December 2009 Phone 044-620-3338 Fax 044-620-3176 Email: [email protected] www.greatbrakriver.co.za

Editor3B Rene’ de Kock

Dear Museum Friends Issue 12 of 2009 Except for the holidays, the We are a little early this month as several of our committee members will be away on leave. The number of readers has grown considerably during the past year and we at Museum will be the museum are most appreciative of your interest. I must thank the various open from Monday contributors who provide the write-ups that make it easier for me to put it together at – Friday between the last minute especially those that provide monthly articles such as Nisde McRobert, 9 am and 4 pm. Ina Stofberg and Sally Adam. You will also note some changes due to the December and on Saturdays break. We have included some of the interesting happenings that will take place between 9.30 am during the annual festivities. and 12 Noon

We are fast approaching the festive season and the countdown to Great ’s 150 year birth date. The museum does not have any special celebrations planned and We at the it will be over to the founding families to hold their special get-togethers however Information there is much to do in and around . See the various items in the side Office columns. The editor takes this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Happy wish our Tourism Christmas and an enjoyable festive season. members and friends a happy and The past month has seen the passing of one of our most staunch honorary peaceful Christmas members, Pat Maspero. Pat, who originally lived part of each year on the rd with family and Island and had retired to Santos Haven, died on Tuesday the 3 November friends. 2009. Pat was one of a small number of persons who very kindly provided us with donation monies that enabled the museum to reprint Margaret Remember Franklin’s book. ‘CAROLS BY CANDLE LIGHT’ on There is so much to do during the 16 December at @ December holiday should you be staying in 7 pm at the Great Brak River. Besides the many events Outspan Market taking place in and around the village, do opposite SPAR visit the Museum and Info office to find out what is happening. December Festival Visit what @ DIAZ remains of the SAB beer tent Wreck of the Diaz Goes Wireless Durban Floating famous ventriloquist Dock at low Jannie de Bruyn, tide. It is an face-painters, balloon modelers enjoyable There are also tons of ramble along fabulous prizes every the beach day: inaccessible at A baby competition, high tide. The Mr Strongman, information Mr & Miss Sand Pebble, office has an all the way to Miss Bikini, interesting book Mr Hunk and the big one, on the ship wreck with a write-up on the names of the Miss Diaz. The 2009 Grand Finale of various rocks on the walk. R 30.oo per copy. Miss Diaz will be held on the evening of 26 The information office also has copies of a leaflet titled December “Explore Historical on Foot” which provides Contact: Mimi Finestone details of the various historic buildings in Mossel Bay. Telephone: +27 (0)84 Some of these buildings date back to 1786. The Post 583-3144

Office tree dates from 1501. GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 1

The information office also has several new maps of Great Brak River and of motoring Herolds Bay Beach trips starting from the Great Brak River area (see enclosed). Festival When: Wednesday, 23 The heritage walk through Great Brak River on the 21 st November arranged by Nisde December 2009 Categories: Annual McRobert for the Mossel Bay Heritage society was attended by a total of thirty six Festivals / Entertainment people. An interesting addition was a visit to the oldest house in Great Brak River now / Outdoor Events / owned by Coralie. Coralie has turned the 1852 house into an attractive Bed and Sporting Events Breakfast with two double bedrooms for visitors. Come along and be a part of the 21st edition of this A light lunch organized by the museum was held under the museum canopy and jam packed, hot and enjoyed by all. The only hiccup of the day was the visit to the Hydro station where we action filled adventure in found the entry gate locked. Notwithstanding the barrier and with most of the visitors George this Summer. equipped with hiking boots the gate did not pose much of a problem. Some of the fun sporting activities that everyone

can be a part of are beach soccer, touch rugby, surfing and flag sprinting. There will also be children's competitions, promotions and dancers as well as an after party. And if you are feeling bikini confident why not take part in their Miss Bikini pageant?

Contact: Terra Firma Events on +27 (0)44 874-2015 for The Heritage walk Visitors in front more information

of Belhambra House The prettiest flower garden in The Department of Mossieness lane Water Affairs and Forestry reports that during the last week in July 2009, our Wolwedans dam is 43.60% full. The bottom 15% layer is presently not suitable for purification.

Cecile Hough enlightening us about her The Original fireplace in the 1852 year old unusual Herb Garden house

Great Brak River’s Wolwedans dam wall. The only other very small dam of importance in the Wolwedans catchment area is An interesting photo of the entrance hall the Ernst Robertson Coralie’s B & B dam which due to and loft staircase the rains is 100%

full.

