Pioneers of the Waterberg : a photographic journey / compiled by Elizabeth Hunter
I was born in the Waterberg. My mother was born in the Waterberg ast 24 Rivers, where I am living at present. My grandparents came to the Waterberg before the Boer war in the 1890's. The house that I am staying in, on the farm 24 Rivers, was built 100 years ago, in 1910, after my grandparents had been married for several years. My grandparents met in South Africa during the Boer war.
Today 24 Rivers belongs to my siblings an me. Even though we didn't live here permanently as children we spent most of our holidays either here, or down in the "Bushveld" on a farm near Ellisras (now Lephalale) called Toulon.
One of my earliest memories is going from 24 Rivers to Toulon, near present-day Laphalale, by ox wagon, a trip that takes an hour today, but about three or four days then ... or more depending on the number of "outspans" along the way. There WERE cars at the time, but Ted Davidson, my grandfather (who we knew as Gabbo), preferred to go by ox wagon. The wagon that had at one stage belonged to Gen. Louis Botha was, in the beginning, the family's only form of transport. It was use for business and pleasure. The ox wagon is still there today, outspanned for the last time in front of the house at 24 Rivers.
An important part of any stay at 24 Rivers was looking at the photograph albums, particularly the photographs of early trips to the Bushveld by wagon. We still have those albums and they need to be preserved - hence this book.
I have beenl iving here semi-permanently for the past five years, during which I have explored some of the places that were travelled all those years ago by ox wagon, I have seen some of the "wagon roads" and I have understood the love that Gabbo had for these beautiful and mysterious ancient mountains.
I have tried to capture the story told in wonderful old photgraphs, of courage and adventure, of fortitude and faith, of zest for life and love of the Waterberg and its people. I have used text from my aunt Elizabeth Clarke's book on the family history, "Waterberg Valley" and some of her poems and paintings to tell the story. I have also included newspaper articles and various writings and poems by a number of other people, all helping to create the rich tapestry that makes the story of Twenty Four Rivers worth telling
Source : Pioneers of the Waterberg : a photographic journey / compiled by Elizabeth Hunter
