ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0322 Bob Tutt Oral History Recording

Scope and Content Notes

Recordings of interview between Jill Waterhouse and Gail Harrison of the ACT Museums Unit, and Bob Tutt for The Causeway history project, 23 August 1991.

Original recording on a 5 inch reel which was transferred to digital media ca. 2005.

Recording is 15 minutes, 53 seconds.

Collection contains the original analogue recording, digital master compact disc in .wav format and two reference discs.

Bob Tutt arrived in Canberra 19 May 1951.  He was a taxi driver in Canberra between 1953 and 1981. Topics covered include:

• Auction by Jimmy Watt in the industrial area in 1951
• Rundown weatherboard houses a contrast to the new buildings of the city
• "slum area"
• 121 houses plus Cargill's farm house
• Describes conditions in the Causeway Mess complex of buildings
• perceived prevalence of alcoholism among residents of the Causeway Mess
• Residents drinking at the Hotel Kingston
• Nice gardens at the Causeway.
• Mrs Harrington at number 32 - nice house and garden.  She was the SP Bookmaker for the area.  Large family
• Richardson Family at number 99 - large family
• description of houses layout
• Bourke Family
• Weddings, dances and bingo at the Causeway Hall
• as a taxi driver took tourists to the Causeway to show them the first workers' house in Canberra
• Saw mill