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 2

Great Outeniqua OTHER LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT DURING DECEMBER MTB Tour

When: Tuesday, 15 DE DEKKE WILL HAVE DANCES FROM 15 DECEMBER @ R30 PER PERSON December 2009 to

Wednesday, 16 Bands performing : December 2009 12 DECEMBER ’09 NIC STEVENS Where: George 18 DECEMBER ’09 BEESKRAAL Categories: Sporting 19 DECEMBER ’09: KAREN FERREIRA Events ; cycling 26 DECEMBER ’09 FLASHBACK The event always 31 DECEMBER ’09 DJ starts in the traditional 02 JANUARY ’10 NIC STEVENS way, with a whip. At 09 JANUARY ’10 DJ the crack of the whip they brave the Some Accommodation Providers in Great Brak River Montagu Pass and the Establishment Type Address Telephone 55km that lies ahead Number of them. As the day Coralies Bed with Breakfast 5 Amy Searle St. G B River 044-620-2626 continues and the Ilita Lodge Guest House 19 Hoogte Pad South G B River 044-620-4143 cyclists enter the Little Kiaora Guest House Hoogte Pad South, G B River 044-620-3685 Karoo the temperature Aquarius Self Catering 15 Orian Drive, Southern Cross. 044-620-2664 rises, the conditions G B River become harsh and Bed in the Bush Self Catering (B&B) 20 Mossienes Ave G B River 044-620-3143 difficult. After 52km Corrie Vale Self Catering 10 De Werf Street, G B River 044-620-5124 and only 3km Island Lodge Self Catering 33 The Island, G B River 044-620-2934 remaining the sight of Milkwood Cottage Self Catering 35, Margaret West, Hersham 044-620-4176 the Daskop turn off is Hakuna Matata Self Catering 11 km from Greenhaven GBR 084-800-4035 a welcome one and the Louvain sign post is Ons Werf Self Catering 2 de Werf Street, G B River 044-620-4036 even more welcome. Seven Gables Self Catering 23 Susan Pardew St. 044-620-2109 Distance: 113km Hersham G B R

083-450-7479 Summerdream Self Catering 4 Thys Oliver St. Venue: George Riding Dwarswegstrand, G B R club in Glenwood Contact: Telephone The Great Brak River Conservancy organized a Birds Identification Course with a 044 871 4455 respectable success for a first initiative of this kind. 23 participants enjoyed the two day course held at ILITA LODGE, where the audience was enthralled by the highly skilled and dynamic lecturer, Ashwell Glasson, Guide Training Manager of BIRD LIFE SA. Participants found the comfort and electronic equipment of the venue up to the SAVE A high quality level of his course. Three young matriculates from GREENHAVEN who won a selection to attend the LIFE course: Jaylene WESSO, Curtley John FRANS, and Vicorias MPENGEZI attended this DURING THE initial phase of training, supported by their educators Marie MOOS and Peter SMITH, who checked their motivation to become professional Birding Guides. DECEMBER Great Brak River Conservancy is aiming to pursue this initial sponsoring effort through HOLIDAYS further training with Eden District Municipality and Bird Life SA, hopefully with our DONATE Municipality’s support. The market is in strong demand for birding guides in the whole country, and Birding Routes has proven an important impact on local BLOOD economy and job creation: Limpopo and Kwazulu Natal reached 20 million rand turn over in this 'nest' market within first two years of experimentation. Great Brak River can benefit the same input if our Conservancy succeeds in its efforts with local The Museum support. A BIRD CLUB should be created by the beginning of 2010, and all interested people has a large may join the Conservancy to set up other activities they wish to benefit in our village: number of hacking groups to eradicate aliens, flora and fauna identification and conservation second hand efforts, scientific data collection with UCT, birding... There is so much to do to preserve Great Brak River natural assets. books at R3.oo each To contact GREAT BRAK CONSERVANCY: phone Aussie Eybers 082 654 15 22 (office hours) or email to [email protected] Info from Pierre Villian

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 3 Paging Through History 150 Years Ago IN A COUNT DOWN TO GREAT BRAK RIVERS 150TH BIRTHDAY JUST AROUND THE CORNER WE HAVE REACHED THE POINT WHERE THERE IS LITTLE MORE TO TELL EXCEPT:

GREAT BRAK RIVER IS 150 YEARS OLD ON THE 31ST OF DECEMBER 2009

Whilst we always consider the 31st of December 1859 as being the start of the village of Great Brak River, Pauw Steyl writes in his new book ‘With the Post Cart Through ‘Houteniqualandt’, Kannaland and the Lange Kloof’ that a postal agency with the name “Toll House” is listed in the George Division for 1864. This postal agency was actually the first Great Brak River Postal Agency, established in 1864 and housed inside the tollhouse. At this stage ‘he writes’ the village of Great Brak River was still only a dream in the mind of Charles Searle. Consequently the postal agency was known under the name Toll House.

