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"The Boats Go Out", a radio documentary on Southland's oyster industry. Produced by station 4YZ Invercargill. [incomplete]
The programme opens with theme music and a poetic description of oysters and their enjoyment throughout history.
A description of the Bluff oyster fleet setting out for the Port William oyster beds, accompanied by studio sound effects.
Charlie Brett discovered the oyster beds in 1867. A dramatisation of how the oysters were discovered while fishermen were trawling for cod.
Ted Tall, the 86 year old former master of the oyster boat "Belle", recalls that she was the first sailing craft to dredge for oysters in Foveaux Strait. His father was harbourmaster in Riverton at the time, which was a thriving port. He took over the "Belle" in 1895. He explains how trawling for oysters under sail was very dependent on weather, with wind required to help drag the nets. As a result, catches were much smaller than today. He says demand for oysters was much less then also.
Ted recalls how a steam boat "Dispatch" was brought over from Australia to transport gold miners to Preservation Inlet, and then turned to oystering by the Dixon's of T he Bluff Oyster Company. He took it out to between Dog Island and Ruapuke, where the best oysters were located. "Rita" was another steam oyster boat and gradually all oyster boats converted to steam, eventually replaced by diesel.
A studio re-creation of the present diesel oyster fleet departing Bluff.
[Part of the recording is missing at this point.]
A description of how oysters are removed from the 'cultch' on which they have been growing, on benches on the deck of the boat. They are boxed and the cultch is returned to the sea.
The breeding cycle of the oyster is explained.
[Final part of the programme is missing.]