tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112089182024-03-08T16:58:39.353+02:00Routes and Roots - discovering South Africa, past and presentSouth African family history, genealogy, heritage and interesting places, past and present. All articles researched and written by Anne Lehmkuhl. COPYRIGHT ANNE LEHMKUHL, no article can be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission. <a href="mailto:ZAFamilyHistory@gmail.com">EMAIL ME</a>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-65240853504052532792008-06-22T21:39:00.002+02:002012-03-26T18:21:02.750+02:00CHANGES TO THIS BLOGRoutes and Roots will no longer be updated. I have created another blog, Bygones and Byways, which includes the same type of content.Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-45624759332580800392008-06-21T21:45:00.001+02:002008-06-21T21:45:50.275+02:00Cape Town's old defender revivedA gun battery that defended Cape Town's western flank from enemy ships 270 years ago has been restored and opened to the public. The Chavonnes Battery, the oldest coastal gun battery built in the Cape since the Castle, was re-opened earlier this year. The battery safeguarded Cape Town's western flank from 1726 to 1861, until Queen Victoria's second son, Prince Alfred, tipped the first load of Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-47859270168316688082008-06-21T21:35:00.001+02:002008-06-21T21:35:50.608+02:00Graves should be cared forThe graves of about 25 000 Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Anglo-Boer War were supposed to be renovated and maintained in terms of a memorandum of understanding signed in Pretoria in June 2005. The deal provided £800 000 over the four years, paid by the British government and private sponsors, for the renovation of Commonwealth graves at over 200 cemeteries countrywide. A further £150 000 Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-20853295323371847842008-06-21T21:27:00.002+02:002009-03-16T21:22:23.966+02:00Count Natale Labia legacy fading without careCount Natale Labia wants the government to give back the house his father built. The 20-room Italianate mansion overlooks the sea in Muizenberg. Count Natale Labia senior was Italy's consul in South Africa. He built The Fort, as it was named, in the style of 18th century Venice, the city of his ancestors. The furniture and fittings were all Venetian. After his death in 1936, the house was leased Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-60966658703812763932008-06-21T21:09:00.000+02:002008-06-21T21:10:29.414+02:00A loney Karoo monumentIn the Karoo, along the road from Middelburg towards Richmond, you'll find a sign-post saying "Stoel Monument". The tall, black dolerite structure stands next to a peppercorn tree near the roadside. In front of the structure is a polished granite slab engraved with the picture of a riempie chair. The inscription says that Commandant Johannes Cornelius Jacobus (Hans) Lotter and his adjutant Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-48227007964169138442008-06-21T20:51:00.000+02:002008-06-21T20:52:21.684+02:00Paarl windmill to be rememberedPaarl's most famous windmill is going to be remembered in a new security estate near Paarl named Waterpoel de Windmeul, developed by Chianti Civil Construction. The development is situated next to Rheebokskloof wine estate in Windmeul, Agter-Paarl. The most famous of the 27 windmills that once stood in the Paarl countryside was the one that stood in Windmeul. Farmers would come from all over the Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-42629420428966564172008-06-21T20:46:00.000+02:002008-06-21T20:47:05.470+02:00Historic Carnarvon Farm for saleHistoric Eastern Cape family farms are being sold off, some for hefty price tags. The 3650 ha Carnarvon Farm, 50km from Queenstown, is on the market with a price tage of R35 million. The National Heritage site is one of the most highly conserved, historically significant game and cattle farms in South Africa. Archaeologists recently discovered a 120 000-year-old stone-age workshop site and San Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-18177498493294752572008-06-21T20:24:00.002+02:002008-06-21T20:37:07.032+02:00Tourist attraction planned around June 16The six routes followed by school students during the 1976 Soweto Riots from their schools to Kumalo South Street in Orlando West, will be marked as a tourist attraction. The June 16 Foundation announced that the 29 km route would be marked with red-painted bricks. Seth Mazibuko (48), director of the foundation, was deputy-chairman