The first listed postmaster or postal agent was Ferdinand Meyer (who at that time was also the toll keeper) from 3 May 1864 to 31st December 1864. This was followed by Charles Searle from 17th January 1865 to 30th September 1872.

Interestingly when Meyer rendered his account for the first three months an amount of 4s 2d (about 42 cents) he realized that the revenue received was not enough for him to receive a salary. During this period he forwarded 147 letters. The postal agency became a sub post office in 1880 and was upgraded to a post office in 1890. Up to 1913 it was only listed in English, thereafter Afrikaans and in 1946 it became bilingual. On moving to its present siting, Belhambra house the customary English text on the building was dropped but amended in 1994 when Richard Robertson took up the cause.

Soon after the establishment of the George Drostdy in April 1811, Great Brak River was integrated in the postal system between Cape Town and Grahamstown. To facilitate the postal conveyance between Mossel Bay and the Drostdy landdrost van Kervel established a post station in February 1812 on the farm ‘Wolwedans’ of Cornelis van der Watt on the rivers west bank.

The advancing of the trek farmers between the present day Mossel Bay and George reach the Great Brak River by 1731. Burgher van Duijk grazed his cattle at a place called “Wolff dantz” from 1731 to 1751. The farm”Wolwedans” played an important role in the early history of the village of Great Brak River.

The Cape Government declared the Great Brak River as the eastern border of the Colony in 1745. In 1762 a grazing license was granted to a Hendrik van der Watt at which stage the farm was desolate. In course of time the territory between the Little Brak River and Great Brak River became ‘Terblanche World’. Johannes Gerardus Terblanche bought Wolwedans in 1827 (or possibly 1834) for £360 and a public outspan was established on the farm next to the River.

From ‘With the Postcart’ through ‘Houteniqualandt’, Kannaland and the Lange Kloof by Pauw Steyl 2009

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 4 Great Brak River Maps (Copies and other maps available from the Information Office)

ROBERTSON AND OUTENIQUA PASSES

This drive starts with a short drive on the N2 and then becomes a scenic drive to Outdshoorn via the Robertson Pass. Along the Robertson Pass on the right hand side is 8 Bells Mountain Inn and light snacks and lunches are served there. On arriving in Outdshoorn there is much to explore and see such as Ostrich farms, the Cango Caves, museums and interesting old houses, to name a few. From Outdshoorn travel back to Great Brak River via the Outeniqua pass.

The total round trip is approximately 175 kms

Directions: Starting from the Museum travel along Long Street towards the N2 and turn right onto the N2, under the bridge, towards Mossel Bay. After approximately sixteen kilometres turn off the N2 at the Outdshoorn sign and join the R328. Continue up the Robertson Pass, passing 8 Bells Mountain Inn on the right for approximately 80 kms (from the N2) arriving at Outdshoorn. After exploring Outdshoorn return to Great Brak River via the N12 and after approximately 35 kms turn right onto the N9 on route to the Outeniqua Pass passing a number of farm stalls. At the bottom of the pass turn right onto the R404 passing through Blanco turn right at a Y-junction continuing on the R404, passing Fancourt on the left. At the T-junction (opposite the airport) turn right onto the R102 back to Great Brak River.

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 5

Association Chairman’s Chatter

Robert Smith Tel 044 620 4952 E-mail [email protected]

As this is the last newsletter for 2009 I take this opportunity on behalf of the GBR Museum Committee to wish all our readers a blessed Christmas and New Year and I look forward to a great 2010 Museum year.

On reflection a lot has been achieved by the Museum this year. We have run the successful 150 year Heritage program which, if we had not done so, it’s quite likely that few of us would have been aware that our village had achieved this milestone. Many research projects have been completed and work continues to on-going research projects. Improvements have been made to our Museum, albeit on a small scale this year. Next year I look forward to making a meaningful start to refurbish some of our display rooms in the Museum.

