May 2011 Phone 044-620-3338 Fax 044-620-3176 Email: [email protected] www.ourheritage.org.za

Editor3B Rene’ de Kock

Dear Museum Friends Issue 5 of 2011 Most Important

This month the local Western Cape SAMA (South African Museums Association) The Great Brak conference took place in Mossel Bay and following the get together, the River Museum delegates were shown over the town by Pieter van Reenen and Robin Phillips Association is holding its AGM both members of Mossel Bay Heritage. The many delegates having visited the th Point Lighthouse may be interested in the geology of Mossel Bay and on the 11 May surroundings which can be found in the included article. 2011 at 2.30 pm at the museum in Amy Searle Street. This month has been a busy one for the museum personnel and several interesting research projects are underway all competing for space. Apologies The Museum is for the additional pages. open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Another concerned reader having lived in George for many years and with and Friday their children leaving home asked what is there to do in the area on a limited between 9 am and budget. George, Great Brak River and Mossel Bay have so many clubs, 4 pm and on associations and organisations covering many many activities. Besides the Wednesdays from many interesting local walking trails, there are regular outings organised by 9.00 to 12.30 pm. the museums, the friends of the museums and heritage and service associations, arts and crafts. Hopes next fund It depends on what one is interested in. Come in and spend a morning viewing raising “Hands the history of our little museum with its large photographic exhibition and On” crafts together with our museum and information people, we can put you in touch workshop will be with just about anything. in May and will be held at the Great Following Easter, the weather changed dramatically and our local Outeniqua Brak River Museum on mountains have had their first snow fall. Botlierskop Private Game Reserve’ th has released news of an interesting “Walk with Lions” and also announced that Tuesday 24 another baby Rhino has made its appearance. The little guys name is following the ‘Kubudirira’ which means ‘The Future’ in Shona. crafts festival.

Please call Hope de Also in the news was that bones that were discovered near Mossel Bay about Kock on 18 months ago which indicate that elephants were probably roaming the 044 6205124 or Western Part of the Southern Cape when Bartolomeu Dias visited our shores in 083 378 1232 1488. for full details.

Elephants did indeed roam much of the Western Cape and there were many other wild animal aspects that are generally unknown. Watch out for details in the near future. THE BI ANNUAL CRAFTS The GBR museum and information office is in urgent need of funding EXHIBITION and this can be provided in a small way by paying your annual WILL BE HELD membership fees and which will also provide you with an email copy AT THE MUSEUM of our monthly news letter. Individual Membership R30.oo, Family FROM THE 16th Membership R40.oo, and Corporate Membership R100.oo. For a to the printed and posted copy please add R 40.oo. You can also pay for 21st MAY. membership via our web site, www.ourheritage.org.za GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 1

A number of very important events are taking place this month. Many items will be on sale. 1) The MUSEUM’S AGM takes place on the 11th May at 2.30 pm in the Great Brak River Museum following which tea will be served. Come along and Short of a book communicate your ideas and help the museum with its transformation into to read the future. Pre-owned books 2) During the week 16th to 21st May, the museum will be open each day on sale in the from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm (Saturday 3.00 pm) with the ARTS and CRAFTS Museum FESTIVAL. Shop….Every week day morning Entrance fee R 10.oo per person, accompanied children under 12 free. and afternoons when the museum is open. Morning Tea, Scones and Strawberries will be available from the “Pelton Wheel” Proceeds go to museum funds

