Health camps for children malnourished in the Depression recalled

The first Health Camp for Southland children was held at Pounawea in January 1933 and the second in January 1934.

The Omaui Health Camp was first used in 1935.

There was opposition to the siting, which was described as ‘‘one of the lowest, dreariest and dampest parts of Southland’’, but Omaui was chosen for its short distance from the railway (Greenhills station) and proximity to both the coast and the largest centre of population – Invercargill – from which its volunteer workforce was derived.

Camps were held annually in the summer months, except for a few years when wartime logistics made it too difficult or when there were epidemics of polio.

The camps were funded by health stamp sales and public donations including fruit, milk, meat and vegetables.

The camps were for children malnourished in the Depression years.

They were fattened up and exposed to much healthful exercise, fresh air, daily swims and lots of games.

Omaui ceased being an official Health Camp in 1949 after an assessment of its facilities but its work continued, funded by donations.

Champion of the airwaves

One of Southland’s remarkable achievers was Arthur Cushen. Due to poor eyesight he took up amateur radio or DX, a role that became his full-time career as a broadcaster, journalist and radio station representative where monitored the quality of the signal from overseas broadcasters.

On losing his sight completely, he mastered braille. With his wife, Ralda, he was the founder of the telephone information service for the blind and his ‘DX World’ broadcasts were read by him from his braille script.

His world-wide involvement as a DX radio listener enabled him to help many new listeners, including other blind people, to enjoy shortwave listening, and he got around 4000 letters each year, opened and responded to by a team of volunteers.

DXers were often the first to know of world events and in his book The World in My Ears, Cushen details events such as the fall of Prague, death of JFK and other world figures where the amateur radio community had the news first. They also monitored potential tidal waves and helped track missing ships.

The amateur radio he so keenly embraced has been largely superseded by newer forms of communication that have come with advancing technology.

Not so damaging

The smallest damages awarded in Southland were a farthing, given on several occasions by juries with the implication was that although the plaintiff had a case, it was too trifling to have troubled the court with.

A farthing was worth a quarter of a penny.

In one case in 1875, Longuet vs Kingswell, the plaintiff had alleged that Kingswell had polluted the Waikiwi Stream. The case was proven but there was comment that water pollution was an essential part of manufacturing.

In 1873 there was a breach of promise case – Julius Wenkheim, of Queenstown, versus Mrs Arndt. The jury returned a verdict of a farthing damages for the plaintiff and each party to pay their own costs.

The Mataura Ensign of 8.7.1892 reported, ‘‘When you are smarting under a slander uttered by your neighbour and sail out breathing fire and slaughter and £1000 damages, and an unsympathetic jury awards you one farthing it is likely to shake the belief in which you have been nurtured that law and justice are synonymous terms.’’

In the case of English v. Harris of Dipton where the latter had called the former an arsonist ... ‘‘The jury found that a farthing damages would just about square Mr English.’’