I Was A Seagull Once Apon A Time!

No, Muriel, not a Seagull with wings, just a temporary worker registered with the N.Z.Port Employers Association (Inc) on the Auckland Waterfront in 1963. I was aged 21 years old at the time and had put a £30 deposit on a nice plot of land in Henderson and was keen to pay off the balance of £270, which had graciously been lent to me by my employer, Hutchinson Bros Ltd the Premium Auckland Grocers of that era.

My Official Seagull ID Card

"Seagull" was a term that the Watersiders (or Wharfies as they are known) gave to any casual workers who were deemed to be "picking up the little bits of work" that became available. I remember it was close to Christmas and although we were very busy in the shop, a couple of mates and I thought nothing of finishing a days work, grabbing a quick bite and heading off down to the Auckland Wharves for more excitement. The work was a lot more physical than our day job, but the extra pay was worth the effort and it certainly wasn't boring! I seem to remember we were employed by the NZ Shipping Company and didn't actually join any Union.

I am writing this blog during a period of a prolonged dispute with the Auckland Maritime Union and the Ports of Auckland Company, which is owned by the City Council. As reported, the strike is largely over conditions, especially what the union says are issues over casualisation and flexibility, but from my perspective the Waterfront Union appears to be stuck in the past and is unwilling to face current work practices and the Port Management are not exactly helping the situation with their pedantic stand, however it is very difficult to come to any meaningful conclusion, when the workers are on strike. Nobody wins!

 Excellent 1960s photo by Denis Wilford

 During my time as a "Seagull" I experienced 1st hand, the "unusual" work habits that had become the standard practice at that time. They don't seem to have changed much (in my opinion) and it is still "The Bosses vs. the Workers". It was amazing to me that as soon as a spot of rain fell, the foreman would call for the hatches to be covered and work would stop immediately and we would sit idly by, sometimes until the end of the shift. We still got paid! Our wages were taxed as it was secondary income, but we were earning such a good pay, it didn't seem to matter and we enjoyed extras for walking to another wharf, danger money, height money and all sorts of other perks seemed to be standard. Another positive aspect, other than the excellent pay rates was the knowledge I gained in using unusual work equipment. I was given a metal hook with a wooden handle and I was supposed to be able to hook into wool bales and steer them to another worker who would stack the hold as neatly as possible. This was a struggle for a callow youth initially, but I got the hang of it eventually. Being able to stack goods on a hand truck was another skill I learned and this accomplishment has been helpful throughout my working life.

There is an interesting "wharfie story here"

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/498236/Wharfie-from-fifties-rated-job-highly

Once we got to the Summer holidays, I couldn't continue working on the wharves and as I had also started working on Saturdays at NZs biggest liquor outlet, the physical effort of working so many hours started to catch up on me. Needless to say, I enjoyed the experience and the wages certainly helped to pay off the Henderson real estate. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland was also impressed, as the Church had owned the land and was happy to see regular payments into their account. 

Building the house on that section is another story!