Art Film of the classic A photograph from a previous craft festival featuring some of the toys. musical-TOMMY -1 May- Daily Demonstrations on Craft Making @ 11.00 am THEATRE@BRAK. Pewter work The Department of Quilting Water Affairs and Advances in Fabric Painting Forestry reports that during the last week Card Making in April 2011, our Decoupage Wolwedans dam Modern Jewellery water level is 72.5% full. 3) On MUSEUM DAY 25th May, the museum will be open all day and in addition will be celebrated by a special evening event. It is the ‘International Year for People of African Descent’ and we will be showing a collection of pictures from the early days of Great Brak River highlighting the people of ‘African’ descent and their relation to full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights, their participation and integration in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and the promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage, Die NG Kerk, in particular its intangible heritage and its culture. Grootbrak het elke Dinsdagoggend om 4) During the evening around the theme OUR MUSEUM and MEMORY. We 7h45 ‘n oefenklassie vir will take you back into the past to invoke an interest in some old style seniors bo 50. Indien u entertainment at a Bioscope evening featuring something that we have all belangstel om te kom forgotten. saam oefen, kontak Piet Snyman by 044 620 3053

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 2 Vuurvliegie-Projek Die Vuurvliegie Projek se hoofdoelwit is om ‘n The firefly project's main objective is to gemeenskap te skep wat omgee vir mekaar en vir create a community to create caring for each mekaar bid. other and to pray for each other.

Die naam Vuurvliegie is gekies omdat ‘n klein liggie in ‘n donker nag mense hoop te kan gee. Die leuse is dan ook: “Wees lig,gloei vir Jesus”

Die projek is November 2006 in Groot Brakrivier gestig. en is begin deur Lizette, Marietjie Loots en Dassie Barnard. ‘n Ma,dogter en ouma span.

Die projek het in die afgelope paar jaar talle skenkings en hulpverlenings gedoen, onder andere die volgende:

2007

Buiten die byeenkomste is daar is uitgereik na Trauma Kamer/Slagofferondersteuning by die Groot Brak Polisie Stasie; die Operasie Mobilisasie span by Klein Plaas, Ubuntu Bedieninge en Powertown se slagoffers na die vloede.

2008

Die komitee kon ook help om brille, klere en saad in te samel vir die Lesotho sending uitreikprogram van die NG Kerk Groot Brakrivier en hulp verleen aan die Wolwedanshuisprojek. Dit was vir die komitee ook heerlik om die “Vat-hande-projek” wat Elna Terblanche se inisiatief is, te kon ondersteun toe Tony Noble in Fremersheim opgetree het by ‘n byeenkoms vir die plaaswerker gemeenskap en die mense in Fremersheim.

2009

Die komitee kon die DVD “Escape from Hell” aan die Jeugsentum by die Mosselbaai Gevangenis skenk op 30 Oktober 2009

‘n Skenking is gemaak van grys skoolbroeke aan Groot Brak Primêre skool, Volwassenes se klere aan die Deo Gloria Projek, Groot Brakrivier en boeke aan Pacaltsdorp Sekondêre skool en Groot Brak Sekondêre skool.

2010

Die Diepkloof Kleuterskool by Outeniqualand het op 14 Julie 2010 tydskrifte ontvang van RNA in George.

2011 FRIEMERSHEIM PROJEK

Benodig: Ou Tydskrifte, kinder- en ander boeke vir ‘n biblioteek by die skool, wit papier om op te teken. Wol, breipenne,hekelpenne,borduurgare, materiaal ens vir brei en naaldwerkklasse vir kinders en seniors. Kontak Susan Le Roux, sel: 0835651537 of tel: 044 6966885,epos: [email protected]

Die Vuurvliegie Projek is werksaam in Groot Brakrivier, Mosselbaai en George. Hulle bewusmakingsveldtog geskied dmv sms veldtogte en om by byeenkomste mense in te lig en eposse te stuur.

