Heritage - Consider the Lilies of the field

- William Penfold -

An important constituent of our collective heritage is the ‘nothingness’; the lovely open spaces between the buildings that allow us all to truly breathe and take in the beauty of our surroundings. In this town, we have no need for high walls, for solid, demarcating fences of ‘sparre’ and the like, all of which help to place us in boxes effectively revealing our previous association with the tired old suburbia of city life and which excludes us from the joys of open space.

A stroll down Deurdrif Straat, commencing at Kerk Straat will reveal to you the absolute wonder of small town living. The combination of nature left to its own devices and new buildings integrated with old is an absolute joy to behold. The far distance shows the old road seen as a perfect continuation of the existing, curving away to the left and disappearing into the hazy hills. A close look shows clever planting around an Edwardian house with the old barn left as it has been for yonks. Next, a new house where the owners have cleverly screened their pool for privacy by strategic planting of suitable shrubs. On the left, a divine old double storied, flat roofed barn housing an old workshop with a lovely sense of ‘organised chaos’.

Beyond this, an ancient leidam with lilies and reeds followed by sheep grazing contentedly in a long undisturbed field. Opposite, lies a cottage of charm, surrounded on three sides by farming activity of one type or another. The now famous Karoo Kombuis quietly goes about its business in a largely untouched old cottage of beautiful proportion. Crossing deBeer Street, an enormous round leidam lies sedately behind a pretty farm wall reminding us all of the amazing gift of plentiful water this town has been able to enjoy and thrive on.

Now, the real treasures begin. A beautiful gabled cottage, which, by the grace of God (and no insistent property developers), enjoys a view over four or so town farms right into the entrance of our famous and beautiful Swartberg Pass. The farms stretch way down the road and allow the stroller to breathe, sigh, and wonder at the beauty of it all.
There is more to come! We wander past Chris Akkerboom’s old house. Now unoccupied except for the fields which are alive with red and yellow Bishops, sharing their vlei with other birds and animals. An old pink flowering rose intertwines itself with the thorny acacia in a strange marriage of beauty and protective aggression. The entire property border is of shrubs, grasses and flowers forming a natural and adequate screening and home to countless small creatures.

At this point, you look over your right shoulder and espy parts of a rural village of exceptional charm presided over by a handsome kerk with solid bell tower and sombre chime. The road finally peters out after little cottages of quaint rural setting, at an old causeway where weavers have made their homes over the ponds of the Dorps River.

This describes but one of the beautiful roadways, paths and walks that we are blessed with in this town of ours. This is our heritage. Would that it can remain this way for us and future generations to cherish.

Footnote: It is common, although it need not be so, for articles of a heritage nature to be contentious. It most certainly generates comment and discussion and that is a good thing for those who otherwise are unable to express their feelings. At no stage is any comment in these articles designed to be of a personal nature and if this impression is gained by any reader, I apologise for any implied affront. I am overwhelmed by the positive response from all sectors of our community to these articles and I know of only one dissenting voice. Whilst those who encourage far outweigh those who don’t, I shall endeavour to continue with the articles as long as subject matter allows. I confirm that all comment is my own for which I stand fully responsible.

Heritage, Politcs and... You

Without an understanding of the link between the town’s heritage and its economic life, heritage can be presented politically as a divisive factor. That will not put food on the table.

In Prince Albert, we have wide open spaces that other small towns can envy, outsiders wander our streets and marvel at our buildings, and people show a friendliness which extends to strangers. Together, all these factors have contributed to peaceful co-existence, job creation, and food on the table.

When we see our town through the eyes of visitors we can appreciate what we have. To put the above into context, the entire community can be grateful for the significant heritage which the town has inherited. We are blessed with a diverse historical townscape, unlike other towns in which architectural treasures have been demolished to make way for more modern buildings..
In Prince Albert, the creation of new jobs depends largely on the initiative of the more affluent homeowners, in that old buildings have to be carefully maintained and restored, using the skills of local craftsmen, and funded – often at great expense – by the owners.

Higher rates received from restored buildings assist the municipality to provide jobs locally. ‘Poverty alleviation’ piece work may be one of the benefits. More employment for hundreds of builders, farm workers and gardeners and those who manage the furrow system has been created by the protection of Prince Albert's rich agricultural legacy and its historical agricultural resource. Therefore high value should be placed on the town's heritage and cultural resources.

The town’s economic well-being depends to a great extent on a vibrant tourism sector, and:

the heritage drawcard which brings South African and international tourists to Prince Albert;
the quality and service provided by the guest houses, which employ hundreds of local people, and enables local business to thrive.