I would also like to thank René, your editor, and all the article contributors for a great effort in producing a splendid newsletter each month. I look forward to next year’s editions.

Finally a reminder, once again, that our book, the reprint of Margaret Franklin’s “The Story of Great Brak River”, with significant events from 1974 to the present added, which is very interesting, is available from the Museum in either soft or hard cover. This would be a very nice Christmas present for our readers friends and family!

A new word……

ARCHIMBOLDESQUE

Guiseppe Archimboldo was the inventor of composite ambiguous images, such as a fruit basket that looks like a human face. Images that are composed of small objects are now sometimes called archimboldesque or arcimboldesque

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 6

Heritage Program Calendar for 2009 - Prepared by the Museum Monday, 26th October

Month & Description Supported Contact person provisional date by 083-448-1966 Program Organiser Museum Rene’ de Kock December Walking the upper end of the Willie Searle Furrow. Museum Mr Peter Searle & the An unusual walk will be arranged taking museum Ten people only approximately 2½ hours following the course of 082-561-3052 at a time Willie Searle’s water furrow from near the bottom of the tunnel to a nearby farm house. weather The walk falls on private property. permitting This is a fairly energetic hike. The walk is spectacular and highlights the difficulty of building a water furrow through rough terrain in 1918. You may also see buck, birds and interesting plant life. 25th November Special Tree planting to thank Bolton’s for their Museum Robert Smith support in all of the GBR 150 year activities 083-658-1500 during the year and also to celebrate 150 years by planting a tree in the memorial garden 16th December ‘CAROLS BY CANDLE LIGHT’ @ 7 Great Brak pm at the Outspan Market River opposite SPAR 31st December Great Brak River is 150 years old. End December Franklin & Searle Family Reunion Family only Info Peter Searle 2009 082-561-3052 15th January Museum Rene’ de Kock 2010 2010 S CCER The 2010 "Blow 083-448-1966 up Soccer Pitch" will be in Great Brak River. Late January Traditional Tea Party and crossing the river closing Museum Mrs Nisde McRobert ceremony 044-620-3783

For more details on what’s on in our area email Junita van Wyk with a request for their news letter: [email protected]

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 7 SA Tourism Snippets

TOURISM SNIPPETS TOURISM NEWS

South Africa’s most unusual o Statistics South Africa released the August arrivals chessboard can be found in numbers indicating a positive growth of 6, 5% compared Cradock- British soldiers made it with August last year. Total overseas arrivals increased out of an ironstone slab on from 171 937 to 183 981. Salpeterkop during the Anglo- Boer war. o International travellers to SA are spending more on their credit cards, according to Visa. The village of Gonubie probably derived its name from the Khoe o Maropeng unveiled a new fossil display entitled: word for the brambleberry bush. Evolution: digging for an understanding. The exhibition ran until the end of November and illustrated Elliot in the Eastern Cape is so Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. well known for its mushrooms that an image of one appears on o &Beyond offers tailor made photographic safaris. The the town’s coat-of-arms. safaris are offered on special request at most & Beyond Lodges at a rate of R6 120 per day, excluding There are more than 200 accommodation. buildings in Graaff Reinette that have been declared heritage o The following types of responsible Tourism get the thumbs sites. up:

The rare blue duiker is the Community interaction smallest antelope in Africa. It In-house eco friendly practices(e.g. recycling) measures 300 mm and weighs Hands-on conservation initiatives between 4 kg and 5 kg. Produce sourced from local markets

The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town recently produced 20 000 No tours to Robben copies of a pocket-size, six-panel Z-CARD map available to Castle Island on December 3 visitors. As a result of a pre-scheduled A loyal Z-CARD client, the Castle has produced a number of guides over event there will be no general the years. These have been in English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Dutch, German tours by the public to Robben and newly introduced Spanish. Plans are in the pipeline to include Italian Island on Thursday, December 3. and French. According to the Robben Island

Museum, the event is of both Apart from general information and points of interest, the easy-to-use national interest and importance map names every part of the Castle and provides information using a and no bookings will be accepted. simple key system.

Tourism Update

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 8 DID YOU KNOW? Coffee Facts

The English word ‘’ is believed to be derived from the name of the place from which coffee originated KAFFAETHIOPIA . Coffee’s Arabic name, qahhwa, was borrowed by the Turkish as kahoe, which in turn was borrowed by the Italians as caffè as well as by the French as café.

