kellerberrin worked on a farm out there and then back to Quairading, Stacey’s farm, shearing. That’s where I learnt to shear there – Stacey’s farm. Old B J Stacey. Harvesting with Greg, seeding. Nyoorn. He used to be up all hours poor old Greg. Him and Dot they like my second Mum and Dad. Dot, my cousin, my first cousin, her mother and dad they brother and sisters and Greg, he’s my people on Mum’s side too. They Yarrans. Distant but yeah. I like to think of Mum and Dad. They had four boys. They had Dion, Lawrence, Tinnels and Bradley. Plus they had fostered Greg’s other nieces and nephews too. So we all grew up together in one house. You know Quairading was good. That’s where I got my licence there at Quairading. My driver’s licence there.
Denise Cook: Was that hard to do?
Joe Northover: It was because Dad taught us some here and then Greg took us up there and that’s where Greg finished up there and Mum here, so back and forth and all of a sudden we needed our licence see for work so Greg said, “Come on then, we’re going to the Police Station”. Harry Evans was the policeman. I went down there and got my licence then. Then when I come back here Mum bought me a car – an old Valiant. My first motor car Mum bought. She said, “Here son, now you’ve got your licence, there’s your car”. Oh I juruping (happy) too, I was happy for this motor car, old Valiant.
Denise Cook: What kind of Valiant was it?
Joe Northover: An old VK Valiant and then after a while then Dad, I seen this Torana down there. 76 Torana. And I fell in love with that Torana. So I traded in the Valiant and Dad said, “Go on then get it”. I did let him down payments wise but my brother Phillip helped out there because I lost my job but oh that Torana (inaudible) so yeah but like I said Mum and Dad they was a big help.
From: Joe Northover, interview for South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, 31 July 2008
Protocols
SWALSC followed cultural protocols to obtain permission to use this oral history on the website. It is also protected by copyright law and may only be used for private study, research, criticism or review. If you would like to use it for any commercial purposes, including publication, making copies for sale, or modifying it please contact SWALSC on reception@noongar.org.au or Level 2, 100 Royal Street, East Perth WA 6004.
Note: In some cases the written transcript has been edited with permission from the person interviewed and may differ slightly from the audio recording.
Permission to use this audio recording kindly granted by Joe Northover