Vir meer inligting kontak: Lizette Loots, selnr: 0823322342 of Marietjie Loots by telnr: 044 6202166 of sel 0731831847

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 3

What’s in and around the museum in Great Brak River this and the coming months? Month & Description Supported Contact person provisional date by Pre-owned books on sale in the The Museum for The museum May Museum Shop….Every week day. museum funds Both English and Afrikaans books 044-620-3338 available from R4.oo each Great Brak River Museum th Museum The museum 11 May Association AGM 044-620-3338 Followed by a Tea

Museum GENERAL May Art and Craft Festival ENQUIRIES 16th to 21st Hope de Kock: With a Daily Demonstration on 083-378-1232 Craft Making @ 11.00 am

Pewter work Quilting Advances in Fabric Painting Card Making Decoupage Modern Jewellery

Museum GENERAL th International Museum Day ENQUIRIES 25 May Nisde McRobert @ Exhibition of Photographs 044-620-3783 “Our Village People” An Evening of Entertainment GENERAL th Museum ENQUIRIES 25 May Local History of Film and Nisde McRobert @ 6.30 pm Photography 044-620-3783 Pre-owned books on sale in the Museum Shop….Every week day. The Museum for The museum June museum funds Both English and Afrikaans books 044-620-3338 available from R4.oo each NEAR BY 12th & 13th “Flight for Birders” bird Birdlife South Contact Elaine at Africa [email protected]. May identification course by Anton See za or Odendal at Great Brak River page 11 028 –316 1105. June Mossel Bay Heritage Mossel Bay Jack van der Lecq Heritage 044-620-4220 Association AGM

For more details on what’s on in our area email Hennie & Rene with a request for their news letter: [email protected]

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 4 "Our Local Geological Rock Formations” Contribution by your editor In July 2008 we published a short article on the Local Geological Rock The physical environment in Formations. On Saturday 19th February, we visited many of the local terms of geography and climate geological sites with our regional experts; Paul Rixom, Peter Ginn and has been recognised as being an Colin Ralston on a self drive tour arranged by the George/Sedgefield important driver of evolution branch of WESSA. Peter Ginn was our personal guide. Being of profound change. Plate tectonics can interest we considered it to be pertinent to reprint the article together separate previously united with several additional items of interest. communities, or unite previously separate communities, with The earth is approximately 4,600 million years old and South Africa has profound evolutionary some of the oldest rock formations, those in the Barberton area are part consequences. Climate change of the ancient oceanic and continental crust which are between 3,000 and can affect speciation and 3,600 million years old. The rocks in the Mossel Bay municipal area such extinction, depending on species’ as the Table Mountain Sandstone used in the construction of many of resource needs and tolerances. the Mossel Bay’s historic buildings are of much later deposition and are Roger Lewin. only 350 million years old.

The chart on the left provides more detail of the time periods used by the geological specialists. For instance the Karoo Desert of South Africa is noted for its exposures of upper Permian (250 Million) through lower Triassic (220 Million) rocks which contain abundant remains of mammal- like therapsid reptiles. Of major importance is that each of these time periods were heralded by a key event such as a very large comet striking the earth. On the right the shrew-sized Megazostrodon, the oldest mammal in Africa.

The earth structure has a number of lighter ‘plates’ which float on beds of heavier material. These ‘plates’ are not static and in fact are slowly moving. Whilst not particularly noticeable in South Africa, these are very conspicuous in countries such as Japan and New Zealand where the latter rock friction creates sufficient heat to turn ground water into steam creating the well known geezers of Rotoruia.

The acceptance of plate tectonic theory is recognized as a major milestone in the geological sciences. It is comparable to the revolution caused by Darwin's theory of evolution in biology. Plate tectonics has provided a framework for interpreting the composition, structure, and internal processes of the Earth on a global scale. It has led to the realization that the continents and ocean basins are part of a lithosphere-atmosphere-hydrosphere system that evolved together with the Earth's interior. This theory was proposed in the 1960’s but only fully accepted in 1978.

Gondwanaland had been on the move for some years and about 200 million years ago our Cape coastline was somewhere near present Antarctica. Then about 140 million years ago, the ‘plates’ making up Gondwanaland began to drift apart, with dramatic results about the Cape coastline. Major faults (where a portion of rock moves up or down relative to another such as can be seen in our Meiringspoort) occurred and many of the features of the present Cape coastline came into being. Some 30 million years ago, the continent of Africa reached its present position which has remained fairly stable ever since.