Within the municipal structure there is the Heritage and Building Committee – whose work is to advise on the conservation of heritage and development. The Council should be complimented for funding the Heritage Survey currently being carried out by the Prince Albert Cultural Foundation.

Remember, heritage puts food on the table – it is important that we understand the link. Where a town's inhabitants stand together to protect its assets, a flourishing community life is assured.

HERITAGE: Proudly Prince Albert or just another Greyton?

- William Penfold -

Our unique, truly local Prince Albert architecture is something that should be retained at all costs. Like our other national treasures such as our rich history, San paintings and etchings, endemic plants and dinosaur footprints, our authentic local architecture should be guarded as a thing of beauty and a joy forever. It should be a relatively easy thing to ensure that our local authorities enforce the carefully planned ordinances that are in place.

In lower Mark Straat, a perfect example of an historic Karoo outbuilding, complete with ‘buk as you go through’ stable door, exquisite corner fireplace with iron bar lintel, has been destroyed. All but two token walls have been demolished and a new concrete slab on a new brick plinth thrown in anticipation of creating more ‘suitable’ accommodation. This, in the name of ‘progress’.

Why could this building not remain and additional accommodation be built elsewhere on the property? It would certainly have been the cheaper option if this had at all been considered. This thoughtless action is, without doubt, a loss to the fabric of Prince Albert and is just one of many inappropriate and sadly irrecoverable actions in a town that is crying out for preservation.

It is so important for everyone to think twice (or more) before taking action. Get expert advice. For heaven’s sake, look for more than one opinion. This town desperately needs expert architectural input from architects with deep heritage experience and understanding.

At the moment, Prince Albert is heading toward Toyland with so many twee houses so lacking in fulsome detail and unimaginative design that don’t sit comfortably with the old and are too readily accepted for approval by an inexperienced municipality.

The delicate fabric of Prince Albert cottages is so vulnerable to the unconsidered onslaught of insensitive owners and builders. A single telephone call to a modern builder’s supplier will supply all the necessary requirements for a modern cottage in the supposed guise of Karoo Victorian country cottage.

This must be guarded against with all the will in the world. Most brand new tiles, brand new taps, brand new paving slabs etc. simply don’t belong! There is no ‘off the shelf’ alternative to a truly proportioned Victorian sash window.

There is no ‘off the shelf’ alternative to an old ’happy’ door or authentic French door. They must be designed and made. Surely the people spending the money we see being spent can see and understand this simple and basic requirement?

Why can’t we repair the old? Why can’t we replace the worn parts? Why rip out? Why destroy? Why did we come here?

Do we want Prince Albert to become like the soulless, ‘keep up with the Joneses’ town that Greyton has become? I sure as hell hope not. Do any of you know how Greyton used to be? It was like God’s gift to mankind. A bit like Prince Albert.

Have you noticed the way the poor stressed out, crime weary city folk set their car alarms when they park here in case one of us locals might rip them off? In our town, they soon forget their troubles and then inadvertently set off the alarm when getting back in their cars. Such is the way it still is here.

We need all worry that if you bring the city and its troubles to Prince Albert and, as sure as the village patina is relentlessly being rubbed off, the city and its troubles will come to bite you in the behind. Once a lifestyle is gone, there is no getting it back.

Strange Wanderings around the Town

Have you been wondering what teams of Prince Alberters are doing, walking the streets of the town in teams, standing and discussing every building? It is work–in–progress towards updating the survey last done in 1995 to record the heritage significance of the town's built environment.

The Heritage Resources Act of 1999 requires every local authority to carry out the identification and management of what is termed the 'national estate' within its area of responsibility. The Prince Albert Cultural Foundation has been given the task by the municipal council to carry out a heritage inventory for the whole of Prince Albert within the urban edge, including North End. Ultimately, the heritage survey will extend beyond the urban area to include the entire municipal area of Prince Albert. At that stage, Klaarstroom and Leeu-Gamka and outlying farms will also be surveyed for their heritage significance.

Did you know that Prince Albert has 13 proclaimed national monuments, and 18 gabled buildings? A worthy start, but there are many more buildings worthy of being on the heritage register. You would be very welcome to participate in this heritage survey, and would get to know why Prince Albert occupies such a unique place amongst Karoo towns, many of which have not rated their built environments highly enough, and have permitted inappropriate development. The growth and development of Prince Albert will be more competently served once the heritage survey is complete.