of the student organisation back then. Titi Mthenjane (53), also Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-27495753551526886092008-06-21T20:00:00.000+02:002008-06-21T20:09:17.960+02:00Stone Age in PretoriaWaterkloof House Preparatory School in Muckleneuk, Pretoria, is building a new swimming pool. Recent digging work has unveiled ancient objects. Pretoria is rich in early and mid Stone Age objects. In the 1950s, the late Tony Brink, an archaeologist, discovered Stone Age objects at the school. Dr. Francis Thackeray, a WHPS Old Boy, is the current director of the Transvaal Museum. He is an expert Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-44907831417765995512008-06-14T21:22:00.000+02:002008-06-14T21:23:19.117+02:00St. Mark's Anglican Church in District Six needs fundsRestoration work at St. Mark's Anglican Church in District Six, Cape Town, should be completed by September, if the church can raise enough funds. Mrs. Juliet Gosling-Brown, a Londoner, is a voluntary fund-raiser for the church. She came to Cape Town two years ago to work on the project. Earlier this year she married Douglas Brown, a former parishioner at St. Mark's. The church was built in 1887 Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-73650987045489777972008-06-14T21:10:00.000+02:002008-06-14T21:11:34.240+02:00Anglo-Boer War fort disappearingThe Daspoortrand Fort in Pretoria is disappearing piece by piece, as thieves steal the iron that was used in the construction of the fort more than 100 years ago. The political party, VF+, has asked the Tshwane Metro Council and SAHRA to take action to prevent further damage. The fort is one of four that was built to protect Pretoria during the Anglo-Boer War. Two of the forts, Skanskop and Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-55394047288129450152008-06-14T21:05:00.001+02:002008-06-14T21:05:52.811+02:00Floors High School turns 50Floors High School in Kimberley celebrated its 50th anniversary recently. Past pupils include many doctors (Dr Krishan Moodaley, Dr Diane Towell, Dr Wendy Crawford, Dr Emile De Koker and Dr Mandy-Lue Jones). There are also a number of attorneys in its past pupils (Allan Hannie, Claude Towell, Ricky Ishmail and Inez Moodaley); engineers (Angus Towell, George Wareley and Henrico White); Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-75375878006130794392008-06-14T21:00:00.000+02:002008-06-14T21:01:05.720+02:00De Aar RotariansThe Rotary Club in De Aar celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Rotary was originally founded in 1905 in Chicago by a lawyer. The De Aar branch was founded on 14 May 1958.Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-17308625372807295552008-06-14T20:55:00.000+02:002008-06-14T20:56:19.725+02:00Upington rugby centenaryUpington Town Rugby Club celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The club was founded in 1908. In the early days, a week-long rugby knock-out tournament was held in Kenhardt and contested by Upington, Keimoes, Kakamas and Kenhardt. The Kenhardt Merchants Cup was sponsored by local businesses. From 1955 to 1970 the club faced several financial crises, but thanks to the efforts of Jack Horn, a Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-8957128725576730162008-06-06T20:46:00.000+02:002008-06-06T20:47:31.438+02:00Pretoria East Cemetery vandalisedThe Pretoria East cemetery has been vandalised again. Copper lettering and photo frames were ripped and stolen. As it is the municipality's duty to look after cemeteries, some of the deceased's families are planning to sue the municipality.Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-34670107873265753572008-06-06T20:42:00.000+02:002008-06-06T20:43:06.950+02:00Money for libraries and museumsCommunity libraries country-wide have been allocated R338 million for the current financial year in an effort to promote a culture of reading. Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan announced that the National Library will receive R65.3 million while national museums will receive R409.9 million.The minister also allocated R1 million towards the building of a library in Timbuktu, Mali, a donation Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-52864658019883080792008-06-06T20:35:00.003+02:002008-06-14T21:33:04.262+02:00Family reunionsGloria Emslie is organising a reunion of the descendants of Robert Emslie. This will take place in September 2010, in Grahamstown. For more info contact Millicent: hughe@isat.co.zaMarielle Ford is organising a reunion of the descendants of Isaac Wiggill, 1820 Settler. This will take place