With most of the mountains being above 2000 meters, the Swartberg mountain range is in two sections with the dividing line between the two ranges being the Gouritz river, which cuts a gorge directly through the range. The Eastern section, almost of a similar height, is however slightly lower in elevation, with the Tierberg (Leopard Mountain) at 2132 m being the highest. These mountains are home to the Cango Caves, the most famous subterranean system in South Africa, located just north of Oudtshoorn. GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 5 There have been several periods of uplift and folding of the Swartberg Mountains over the last 250 million years. The Groot and other river systems had established their north to south paths before the most recent uplift/folding period. As the mountains were uplifted, the Groot river had enough erosive ability to cut down through the rising mountain range as rapidly as the mountain range was rising. Thus the Groot was able to maintain its former path. The result of this cutting action is the Meiringspoort gorge.

The Cango Caves is one of the world’s great natural wonders, sculptured by nature through the ages. The Cango Caves lie in the Swartberg Mountain Range in a limestone belt measuring 1.50 km in width and almost 16 km in length. The limestone layer was formed by the deposit of 'oolites' which are loosely- bound calcium carbonate crystals. Due to the early age of the limestone (750 million years) no fossils have been found.

“The Groot River and Folded Sandstone Rock Formation in Meiringspoort near De Rust”.

This part of the continent was once an early but shallow sea but as the continent rose and uplift occurred, the Little Karoo finally found itself above the water level.

The caves only started to form some 20 million years ago, when the water level dropped to such an extent that the ground water could start to seep into the limestone. As the water seeped into the ground it absorbed carbon dioxide from the decaying plant and animal matter in the soil and this made it fairly acidic.

For thousands of years, the caves were unknown, except to animals, however, about 10,000 years ago, the San used the entrance area of the cave as shelter. They never wandered deeper into the cave though due to their superstitious nature. The entrance area to the caves was originally rich in bushman paintings though with time these have been damaged. The San left this area and their cave approximately 500 years ago.

It was not until 1780 that the Cango Caves were again discovered. It is believed that a herder, Klaas Windvogel, in search of lost cattle stumbled upon the cave entrance. Slowly, over the years, more and more chambers and tunnels were discovered and in 1891 the first tour was conducted through the Cango Caves. It was only between 1972 and 1975 that Cango 2, 3, 4 and 5 were discovered. The present tourist route extends for 1.20 km into the cave, with a further 4.10 km being kept closed to the public for conservation reasons.

The colourful high quality (pink) sandstone found below the Mossel Bay Point lighthouse.

Millions of years ago that grains of quartz, feldspar, kaolinite and other minerals were deposited by the physical action of water and wind to form natural beds which hardened over many centuries into what we now know as Sandstone.

Mossel Bay has several types of sandstone but some 15% of the more colourful but softer pink stone used in its buildings comes from the 350 million year old rock quarried alongside the light house. Several nearby quarries, no longer visible, produced the additional brown sandstone.

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 6

On the west side of the Lighthouse (at Pinnacle Point) is more of this brown sandstone which area has in addition some of the many caves inhabited by our earliest settlers from 160,000 years ago.

More important to us locally were the changes in relative sea-level. Over a period of approximately 100 million years, sea levels were mainly higher than what they are at present, in fact as much as 300 meters higher and Knysna, George and Great Brak River would have been covered in water. If you look towards the Outeniqua mountains from Mossel Bay one can see that the first line of hills known in Great Brak at the ‘Heights’ appears to be flat. This was causes by earlier wave action pounding on the coast. This is known as a ‘wavecut’ which produced this table land approximately 210 metres high.

Part of the 210 metre high ‘wavecut’ as seen above the village of Great Brak River.

Sometime over the last few million years the sea level was relatively lower than it is now. This would have increased the gradient of rivers such as the Great Brak and Touws River and the resulting increase in energy carved out the spectacular gorges visible in the area.