Contact persons:
Judy Maguire 023 5411713
and Derek Thomas 023 5411492

Fraserburg and Williston explored

- Sonja McKenna -


Mid May a group of fifteen locals and two out-of-towners joined Judy Maguire on her two day cultural outing to Fraserburg and Williston. On the road to Fraserburg she explained that the “Hot Spot” which had resulted in the outpouring of the Drakensberg lavas, had also pushed intrusive dolerite sills and dykes as far as Fraserburg, the weathered remnants of which today looks like wool sacks of various sizes. The group could see clear examples of these on either side of the road.

From the top of Theeberg Pass (1,500 m high) the group looked back in the direction of Prince Albert at the Karoo basin formed between Theeberg and Swartberg (Die Top also 1,500 m high) which was once the Karoo Sea - with its deepest part at Prince Albert.

Looking over the Theekloof gorge, Judy told the story of young Van der Merwe who died on his way to his wedding in Oudtshoorn when his horse-drawn cart plunged into the gorge taking a casket of his wedding sovereigns with them. A monument was erected for the unfortunate young man but whether the money was ever found no one can tell…

Everyone admired the old inn and farmstead at Steenkampsvlakte built with horizontally packed stones. Judy pointed out the absence of adequate beams and joists: no trees grow in the area to provide wood. The pear trees on the site were most probably planted 200 years ago.

In Fraserburg the group stopped briefly to look at the Voortrekker monument in the form of a wagon wheel on a stone plinth in the main road. A peculiar kink in the road was pointed out: The first main road used to run past the Jewish trading stores but, with the establishment of the co-op, its course was altered to pass the co-op and the Jewish traders were bypassed. The very monument the group was discussing was recently flattened by a vehicle whose driver did not observe the dangerous kink!

There was no time to sample the ‘meerkat burgers’ at the local country restaurant but Judy did make time to show the group the failed tomato tunnel project – hoping to find an answer to her question: What are we doing wrong? For the tomato-growing project also failed in Williston. The lively discussion that followed did not supply her with an answer.

The immaculately kept farm Groot Wagenmakersvlei was the next stop where farmer Olivier entranced the group with his graphic accounts of the encounters between the Bushmen and the trekboers in the area. In the early 1700’s they had co-existed peacefully sharing the spring water. But by the 1750’s competition for the water and grazing (wild game also required these) led to stock thefts resulted in the killing of hundreds of Bushmen.

In 1809 – after the murdering of an entire trekboer family – a commando was formed and systematically every San (Bushman), woman and child of the group responsible was killed. The trekboers were finally able to settle in the area after about 1815.

A combination of ‘saaidam’ agriculture, their substantial herds of horses, donkeys and cattle slowly destroyed much of the habitat of the riverine rabbit. Mr Olivier was delighted to tell the group that the reeds had re-established and that the almost extinct rabbits are returning. It also interested the group to hear that a farmer could buy a brand new bakkie six years ago by selling ninety sheep – today he needs to sell 300!
Next on the itinerary was the visit to Kerkplaas, the second mission station established in South Africa – the first was Genadendal.

The man who chose to evangelise the Bushmen encamped at the Sak River was a Dutchman by the name of Kicherer. He started his mission station in 1799, largely supported and subsidised by the local farmers who hoped that the San, who had made permanent settlement almost impossible, would be pacified. A fair amount of the 60 x 30 foot church still stands today, plus some kraals and small buildings, all beautifully built with horizontally packed stones.

Kicherer struggled with the Bushmen and had on occasion to resort to handouts of dagga, tobacco and livestock to try and convert them, or at least to get them to stay. His mission lasted four years and in the end he only succeeded with the Khoi (Hottentots) who were more amenable to being converted.
The Williston Hotel was the final destination for the day. Well fed and rested the group travelled the one kilometre to the edge of the town to inspect the fort with its incredible visibility that was set up there during the Anglo Boer War. The strange looking structure resembles a maze built from various sizes of rounded stones. Most of the gun rests (crudely made of corrugated iron) are still to be found in the walls.

The subsequent visit to the town cemetery revealed a few soldiers’ graves, some (fenced off) Jewish graves with distinctively polished granite, and headstones inscribed on the back for an unknown reason. Outside the fence are the graves of the Coloured folk, but inspanned into the fence is the grave of Caroline Lutz, wife of Reverend Lutz, who died at the age of 42, giving birth to her 11th child.

En route the R353 back to Fraserburg a restored corbelled house was viewed at Jan Klaasleegte where our hostess for the day, Cora Steenkamp, explained that the first trekboers built these beehive structures from stone and that they are a unique heritage as they are only found in this part of South Africa.