in Grahamstown on 20 September 2008. For more info contact Marielle: marielle@intekom.co.zaEditorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-90300188924883545072008-06-06T20:32:00.000+02:002008-06-06T20:33:36.556+02:00For The Sake Of SilenceFor The Sake Of Silence, by Michael Cawood Green, published by Umuzi.Michael Cawood Green was born and raised in Pinetown. He heads the School of Literary Studies, Media and Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. This book traces the founding of the Trappist monastery at Mariannhill, near Pinetown, as well as the religious career of Franz Pfanner, its founder and abbot. The Trappists, Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-21479378743562560812008-06-06T20:19:00.000+02:002008-06-06T20:22:21.551+02:00Graveyard discovery halts fire stationThe construction of a new fire station at Sir Lowry's Pass in Somerset West has been delayed by the discovery of a pauper's graveyard on the proposed site. An archaeological assessment must now be completed before construction can begin. Farm 820 was apparently used as a graveyard in 1952-1954.Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-2013955567812378912008-05-17T21:33:00.002+02:002010-05-11T20:41:29.349+02:00Anglo-Boer War cannon in OttawaThe Battle of Witkloof (aka the Battle of Leliefontein), south-east of Belfast, took place on 07 November 1900, during the Anglo-Boer War. In 1951 it was still remembered with an annual service and parade - in Ottawa, Canada - on 07 November. A memorial service was also held at Witkloof each year until 07 November 1964.
On the morning of 24 January 1900, Cmdt. Hendrik Frederik Prinsloo, led the Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-22216760177111351432008-05-17T20:43:00.000+02:002008-05-17T20:44:26.503+02:00Nature reserve in JohannesburgThe Melville Koppies, in Johannesburg, are popular with walkers and hikers. The nature reserve, split in two by Beyers Naudé Avenue, compromises 50 ha and has a number of routes. For those who are interested in the area's history, there are guided tours led by knowledgeable guides. The Melville Koppies has the remains of an19th century kraal, as well as an iron smelter. Parking is available at Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-66732457486349640322008-05-17T20:36:00.001+02:002008-05-17T20:36:51.054+02:00St Cyprian’s Cathedral centenarySt Cyprian’s Cathedral in Kimberley concluded its centenary celebrations this month. The Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman, the Rt Rev. Oswald Swartz, unveiled a centenary plaque to mark the occasion. The cathedral’s centenary was launched last year when Bishop Crowther visited forty years after his deportation from Kimberley in 1967. Bishop Tom Stanage unveiled a plaque marking the century since Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-209494345822173412008-05-17T20:32:00.000+02:002008-05-17T20:33:02.898+02:00Mpumalanga needs helpThe Mpumalanga Provincial Government is taking steps to record, preserve and present the province’s rich history. Premier Thabang Makwetla’s office is looking for private companies to implement and co-ordinate the province’s flagship programme - the Heritage, Greening Mpumalanga and Tourism Programme. The Heritage, Greening and Tourism Programme required expertise in various fields such as Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-25484475105641840092008-05-17T20:28:00.000+02:002008-05-17T20:29:43.565+02:00Jail time for cutting old treesThree family members from Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal have been sentenced by the circuit High Court for stealing a yellowwood forest. Another three members of the Malenge Tribal Authority were also sentenced for their involvement in the crime, which conservationists estimate caused damage worth R8-million to the State forest. The trees were between 300 and 400 years old. Victor Terblanche, his Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208918.post-24043869560626170022008-05-17T20:22:00.000+02:002008-05-17T20:23:25.895+02:00Bush theatreDanie Niehaus has opened a bush theatre in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains. He lived in Bloubergstrand for 30 years, but moved to Hoekwil where together with Elmi and Willem Smith, previous owners of Big Blue Cafe in Melkbosstrand, they've set up home. They created a natural amphitheatre behind their old farmhouse. There is a terrace with wooden tables where guests can have picnics whileEditorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14735342638927398721noreply@blogger.com