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Heritage > Ruth Gotlieb Oral History, Part 1

Standing for Mayor campaign literature 1992

Recorded Wednesday 11th March 2015, 11:30am: Gotlieb residence, Miramar.

Part 1 (46'36")

Interviewer: Gabor Toth

 
 

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Part 1, (43.7MB)

Contents

Time marker: Summary:
00'00" Introductions from Ruth Gotlieb and interviewer.
01'15" Ruth described her early family history, how she was born in England but moved to Ireland as a young girl when her father was appointed as a Rabbi in the city of Cork. Explained the Jewish origins of her family.
05'00" Description of the Jewish community in Cork in the first half of the 20th Century and the tolerance common in Ireland towards those of a Jewish background.
07'57" The issue of Irish independence and early memories of protests and University of Cork "Rag Days".
10'00" The family leave Ireland and emigrate to Australia when Ruth's father is appointed to be chief Rabbi in Brisbane. There is sadness of leaving friends but also the excitement of moving to a new country though it took a while to get use to the weather.
14'20" Decides not to attend university despite a good academic record at school and instead gains employment in a department store. The Second World War begins and life changes dramatically. Joins the Signal Corp and becomes a Morse operator. American troops stationed in Australia add much excitement to family life.
18'30" Ruth's older sister marries an American Naval Officer and moves to live in the United States. Describes the sad loss of an early boyfriend, Arthur Moses who enlists as an infantryman and is killed at El Alamein.
20'50" The war ends and Ruth moves to Melbourne after getting married. Unfortunately the marriage ends after only a few weeks but obtaining a divorce takes much longer. During this time she meets Gerry Gotlieb who was to become her true love and life-long companion.
22'25" Description of Gerry's background and his family's furniture manufacturing and retail business that was based in Wellington. Gerry serves as a fighter pilot based in England during the war. Explains how they met in Wellington.
27'30" Gerry leaves the family business shortly before it is sold and together with Ruth establishes a Pretzel manufacturing business which becomes quite a success. Describes Gerry's warm, kind nature and fondness for telling amusing stories.
30'50" Just after returning to Wellington after getting married in Melbourne, Gerry tragically loses many members of his extended family in a plane crash in Italy. Together they move into a flat in Garden Road and then move to Happy Valley where they buy their first house and have their first two children. With another child on the way, they move to a bigger house in Island Bay and then to Lyall Bay. When their daughter left home after getting married, they moved to the house Ruth still lives in today.
34'20" Describes how her involvement in Local Government begins with the arrival of a new party called "Rates Reform" which she is invited to join. Though the party is unsuccessful, Ruth's interest in municipal affairs is sparked and she spends the next three years educating herself about municipal affairs. At the next election, she is successfully elected to the Wellington City Council. Describes how much she enjoyed the campaign period every three years and what a privilege it was to serve on Council.
41'26" Mentions that she didn't enjoy the three years she served on the Regional Council nearly as much as it wasn't as "hands on" and was more disconnected from the people she was serving but really enjoyed her term on the Wellington Harbour Board.
44'35" Describes how she felt it took at least one electoral term to fully learn and understand how the political system operated.

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