Once you leave the town of Mossel Bay you enter the Hartenbos River valley and from here to the Great Brak River ‘height’, the terrain consists of mainly infill conglomerate.

The exposed rock from the Great Brak River ‘heights’ and onwards towards the Wilderness is from the 500 to 550 million year old Cape Granite group. Granite is an igneous rock that is composed of four minerals. These minerals are quartz, feldspar, mica, and usually hornblende. Granite forms as magma cools far under the earth's surface. Because it hardens deep underground it cools very slowly. This allows crystals of the four minerals to grow large enough to be easily seen by the naked eye. A very clear view of the granite can be seen from the Wilderness station looking north across the N2 motorway.

The Great Brak River Gorge, below the Wolwedans Dam wall, carved out by erosion.

Granite is an excellent material for building bridges and buildings because it can withstand thousands of kilograms of pressure. It is also used for monuments because it weathers slowly. Engravings made into the granite can be read for hundreds of years, making the rock more valuable. Granite is quarried in many places in the world. The upper six kilometres of the earth’s crust is granite but the quality varies considerably with those areas having formed the very slow cooled rock providing the highest quality.

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 7

The steep cliff faces and coastal erosion can be clearly seen at the small Herolds Bay resort near George.

About 500 million years ago, starting in the west, a rift began developing along the southern Cape coast, the Falkland plateau broke away from what is today Southern Africa and as the rift widened, sedimentation accumulated forming the Cape Super-group.

Plate fracture lines of the exposed coastal granite near Herolds Bay.

By 60 million years ago the last of the Cape and Karoo Super-groups had been deposited and Gondwana had fragmented forming our present coast line.

An interesting discovery at Herolds Bay where the granite is overlaid with younger Cape sandstone imbedded with Garnets. The fusion of the two types of rock can be clearly seen.

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 8 Going back into the more recent past we have:

45000 to 10000 years, the sea level was lower than it is at present which is evidenced by the steep river valleys such as at Heralds’ Bay, photograpg above and at Pinnacle Point at Mossel Bay.

Great Brak River Conglomerate with shell fragments as found alongside the ‘Vis Hoek’ (Hersham) coast and estuary mouth. About 10,000 years old.

10000 to 5000 years, the coast was battered by strong South West winds which together with the tides created our beautiful modern coastal dunes. During this period, the sea level gradually rose creating the many drowned river plains such as the Great Brak River estuary. This was also an interesting period in that the Recent Late Stone age started at about the same time 10,000 years ago when the last glaziers started melting. We know that the sea level was low at the start of this interlude as the local coastal middens contain bones of mainly small animals and not that of fish. It is estimated that the Great Brak River coast was then up to eight kilometres further out.

5000 to the present, the river plains such as that of Great Brak River began silting up and this is evidenced by the sand flats (sedimentation) which can be better seen at the Wilderness lagoon.

Great Brak River sediment deposited in initially rapid flowing water where pebbles, stones and sand are mixed together. Probably close to 5,000 years old.

Pastoralism was introduced to the Western Cape by the Khoe people between 1600 to 2000 years ago which started at the end of our Recent Late Stone Age. The Stone Ages represent the type of tools in use rather than a specific time period.

The meandering river and sedimentation sand flat at the Wilderness. The raised sand dune can be seen in the background.

Information researched by the George and Great Brak River Museums and from Peter Ginn and the Story of Earth & life by Terence McCarthy and Bruce Rubidge, GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 9 PHOTO’S AND TEXT;

OUR NATURE CORNER SALLY ADAM

A female mason wasp (Delta emarginatum) has been busy building a series of joined, one-cell nests on the wall of the house. She makes multiple trips from somewhere muddy, carrying a small ball of mud under her chin, which she then spread out to her satisfaction. This last weekend she was putting a final layer on her new nest and I noticed that she was being pestered continuously by a bright green cuckoo wasp. I presume the pest was looking for a way into the cells, as the cuckoo wasps lay eggs in the nests of solitary wasps and bees, and their larvae feed on the host's provisions or larvae. The cuckoo wasp hung around for hours but I didn't get to see if it ever broached the defences.

