Low country Liz : the making of a rural Southland woman

Abstract

The wealth of archives and primary material left by Elvira Begg presents an exciting opportunity to examine as closely as possible the histories of rural Southland women. It was the discovery of these treasures that first inspired me to write about rural women's history. The focus of this work centres on the experiences of an educated city girl who met and married a young man with a farming background. Personal diaries, a collection of poems and an unpublished autobiography left by Mrs Begg form the basis of this study. Elvira's life will be traced chronologically, but the central focus will be on the transition from city to farm life, and how the experience affected this woman. The aim is to examine her life in Christchurch and the intellectual environment of Canterbury University, then look at the impact of the transition to an isolated sheep station in Eastern Southland. Christchurch during the 1930s provides the background to Elvira's life as an educated city girl. Chapter Two deals with her initial experiences and first impressions of rural New Zealand. In Chapter Three, entitled 'The Making of a Farmer's Wife', the focus is on the way Elvira adapted to the new environment over the years. Rural New Zealand between the 1940s and 1960s provides the historical context for her experiences in Southland. I will also examine Elvira's unique response to the challenges of rural life, in particular looking at her writings under the pseudonym 'Low Country Liz'. One woman's life also raises theoretical issues relating to women's biography. Questions of identity and constructions of 'self' are relevant in this context. […] This study does not aspire to make broad conclusions about the experiences of rural women. Rather it is hoped that an examination of this woman's life will help to illuminate aspects of life in rural Southland, whether by illustrating homogeneity or highlighting diversity. The intention is to expose the myth of the stereotypical 'Southland farmer's wife' and to show the diversity of backgrounds which have shaped the stereotype of Southland women. [extract from Introduction]