Spectrum 093. To market, to market

Spectrum was a long-running weekly radio documentary series which captured the essence of New Zealand from 1972 to 2016. Alwyn Owen and Jack Perkins produced the series for many years, creating a valuable library of New Zealand oral history.

In this Spectrum documentary, Peter Kingston spends a day at a stock sale in Feilding.

Peter describes the sleepy atmosphere of the sale yard prior to opening – as the crowd ramps up for the day’s auction. On-site recordings of the various activities taking place - with the unloading of sheep and cattle and haggling banter between carriers and auctioneers.

Noel Christensen, the manager of the stock yard explains the history of the yard and the expected size of the event.

John McCaw, journalist and publisher of the Stock Sale Report discusses the number and quality of stock. The changes he has witnessed over the years and what he expects from today’s auction.

As the auction gets underway Peter Kingston describes the scene and what is happening, the recording picks up the activity around him. Harry, an experienced stock buyer and Ken Thompson, a former auctioneer discuss the auctioning process and reflect on their experiences.

The programme closes out the day with the shutting down of the stock yard, while capturing various conversations between unnamed carriers and sellers.