MASON WASP WITH MUD MASON WASP ON NEST

MASON WASP WITH CUCKOO WASP OVERHEAD CUCKOO WASP

IN between all the golden orb web spiders along our trails, I've come across a couple of these bark spider females (Caerostris sp) on their webs. Once disturbed, they leave the web, run to the nearest branch and press themselves to the bark, becoming almost invisible.

The fascinating bark spider, another orb web weaver, is an old world spider of which six of the eleven species are found in Madagascar. Caerostris sexcuspidata, although nocturnal, can be found on her web in shaded forested areas during the day. It is the common species in South Africa and the species with the most variations in abdomen shape and is non toxic to humans. GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 10 Caerostris dorsal Caerostris on Ground

Above Caerostris on Twig

Right Caerostris Ventral

Quote of the Month. FLIGHT FOR BIRDERS A bird identification course for novice and intermediate bird‐watchers :

DETAILS IN BRIEF: DATES: 12 and 13 May 2011 VENUE: De Dekke, Grootbrak

COSTS: R 400‐00, that include the course manual and certificate endorsed by BirdLife South Africa. TO REGISTER AND SECURE YOUR PLACE: “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” Contact Elaine at [email protected] Eugene Ionesco (Romanian and French playwright, 1909-1994) or 028 – 316 1105.

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 11 Tourism Information by Ina Stofberg SA Tourism and Other Snippets GARDEN ROUTE BOTANICAL GARDENS 5th April 2011 to 31st December 2011

Visit the Garden Route Botanical Gardens in 49 Caledon Street, George. The Garden is open all day and access is free. The Botanical Garden is situated close to George, yet it is far enough from traffic noise to hear the sounds of birds and insects. You see a wide variety of indigenous trees, beds of flowers, fynbos and succulent plants. Small signboards inform the visitor of plant names and other interesting facts. Directions: 49 Caledon Street, George. When you enter George, coming from the Oudtshoorn direction, you drive down Courtenay Street and turn left into Caledon Street.

WINE LOVERS. Wine lovers can make the most of trips to South Africa this year with the help of a new guide.

Wine lovers can make the most of trips to South Africa this year with the help of a new guide.The latest Wine Tourism Handbook is now available at bookstores throughout the country, at international travel shows, online and from South African wine farms for a price of 140 rand (£12.50).

Publishers have extended the guide to cover the Garden Route and the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Furthermore, the publication has been made available to download for use on mobile phones for the first time. The 2011 guide provides information about all of South Africa’s wine regions, as well as bars and destinations in Cape Town and some of the activities on offer to visitors in different parts of the country.

Introducing the GRUM initiative

Garden Route Ubuntu Music (GRUM) is an initiative by Garden Route Concerts to stimulate the Eden District’s music scene so that artists and promoters grow larger in their own communities until they are reaching beyond those borders. GRUM reminds that the heart of Music’s purpose is not only a financial goal but also one of the easiest ways to make ourselves, and those around us, happier.

GOAL To initiate the cultural exchange of music genres whilst educating musicians and music industry workers at a grassroots level by:

 Educating event organizers, music promoters and artists on their path, within a legal framework, towards earning an income.  Encouraging inter-culture performances and patronage at music events.  Enabling band recordings and promotional compilation CDs.  Eventually reaching out to the greater South African Music industry through conferences (e.g. Music Exchange and Moshito) and organizations (e.g. SAMPA/AIRCO) whilst developing relationships with artists and promoters in other cities.

TOURISM FACTS

 The South Coast boasts at least 386 bird species  South Africa’s national fish is the galjoen (Coracinus capensis), which is only found along the South African coast.  Hankey is the oldest town in the Eastern Cape.  Grahamstown is world renown for hosting the world's second largest arts festival (next to the Edinburgharts festival) and houses the only Obscurra (magical mirror) in the Southern Hemisphere.

