Category Archives: History

Farmer Piet Serdyn of Kleinkarnmelksvlei near Moorreesburg in the Swartland is one of the last of a nearly extinct breed, the old-fashioned wagon-maker and wheelwright. Few, if any, can match his skill in restoring old carts and wagons to their … Continue reading →

After alluvial gold became exhausted in the Pilgrim’s Rest and Sabie regions, new gold fields were discovered first at Kaapschehoop, then at Moodies and then eventually at Barberton in 1884. Barberton, was beginning to boom, as more reefs were discovered, … Continue reading →

The book of Jock of the Bushveld tells of so many experiences on Fitzpatrick’s journeys that in order to savour and digest the contents, one should actually read and re-read the book for those accounts. We take so much for … Continue reading →

This year 2013 AD, is the 100th Anniversary of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Sabie, Mpumalanga. The Church’s Centenary will be formally celebrated on the 30th June 2013. The luscious and beautifully well maintained lawns with immaculately manicured flower beds … Continue reading →

Another snippet from the past; written about 25 years ago. Each town has its own identity, its unique atmos­phere and an interesting array of characters who have contributed in their own special way to the history of the town. Sabie … Continue reading →

To practice medicine without adequate facilities and infrastructure cannot be too convenient or efficient, especially when an epidemic strikes a community; it could be catastrophic! The 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic did not spare Sabie, and by November 1918 the only … Continue reading →

When Capt. J.C. Heyneke first arrived in Sabie IN 1930, there were something like 15 different mines operating. Glynn’s Lydenburg Mine Ltd. was the biggest gold mine at that time in Sabie. Other names were : Eastern Star G.M. co … Continue reading →

Some years ago I was fortunate enough to take a tour of the ancient Indo-African ruins near Uitsoek in Mpumalanga, with Dr. Cyril Hromnik. This tour changed my perceptions of the History of Southern Africa, and all History for that … Continue reading →