It is supposed that the Ethiopians, the ancestors of today's Oromo people, were the first to have discovered and recognized the energizing effect of the coffee bean plant. However, no direct evidence has ever been found revealing exactly where in Africa coffee grew or who among the natives might have used it as a stimulant or even known about it there earlier than the seventeenth century. The story of Kaldi, the 9th-century Ethiopian goatherd who discovered coffee, did not appear in writing until 1671 and is probably apocryphal.

1475:- Turkish law makes it legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he fails to provide her with her daily quota of coffee.

1583:- Leonhard Rauwolf, a German physician, gave this description of coffee after returning from a ten-year trip to the Near East: A beverage as black as ink, useful against numerous illnesses, particularly those of the stomach. Its consumers take it in the morning, quite frankly, in a porcelain cup that is passed around and from which each one drinks a cupful. It is composed of water and the fruit from a bush called bunnu.

1668:- New York City abandons beer as its official morning drink replacing it instead with coffee. The Irish, however, never got the memo!

1872:- The percolator was invented by a Frenchman.

1901:- The first soluble “Instant” coffee was invented by a Japanese/American chemist.

1946:- In Italy, the expresso machine is perfected and cappacino is named after its colour resemblance to the robes of the monks of the CAPUCHIN order.

Over the next few months we’ll be placing some of the photographs we received for our recently held photo competition.

Another photo competition entry This lovely aerial photograph of Great Brak River was the competition entry of Nadine Welch. The title of the picture is ‘A special little village’!

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 9 OUR NATURE CORNER ALTHOUGH our lawn is covered each morning with dozens of nursery web spider webs, it wasn't until I walked in the forest on a misty morning that I noticed just how many small web canopies there are. This is Euprosthenopsis pulchella of the family Pisauridae. All pisaurids construct a round white egg case that is carried under the sternum

held in the chelicerae (jaws). This causes them to assume a tiptoe stance. Just before the eggs are due to hatch, the female constructs a nursery web around the egg case. This is attached to the vegetation with a supporting web around

it. The spiderlings leave the nursery after one or two moults.

Currently flowering on the farm:

This single flowering Gladiolus, which I found next to the river, is a puzzle - an expert has told me that it could be a hybrid of G. tristis (Marsh Afrikaner) and G. liliaceous (Large brown Afrikaner).

This small plant has the appealing name of "Fairy bells" or baardmannetjie. I found it flowering along the track in a bit of forest on a sandstone slope. I was interested to see that it is the only species in this genus

(Melaspherula ramosa).

Photographs & text by -Sally Adam-

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 10 THE CURATOR’S CORNER Nisde Mc Robert’s Page

WE ARE OFTEN ASKED FROM WHERE DID THE FACTORY OBTAIN ITS POWER.

Excerpt from “The Farmer” dated May 1914

Tannery There were 90 sole leather tanning pits in 1914 and in the original Tannery of 40 years ago there were only 12 tanning pits. It was the largest Tannery in South Africa. Messrs C. Searle & Co. grew the black wattle in their own plantations for tanning.

At the new Tannery there is now in the course of erection a 90 hp Patent water sucking tube boiler made by Thomas Beeley & Son of Manchester and a 50 hp Steam engine.

The Boot Factory For driving the boot factory machines a 15 hp Barnett & Foster oil engine is used and in the factory over 100 hands are employed, and over 4000 pairs of boots, shoes and velschoens, of really nice finish, quality and workmanship are turned out each month.

The water power is so plentiful that the plant is being supplemented with Pelton wheels with 70 to 100 hp capacity.

The water rights had to be acquired by arrangement before Messrs Searle could rely upon sufficient water and for a distance of twelve miles and the water will be brought down through furrows and 18 inch piping across two deep kloofs after the construction of the weir at a cost of 10,000.

An 8 hp oil engine drives the dynamo and the saw bench in the workshops. A “Huxham Bros” disintegrator grinds the bark fine after it has been chopped in short lengths by the cutter.

THE PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS THE BUILDING USED TO HOUSE THE LARGE GAS SUCTION ENGINE SIMILAR TO THAT STANDING ON THE MUSEUM VERANDAH.

Bibliography Great Brak River Museum Files. Do excuse the English but that is the way it was written.

© The content of this newsletter is copyright and it may only be reprinted by request from the Great Brak River Museum Association. Compiled & Distributed by the Great Brak River Museum. The Museum Association cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions in the text. If you no longer wish to receive this e-newsletter, please will you reply to this email address with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject box.

GBR Museum News Letter December 2009 Page No. 11