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 12 And talking of the camera obscura… DID YOU KNOW?

A CAMERA OBSCURA IS…. Camera = Latin for “room” Obscura = Latin for “dark”

Go into a very dark room on a bright day. Make a small hole in a window cover and look at the opposite wall. What do you see? Magic! There in full colour and movement will be the world outside the window — upside down! This magic is explained by a simple law of the physical world. Light travels in a straight line and when some of the rays reflected from a bright subject pass through a small hole in thin material they do not scatter but cross and reform as an upside down image on a flat surface held parallel to the hole. This law of optics was known in ancient times.

The earliest mention of this type of device was by the Chinese philosopher Mo-Ti (5th century BC). He formally recorded the creation of an inverted image formed by light rays passing through a pinhole into a darkened room. He called this darkened room a "collecting place" or the "locked treasure room."

Left are Camera Obscura illustrations in an 1817 encyclopedia from the Wilgus Collection

Aristotle (384-322 BC) understood the optical principle of the camera obscura. He viewed the crescent shape of a partially eclipsed sun projected on the ground through the holes in a sieve and the gaps between leaves of a plane tree.

The Islamic scholar and scientist Alhazen (Abu Ali al-Hasan Ibn al-Haitham) (c.965 - 1039) gave a full account of the principle including experiments with five lanterns outside a room with a small hole.

In 1490 Leonardo Da Vinci gave two clear descriptions of the camera obscura in his notebooks. Many of the first camera obscuras were large rooms like that illustrated by the Dutch scientist Reinerus Gemma-Frisius in 1544 for use in observing a solar eclipse.

The image quality was improved with the addition of a convex lens into the aperture in the 16th century and the later addition of a mirror to reflect the image down onto a viewing surface. Giovanni Battista Della Porta in his 1558 book Magiae Naturalis recommended the use of this device as an aid for drawing for artists. The term "camera obscura" was first used by the German astronomer Johannes Kepler in the early 17th century. He used it for astronomical applications and had a portable tent camera for surveying in Upper Austria.

The development of the camera obscura took two tracks. One of these led to the portable box device that was a drawing tool. In the 17th and 18th century many artists were aided by the use of the camera obscura. Jan Vermeer, Canaletto, Guardi, and Paul Sandby are representative of this group. By the beginning of the 19th century the camera obscura was ready with little or no modification to accept a sheet of light sensitive material to become the photographic camera.

The other track became the camera obscura room, a combination of education and entertainment. In the 19th century, with improved lenses that could cast larger and sharper images, the camera obscura flourished at the seaside and in areas of scenic beauty. There are several pages that features images of camera obscura rooms such as this page on US park camera obscuras from our collection. Today the camera obscura is enjoying a revival of interest. Older camera obscuras are celebrated as cultural and historic treasures and new camera obscuras are being built around the world.

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 13

The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) has officially been passed into law, with several sections that will have an impact on the way the tourism industry does business. One of the aspects causing the most concern is what the CPA means for cancellation policies.

Peter Cumberlege, a legislative consultant explains that Section 17 (1) to (5) of the CPA dealing with the consumer’s right to cancel advance reservation, booking or order will apply to all hospitality establishments other than those covered by a franchise agreement.

In Cumberlege’s opinion, this provision will require establishments to:

1. Establish a deposit policy 2. Establish a cancellation policy 3. Ensure all consumers, when making a reservation, are provided with a copy of both the deposit and cancellation policy 4. Make every effort to resell a room in the event of a cancellation 5. Charge a cancellation fee that is “reasonable” under the circumstances 6. Forego a cancellation fee in the event of death or hospitalisation of the consumer concerned.