At their farm Rietfontein Cora and her team demonstrated how to bake bread in an outside oven, how the horse powered flour mill worked and how the threshing floor operated. A feast of traditional content and proportions was served on the lush lawn after everyone inspected the farm’s fountain and found the miraculous bubbling spring water irresistible.

Several of the party went on with Judy to visit the fossil site at Fraserburg and everybody returned to Prince Albert full of praise for the incredible work she does. Judy has built an amazing relationship with the farmers and convinced them to share their historical treasures with interested people.

Thank you, Judy, you are our treasure.

Heritage and Progress

- William Penfold -

HERITAGE - A word much bandied about these days. Some are afraid of it, some pooh-pooh it and some don’t grasp the real importance of it. What does it really mean and what is the significance to the residents of Prince Albert?

Webster’s refers to ‘inheritance’, a ‘legacy’, a ‘tradition’. The Oxford English simply refers to ‘the things that one has inherited’. The Readers Digest Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary (yes, really!) refers to ‘what is or may be inherited’.

Whichever word or words of description you prefer, the meanings really are all the same. Eve Palmer, the author of that wonderful book, ‘The Plains of Camdeboo’, sums it up pretty well on the very first page. For us, we look at the truly mighty Swartberg with its dainty clear perennial stream, our lifeblood; the glorious indigenous flora in the kloof, spilling out towards us; the bird life that this water and the flora supports; the old gnarled quince, pomegranate, lemon, apricot and other trees in our gardens and hedgerows; the rural open spaces between the houses; the town farms with their beautifully proportioned quaint barns and sheds, and; of course, the unique architecture, from the grandest gabled houses to the humblest brakdak huisies, some with old koffie blikke for chimney pots.

This, dear reader is our collective heritage. The implication is that whether you have actually inherited a property by descent or have acquired a property of your choice as a newcomer to town by purchase, the onus is really upon you to carefully consider the history of it and the reason you were attracted to it in the first place, before wanting to rush in and make changes that you and the townsfolk may well later regret.

Most of the people who live in Prince Albert are born and brought up here. Many of them have never been much beyond the boundaries of the town. For them, the very town itself is their heritage. Many residents are newcomers from the city; some to retire, a few to open businesses of a variety of natures.

Of these newcomers, several have a good idea of the need to maintain the ‘heritage’ that they acquire. There are others, however, who, in their quest to relieve themselves of the stresses of the city by relocating ‘to the country’, seem to do their utmost to bring the city to ‘the country’ in order to maintain their urban lifestyles with city architecture, city interiors, city gardens, city security lights, city alarms etc, all of which entrenches the continued lifestyle of which they really cannot let go.

This ‘foreign’ style may soon induce our original inhabitants to change their heretofore ‘quaint’ lifestyle and to follow suit with inappropriate changes which will gradually change the landscape of the village, reducing its original appeal which attracted the city dweller in the first place!

Another worrying potential landscape change is the strong possibility of city-inspired mass developments on a scale not known before to the town. Without touching on all the potential infrastructural problems that these proposed developments could cause, it is the change to the heritage landscape of the town, which is its very attraction to the tourism industry and the main reason for the town’s survival that is the issue at stake.

Developments of this nature that bring short term instant gratification to certain sectors, in the long term can be the death knell of the town through loss of visitor revenue, having already lost so much of its past revenue through the partial demise of the farming industry which once was its mainstay.

Whilst it is said that ‘one cannot stop progress’, it is most important to understand that ‘progress’ could be defined as ‘remaining as much the same as possible’ and preserving our heritage. This in itself will help promote the tourism industry, which will mean that we do progress and have economic growth for all our inhabitants.

So many of the visitors to our town say; ‘Wow, what a quaint town you have here!’ ‘It’s so nice that little has changed, only a few inappropriate alterations’ and ‘We will definitely come again and stay for longer’ and ‘We didn’t even know about this place or what to expect.’ These are the people who enjoy our ‘heritage’. These are the people who will continue to help our town to survive and, hopefully, thrive.

But, the most important aspect of this is that we should learn to understand and appreciate our heritage because we live here and we want to enjoy it. We all want to be ‘Proudly Prince Albert.’

The Heritage South Africa Symposium (10 and 11 August 2007) – an update

Arrangements are forging ahead for the Heritage South Africa Symposium, and the programme is all but finalized. The overall theme is “The Heritage Timescale” and sessions deal with a broad spectrum of heritage which covers many issues from rock art to contemporary questions concerning our cultural identity, and what this is and means.

