August 15, 2021
On 19th March 2018 the church council of the DR Church. Swellendam decided to ask the Swellendam Heritage Association to make a survey of the remaining graves on the church property because, at the time, there was no complete catalogue of the details of the graves. That made it difficult for researchers and family members to get information they required. It will also make history more accessible to visitors and will make it easier to find a specific grave. This survey subject to specific conditions contains the following:
The execution of these decisions was a special journey of discovery into the history of Swellendam, with this publication the church council, together with the Heritage association, hope to contribute to the writing of the history of Swellendam and hope that it will also be a valuable source of information to researchers and visitors to Swellendam.
The Church council hereby thanks the Swellendam Heritage committee for their great assistance and knowledgeable advice in the successful documenting and repair of the graveyard.
Hennie Steyn
SHA Committee
June 2018
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(Article from the Heritage Portal)
Over the past two decades, many bronze old National Monuments plaques have been damaged or stolen. For those owners and institutions looking to replace these plaques there is a cost effective ceramic substitute which is incredibly durable and looks exactly like the original. It is resistant to sun, rain and wind and is worthless to bronze thieves. The plaques are easily attached to walls with ordinary silicone adhesive.
*Only Registered PHS (Provincial Heritage Sites) should apply.
*It is recommended that where such an original bronze plaque is still in place, the owner of the building remove the original plaque and have this re-affixed safely inside the building and the facsimile plaque affixed in its place outside.
The ceramic plaques cost R700 each. The cost includes prompt delivery with Postnet’s courier service.
Contact Marthinus van Bart for more information or to order – kultuurkroniek@gmail.com or 072 740 5203.
* Text inserted by The Swellendam Heritage association
Contact / Kontak:
Bank besonderhede / details:
Nedbank (Swellendam) Branch / Tak 19876500 Swellendam Heritage Association / Swellendam Erfenisvereniging Rekening Nr / Account Nbr 1118273125
Please enter your surname as reference. Meld asseblief u van as verwysing.
Familiewapenvlae Gedruk op *Ultrasheen:
Begenoemde pryse insluitende kunswerk.
Nabootsing van ‘n Familewapen op ‘n vlag:
Geldigheid: 7 dae vanaf kwotasie.
Aflewerings tydperk: 7 tot 10 werksdae vir ontwerp / vervaardiging vanaf datum van betaling.
Alle volgens maat vlae word digitaal gedruk en vervaardig met 100% Utrasheen om maksimum ink indringing te bewerkstellig (90% – beeld op die agterkant van die vlag)
Vlae is met dubbele stikwerk afgewerk met kopstuk, tou en dwarsstuk gereed om te hys tensy anders gespesifiseerd.
*Ultrasheen (Volgens maat vlae): Is ‘n selfsluitend 3 gare skering en inslag vlagstof vervaardig van polyester garing met ‘n effense glans. Dit is lig en duursaam. As gevolg van die stof se samestelling en spoed van produksie, is dit baie ekonomies om te produseer wat die koste aansienlik afbring van volgens maat vlae. Dit word gebruik vir die vervaardiging van volgens maat en korporatiewe vlae.
Family Coat of Arms Flags: Printed on *Ultrasheen
Above pricing includes Artwork
Simulation of a Coat of Arms on a flag:
Validity: This quote is valid for 7 days.
Lead time: 7 to 10 working days to design/manufacture from date of payment.
All custom flags are digitally printed and manufactured using 100% Ultrasheen for maximum ink penetration (90% – reverse image on the other side of the flag).
All our flags are double stitched with Header, Rope and Toggle ready for hoisting unless otherwise specified.
*Ultrasheen (Custom Flags): Is a self-locking, 3-yarn warp-knit, flag material made from 100% polyester filament yarn with a slight sheen finish. It is lightweight and durable. Due to its construction and speed of production, it is most economical to produce and brings down the cost of custom flags considerably. Used to produce custom and corporate flags.
Named, legend has it, because they ran out of cement and used sugar instead.
The Bufflesjags river bridge was built 1845 by the Royal Engineers. It is referred to as a Mitchell/ Montegu bridge. It was part of the”Groote Wagen Weg’ that carried the eastern highway until the 1950s.
It has long been considered a local landmark and is described by historians: Hans Fransen, Dr Mary Cooke & Edmund Burrows : as consisting of 10 red sandstone buttresses joined by teak struts brought up the river to Malgas from the wreck of the Robert.
The bridge was damaged by floods 11/11/1936 and has been the subject of proper restoration ever since. It was declared a National Monument 6 Feb. 1989 Number: 18541/9/2/092/0067 and has become a grade 2 heritage site. Various local municipal departments and heritage bodies applied for repair /restoration work in 1950s, 1980s, 2000s.
One of the piers sagged and concrete and cables were used to shore it up, but without real repair the wood has degraded further and with successive floods, notably 2009, most of the wood has gone completely.
In 2016 the Heritage Monitoring Project set out to define the Ten Most Endangered Heritage Sites in the country. Swellendam Heritage Association entered the Sugar Bridge and it was named second on the list. The heritage listing received a lot of media attention and Heritage Western Cape took up the cause placing the bridge as their profile photo on social media.
Members of Swellendam Heritage Association attended a BELCom meeting where restoration of the bridge was on the agenda 22/11/16 and the decision was to support the restoration.
The problem remains getting a Provincial department to take the responsibility.
Support includes; Swellendam Municipality, Swellendam Heritage Association, Swellendam Aesthetics committee, the Drostdy museum, Bufflesjags farmers, visiting architects & engineers.
Beside the bridge now is a drift for vehicles and there is a railway bridge close by.
The consensus of opinion is that the sugar bridge be restored as a pedestrian bridge for the use of local people who need to cross the river to and from work and who at present use the railway bridge for the purpose. Steel would seem to be a more economic material for the replacement.
Several visiting experts have offered their services towards the restoration, most recently Dennis Walters, a civil Engineer with experience working on Eastern Cape bridges, who has offered to prepare a proposal with costings at no charge. Fassler Kamstra + Holmes Architects have also worked on a restoration plan. Local farmers feel their workers need a safe method to cross the river and would look to make the bridge a tourist site.
Swellendam Heritage Association (Swellendam Trust) has made many applications over years for the restoration of this bridge and would bring their support, time & skills to this venture.
CAROL PODD
Swellendam Heritage Association
C/O Moolman Street 10
Swellendam,
Western Cape Province ,
6740.
TO: Mr Dana Du Plessis
CC: Mr Anton Groenewald
FROM: The Swellendam Heritage Association (SHA)
Dear Sir,
SWELLENDAM FAMILY CREST PROJECT
Our meeting of 22 August 2018 to discuss the potential Family Crest Project has reference.
As communicated at the above meeting, it is the intention of the Swellendam Heritage Association (SHA) to launch a community focussed and inclusive heritage project with support from the Municipal Management Team.
This project entails the design and installation of board mounted family crests on existing lamp posts along the western end of Voortrek Street in Swellendam.
The aim of the project is not only to enhance our town and draw visitors, but also to draw together the diverse families within the Swellendam community. Less privileged families will be sponsored and assisted with the design and erection of their family crests to ensure representation that is true to the intention of this initiative.
Approval for this initiative from the Municipality, as well as assistance with the erection of the Crests is requested. We plan to launch a pilot project consisting of three (3) installations following which an assessment will be made. Depending on the outcome of the assessment the intention is to proceed with the rollout of approximately 60 installations.
I trust that the above will meet with your approval.
Kind regards
PHILIP BROMLEY
Chairman – SHA