SANParks.org Forums

Dear Redlomo,

Many thanks for sharing your great pic with your grandma. It looks to me like the old huts in Pretoriuskop, which are still in use. They are often referred to as the Moerdijk circle (named after the architect) who designed them. It would make a nice "then and now". Would it be possible to send me an image of higher resolution to joep.stevens@sanparks.org to add to the archive we have in SANParks. If you agree, please send me all the details you can, including your grandma's names and also anything else, such as name of photographer and date taken (which I know you said you don't have) - perhaps an estimate?

Kind regards.

JOEP

Dear All,

I am going to share some pics kindly donated by Craig Holmes taken by his father Cecil Holmes in the 1950's. These are some of the best quality pictures I have in the KNP archive and I will place them a few at a time. First one of the old Malelane Gate, which is where the current little Malelane Rest camp still is today.


Next if of Craig as a little boy at the "stables" in Lower Sabie. These still exist and were the first accommodation units developed in the 1930's.



Kind regards.

JOEP

Thanks Anne-Marie. Herewith the next two pics, taken at Gorge Camp on the Olifants River. This shows the ranger uniform in the fifties.



Next is the view from Gorge Camp as many of the Olifants Wilderness Trails guests would recognise, showing the ranger with Craig Holmes.

Dear All,

Herewith a few more pics by Cecil Holmes.

This one showing the camp at Olifants Gorge. What is characteristic of this great contribution by Cecil is the stunning quality of the pics taken in the fifties.



Next is one of elephant viewing with old car showing Barberton registration number.


Kind regards.

JOEP

Going through my old photos I came across this one of us exiting the old Punda Maria Gate, not as old as some of the wonderful ons ones on this thread, think mine was taken around 1981.
We had hired/borrowed a caravan, can't remember which pulled by our Ford Granada station wagon, a real gas guzzler!

What a lovely picture Elsa! Thanks for sharing. Interesting that this facility no longer exists and was replaced with a new one a few kilometres away.

KInd regards.

JOEP

Thanks to Joep and other contributors for a really great thread. It brings back such vivid memories for me.

Joep, your pic of the acacia at Satara reminds me of an evening we were watching films put on by the Parks Board in the early 60's. The screen for the movie was the white wall of the reception/restaurant building and the projector was under the acacia tree. I was so tired that evening and fell asleep next to my wife during the show. The seats were green wooden benches with no backs or sides. I was on the end of a bench and my wife nudged me for some reason or other and I fell off the bench onto the ground. (I'm not sure why everyone around us thought it was so funny. I was so embarrased and felt a total idiot)

Hi everyone

We are putting the final touches to the 2012 Kruger Memories Calendar and it should be available in the next few weeks.

Thank you to those Forum members who contributed photographs and a very big thank you to Joep Stevens for his assistance and patience.

If you are not one of last year's purchasers and would like more information, please email us on midrandhr@gmail.com.

2012 Kruger Memories calendar now available from members of our region. Will post another message when it is available in the Park shops. Link to the order form provided by Imberbe under HR Activities.

If any forumites are visiting from overseas (particularly USA or UK) in the next few months, please drop me a PM if you would be willing to take a couple of calendars with you, for posting in your own country. Postage from RSA is extremely expensive for overseas recipients (about three times the cost of a calendar)!

We hope you enjoy this edition - and a big thank you to the forumites who contributed.

More on Kruger Memories Calendar 2012 here.

I promised to let you all know when the 2012 Kruger Memories calendar is available in the park shops - they were delivered last week to the warehouse so should be in the shops soon......

Attached is an original 8 x 10 press photo I recently required. The back is stamped with a “Copyright - South African Railways” stamp, and a date 1965. It appeared in the travel section of an American newspaper on March 21, 1965, according to a stamp on the back. Someone had scribbled in pencil above the stamps, Letaba Rest Camp, K.N.P.

It is clear that SAR submitted this photo to promote tourism the park. However, while they submitted this in 1965, I am sure that this photo actually dates from the mid to late 50’s. (I base my date on the cars, the lack of infrastructure around the “gate”, and the fact that the speed sign is in mph.) Regardless, it is still a classic, for those of us who can still vaguely remember when the camps looked like this.....

I need help to confirm that: this is indeed the entrance to Letaba; someone who can possibly ID the cars; and someone who can put a year on when this pic was probably taken. Please forward to anybody you think may be of help.

Enjoy !

Francois

Welcome to the forums fdbotha!

Just love the notice about getting too close to ellies ... "otherwise the consequences may be disastrous".

Hope someone is able to help you out as we do have some members with good 'history' knowledge, and of course Joep Stevens from SANParks.

You might also get some additional information from the following publication being advertised here:

http://www.gouejare.co.za
(ISBN: 987-0-620-47553-2)

Hope you find the information you are looking for!

Thanks for the older photos link by LEIGHVLASSO. I shamelessly lifted her pic of Letaba 1965 which strengthens my suspicion that my photo is dated from the 1950's

LEIGHVLASSO Letaba Entrance Camp 1965