So what exactly would be considered an unreasonable cancellation fee? “In terms of the cancellation fee, Section 17(5) of the Act states that a charge is unreasonable if it exceeds a fair amount in the circumstances, having regard to (a) the nature of the goods or services that were reserved (b) the length of notice of cancellation provided by the consumer (c) the reasonable potential for the service provider to find an alternative consumer between the time of receiving the cancellation notice and the time of the cancelled reservation and (d) the general practice of the relevant industry,” says Cumberlege.

Typically the cancellation fee is based on a percentage of the actual room rate quoted and for the period of the booking.”

Another important aspect to note is that the Act requires establishments to seek to resell the cancelled rooms. “In my opinion, a cancellation fee would only be reasonable if the establishment was 100% full on the night or nights in question, was unable to resell the room or rooms and, as a result, an actual loss of revenue took place. If, however, the establishment was for example 60% full on the night or nights in question, it would be unreasonable to charge a cancellation fee as only a theoretical loss of revenue would have taken place.”

It should be noted that the views expressed above are those of Peter Cumberlege and that they do not represent the views of any other persons or organisation. Peter Cumberlege is the legislative consultant to Fedhasa and administrator of Hospitality Stats-on-Line (www.statsonline.co.za) a statistical average occupancy and room rate benchmark initiative designed specifically for the South African accommodation industry.

Thanks & acknowledgement to Tourism Update Online

GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 14 THE CURATOR’S CORNER Nisde McRobert

GREAT BRAK RIVER INDUSTRIES SINCE the mid 1800’s - PART ONE

BLACKSMITH’S SHOP

Salomon Ferreira who was one of the first settlers in Great Brak River shortly before the arrival of the Searle Family. He described himself as a “blacksmith and agriculturalist”. His building was one of the three buildings standing when the Searle’s arrived at Great Brak River. It is assumed he worked as a blacksmith during the road building as horses were used for transport. The George road was completed in 1852. The road was built in front of his House of Accommodation. The tools used in a blacksmith shop can be seen in the museum.

Fig 1. The forge Fig 2. The anvil on a wooden block Fig 3. Crooked nose pliers. Fig 4. Tongs Fig 5. Hammer and sledges Fig 6. The vice Fig 7. The screw – plate and taps. Fig 8. The drill

This photograph was taken circa 1950 when the village of Great Brak River still had a blacksmith.

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1875 CORNMILL In 1875 a water – driven cornmill was constructed. Mr Rademeyer of the Long Kloof supervised the building of the cornmill. David Grebe was the first miller but later was appointed as the foreman or estate manager of the village. He later died in 1918. Nicolaas van Rensburg was then appointed as miller and lived in the cottage next to the mill. According to Tom Searle’s book the cornmill was still in production in 1920. The cornmill was situated below the woolwashery so we presume the water out of the Charles Searle Furrow must have supplied water to the waterwheel of the cornmill.

Great Brak River circa 1903

Buildings from left to right Back left; part of the woolwashery Far right; Mission Hall (now New Apostolic Church) Centre; Cornmill Left Front; Part of woolwashery Back right; Tannery Right Front; Salmon Ferreira House of Accommodation and Blacksmith forge

This photograph by Allen Duff was taken recently at a very similar water driven cornmill in the Long Kloof.

The driving gear is clearly shown as are the grinding wheels on the upper right hand side.

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1876 THE WOOLWASHERY

The “Good Hope Woolwashery” was situated above the present Apostolic Church near the gravel road to George. The undertaking of the woolwashery was a combined effort of Charles Searle senior and Charles Searle junior overseeing and managing the project. Barend Erasmus supervised the production and the woolwashery gave employment to a number of men. The wool washed at Great Brak River was shipped as a quality product with very little grease. The woolwashery was in production for almost 30 years. The extension of the Cape Government railway put an end to its activities. The wool from the Karoo could be sent to Cape Town or Port Elizabeth.

Local sheep being prepared for hand shearing before sending the wool to be washed.

At the turn of the century wide brimmed hats were still very much in fashion.

(Photographs from the museum collection and from Allen Duff)

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GBR MUSEUM NEWS LETTER MAY 2011 Page No. 17