The Office Clerk

Albert was the Office Clerk. A friendly, helpful and open guy who was appointed by default really because he was actual a forest worker who was seconded into the job. His passion was gardening and whenever there was no office work, he was out in the garden, trying to make things grow. And Albert became a good friend of mine.

The office duties were not too taxing at the time, keeping the daily diary, charging out jobs to the correct code, fortnightly wages and filing various documents. Most taxing for Albert was the storekeeping! Every forest has to keep tally of all the tools and equipment and people removing stores had to sign for them; the inference being that if those stores became lost, the item had to be paid for. That actually never happened.

Just the same everyone tried to diddle Albert out of signing for stores. Trouble was though, every now and then a stores officer would come from Dunedin to carry out an audit and poor old Albert would be embarrassed. Nothing much ever disappeared, the workers (and I) were just having fun!

Albert would calculate the wages and send them off to Dunedin and Gerry Kavanah (the Dunedin clerk) would come up with the pays in cash. He would always stop at Palmerston to buy some cakes for afternoon tea. He sit to gossip for an hour before returning to Dunedin. Times were somewhat tougher then and we fad to show him that a pen had really run out before he would replace it! The stores guy was just as thorough; worn out files used for sharpening slashers had to be returned before new ones were issued!

One day we received a gift from District Office. They had acquired an electronic calculator, so we inherited their old Facet. Remarkable this machine was, little levers to select the numbers and a turn of the handle to add things; the other way to subtract. To multiply the counter told how many revolutions the handle had made. Then to divide, the handle was turned backwards until the bell rang! Then wait for it! One turn the other way and you had your answer.

I'm left handed and the bottom copy of the summary sheets (for tallying produce sold) never showed through - there were about 5 copies - so eventually we were sent a typewriter. One fingered each key had to be pressed so the letter would contact the paper with a loud bang! The forms were numbered so it was necessary it was accurate first time!

I had seen Ireland's display of plantings further along Breakneck Road and had told Albert that there was no reason we couldn't achieve as well or better. He said the main constraint was a lack of water and initial shelter. Well the shelter was no problem, whenever the opportunity arose the workers would collect Manuka scrub and wire into a fence; creating an effective wind break.

The water was to arrive some time later, but we did install extra tanks to help. And slowly the garden grew. As time went on the garden grew and it became known as an amenity area. Each OiC that came supported and helped to build on to what we already had. Later the gorse covered flat below the office was brought under control and plant out as a park, then picnic area and eventually a camping ground. There was a period of time when the camping ground was a popular Christmas/New Year venue. With the sale of the forest the camp was closed and just recently, under private ownership it has been reopened.

Generally Albert oversaw the expansion of the Headquarters site and he would con me into organising transport or bulldozer to shift huge rocks. But his work as a forest clerk should not be forgotten because he moved with the times and was good support to the field staff. He would never turn down the opportunity to accompany me on a pig hunt!