The first session explores the seemingly well-entrenched “Mermaid Myth” of the Karoo and its connection or otherwise to the so-called ‘mermaid paintings’ in the rock art of this region. The speakers in this session are Poem Mooneys, the ‘Stamvader’ of the Attaqua Khoi and Dr Jeremy Hollmann, rock art specialist, who has spent much time visiting each and every ‘mermaid’ painting site and has carefully researched the original meanings of these images. Poem Mooneys is au fait with many contemporary beliefs within the Khoisan communities of the Little Karoo as well as elsewhere.

The second session deals with ‘Village Life” and speakers in this session are Annalize and Maré Mouton, editors of the popular cultural and natural history magazine ‘Village Life’. Their contribution examines the role every household can play in conserving heritage and looks at family histories and appropriate future repositories for such fragile heritage – are Museums the right place?

Derek Thomas will also speak in this session and examine Prince Albert as a cultural landscape – the threats to its continued existence and sustainability into the future and strategies for its conservation and management.

Session three is entitled “Making the Intangible Tangible” and Christine Thomas will speak about her work in focusing attention on the old Gamkaskloof tradition of asking riddles – an aspect of intangible heritage that has all but disappeared. She will also explain the ‘capturing’ of the intangible heritage around the displaced Prince Albert communities of Rooikamp and Nuwerus, and the multi-pronged approach by means of which this has been rendered tangible. A short town walk around this neighbourhood with Christine and Baba Lekay, a former resident, is associated with this session as is a visit to the Fransie Pienaar Museum to view the Rooikamp exhibition.

It is hoped that session four, parts one and two, will generate much discussion around the “Question of Culture”. What gives us cultural identity? What signifiers are clues to this? How does culture change? Are we culturally disoriented or culturally homeless? Speakers in the session (Part 1) are Crain Soudien, educator and specialist in culture and museums in Africa, and Cheryl Carolus, businesswoman par excellence.

Speakers in session four (Part 2) are Gerrit Brandt and Zane Meas (Neville Meintjies of “Sewende Laan’ fame). With this diversity of academics juxtaposed with media folk and a fascinated audience from many regions of South Africa, it is hoped that discussion will be lively.

The excursion will be to the old property Remhoogte and Klaarstroom and will examine South African War links to these outlying heritage areas. Dr Taffy Shearing, a professional historian, has agreed to share her knowledge of this segment of history with us.

For those that would like to register, please contact Virna Gouws at the Fransie Pienaar Museum on 023 5411172 or Judy Maguire on 023 5411 713 or questar[@]icon.co.za. It is possible to book for individual sessions at R50 per session which includes tea but not other meals. A limited number of ‘bursary session tickets’ are available at R15 – these are intended for the staff of local guesthouses, restaurants, tourism bureau and for those who are interested in going into heritage or tourism. There are also a few fully sponsored session tickets – for the last two categories, please contact Judy Maguire directly.

Please note that the venue has changed – the symposium sessions will now be held at the Hoërskool Zwartberg hall. Booking forms are available from the contact persons noted above. For out-of-town folk, please note that booking is brisk and accommodation will be at a premium because of it being a long weekend and there is to be a wedding in the town. Book and register without delay to avoid disappointment.

Prince Albert to host Annual Heritage Symposium

-Judy Mcquire-

The Prince Albert Cultural Foundation/Kultuurstigting, supported by the Fransie Pienaar Museum and Southern Cape branch of the Simon van der Stel Foundation will be hosting the annual Symposium and AGM of Heritage South Africa, a national body comprising affiliated branches of the Simon van der Stel Foundation, Heritage Trusts and heritage bodies from many villages and towns of South Africa.

The focus of interest of Heritage South Africa is the conservation of all aspects of heritage: whether this takes the form of elements of the built environment and its contextual landscape or intangible heritage such as oral traditions, histories, and local traditional skills.

The Symposium will take place from 10 ­-11 August and includes three sessions each of which will address a different portion of the heritage timescale.

The first two will address archaeology and rock art, and village life and the problems associated with protecting heritage in small villages.

The third will be structured to facilitate a discussion of what constitutes our respective cultural identity - pertinent questions in a social milieu where people are questioning and redefining themselves (and their identity and cultures) and there is Constitutional protection of cultural identity overlain with the need for nation-building ­ seemingly two contradictory goals.

Stimulating speakers from each of the cultural groups will lead the discussion. There will be interesting excursions on both days.

Persons wishing to know more please contact :
Judy at 023 5411 713
(PA Cultural Foundation) or
Virna at 023 5411 172
(Fransie Pienaar Museum).