SKUKUZA - HIDDEN HISTORIES

[BrendaK]

I have read so much about the usual histries around Skukuza, but still have questions and quriosities about the early days.
Maybe someone can answer these for me
1) Where was Stevenson Hamiltons' house, I read that it was in Lemoenboom Street, is there any traces left of it?
2) Where is the grave of his "butler" forgot his name?
3) I read that the dog cemetry was moved from its original spot to where the library is (I know it was moved from there too, but I am looking for the very 1st place of rest)
4) Where exactly was the block house and is there any traces left of that?
5) Are there any graves in and around Skukuza of people who used to live there?
6) Who was Doispane really and where exactly was his dwellings.
7) Where was the staff quarters for the people who used to work alongside Stevenson Hamilton? I am sure Helfase and others stayed on the premises?

[TreeQueen]

Mmmmmm all very interesting questions that I would love to know the answers to

To answer your question on who Doispane was, I googled the name and this came up:

Doispane was a Shangaan assistant of Stevenson-Hamilton. The name is a corruption of his true name, Dustbin. The road from Phabeni Gate to Skukuza is still known as the Doispane Road.

That's all I could find, hopefully a more wiser Kruger historian on the forum can give more detailed information.

[wacktazz]

The staff quaters is where the current staff quaters are, just outside skukuza. The block house was close to selati line at day visitors area in skukuza. If you walk past selati, towards the gate, it was there. The original station is located paralel to the bridge, about 50 from selati restaurant

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[Imberbe]

According to Toll Pienaars' book, Stevenson Hamiltons' original home burnt down in 1976. Wacktazz, I don't think the hut you refer to was used by Hamilton? He first used the block house (1902) and then moved in to his residence, which was erected by 1909.

The residences of at least some of his staff was within site of his own residence. Pienaars' book contains a photograph of the staff accommodation, with Hamiltons' residence clearly visible at the back. Some may have lived further of.

The original dog cemetery was somewhere close to the rail bridge and the block house too. It was a steel structure, and I don't think there is anything left ... maybe some foundations??

[wacktazz]

That's correct.
The foundation is still visible today.
You are correct in saying the quarters wwere visible from his house.
I read Tol Pienaars book as well.

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[BrendaK]

This is so exiting!
Dear Wacktazz, can one actualy see the foundations from somewhere in the camp?
I heard that Stevenson Hamiltons house was in Lemoenboom Street, it is the same street in which the surgery is, it would be nice to know where the actual premises was where he lived?

I am now also curious about the hut next to the restaurant, is there maybe a hidden history there?

[BrendaK]

L
There is a cemetry at kruger gate, although only in existence for the past ten years or so. Only for staff.
The story of doispan is correct. He was a corrupt guy who travelled the current doispan road and was burried 11 km from phabeni gate. Stevenson was burried at renoster koppies close to afsaal

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This is awesome info, is it possible to visit these gravesites? Where exactly is the cemetry at Kruger Gate?
Doispan fascinates me endlessly, there is seems to be conflicting stories about him, I read somewhere that he was a loyal servant of Hamilton's and Hamilton himself named the Doispan road after him?
Did Doispan perhaps live in a village where he was buried 11km from Phabeni?

[BrendaK]

From memory Ali Sharif (not sure of his exact name - I will look it up in Stevenson Hamiltons book African Eden) was knocked down by a railway trolley (hand powered) that was used by staff .
One night with a colleague he was was crossing the bridge over the Sabie (at Skukuza) on the way to visit his wife who lived across the river when the trolley approached , the person with him managed to take refuge by hanging and holding onto the sleepers underneath the bridge .
I think Ali Sharif was buried alongside the blockhouse (the old Steinackers Horse encampment) which was on the northern river bank - will check up and confirm .

Thank you Ndloti, in South African Eden it is given as Ali Sharif only but I also recall a longer name. It would be so exiting to "rediscover" his grave.

[wacktazz]

The cemetry is behind kruger gate. I am not sure if you could visit, but i am sure its possible. You can not really see it from the selati, but you have to know where it is to find it. Its in line with the rail line next to the fence. The hut is just a few huts away from the main restaurant

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[Meandering Mouse]

Hi Brenda, if you are interested in history, I would highly recommend Jane Curruthers's book, "Wildlife and Warfare. The life of James Stevenson Hamilton". It is well researched and there are extensive entries from Stevenson Hamilton's diaries.

I am not sure if it is still there, but one of the best pictorial studies of Kruger that I have ever seen was at the information centre at Mopani camp. It has photographs of the development of Kruger through the decades and is well worth a visit.

Another seldom visited place of interest is the grave of one of the early rangers, William Lloyd. William Lloyd was an early ranger who died in 1922 at Satara. One of his black rangers rode through the bush to alert Stevenson Hamilton of the situation. By the time Stevenson Hamilton arrived 48 hours later, the widow and her three young sons had already burried Lloyd by themselves.

I took his great grand daughter to Kruger about a year ago and she went to visit the grave. The reception staff at Satara were very helpful in helping her locate it and she found it well cared for.

[Joep Stevens]

Dear All,

Lovely & interesting topic you're on now.
To my best memory, Ali Sharif's grave lies outside the current KNP along the old railway line northwards in the Sabie Sand Game Reserve.
Other places of historical interest are the old (dead since about a year ago, but stumps still visible) bluegum trees at the family cottages in the camp.
These used to be planted in the old days in the belief that these trees kept malaria mosquitoes at bay.
Further, the dog cemetery used to be next to the Conservation Services Building before it was relocated to the Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library from where it currently is being relocated to the site of the previous amphitheater behind the shop complex.
The camp was conceived from the eastern side (railway bridge) with first huts where the S1 Campbell hut museum is located and cottage 209.
The family At 209 the fence was situated and the river view family cottages were originally for staff and lay outside the camp.
The pontoon anchor point is visible in front of semi-luxury cottages next to Monis Guest House.
Another feature of interest are the two baobabs at the back of the camp amongst the staff flats & houses and the maintenance office.
These were planted by Stevenson-Hamilton as this was their front garden of the last house that they stayed in and where the children Margaret, Jamie and Anne were raised in their early years.
Anne showed me where everything was and has a vivid memory and some of the shrubs & creepers that used to form part of their garden and pergolas around the house are still visible today.
Enough for now and I will find a few pics of the sites mentioned to post.

Best wishes!

JOEP

[Grantmissy]

Joep your post is most interesting and well written and I cannot wait for you to share more of your knowledge regarding the history of Kruger.
Just a stupid question - why are they relocating the dog cemetery so many times?
Is it not influencing the historical value in a negative way?
MM thanks for always mentioning interesting books on Kruger history – it is appreciated by those who enjoy reading books on Kruger history like me. Your visit to the grave of one of the early rangers with one of his great grand daughters is so very interesting.
I hope the lady told you some interesting Kruger stories.
This is a great topic I hope it will expand to the rest of the hidden histories of Kruger as some of the information I read here are not available in books.

[Joep Stevens]

KNP's history is so interesting!
The location of staff quarters can best be described from the road leading to Skukuza staff village.
As you travel down it from the turnoff, you pass the first turnoff (right) to the SAPS station, and Conservation Services offices, labs etc.
Between this turnoff and the next to the right, also leading to Conservation Services offices and State Veterinary office, the portion to the right of the road used to have the staff quarters.
On Grantmissy's question on the dog cemetery, the need to move first time was to make it accessible to the public and second time due to development pressures.
Please keep in mind that the dogs weren't buried there and that it more a collection of their gravestones, more like a memorial wall.
I think where it is now planned, near the Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library, it will be able to stay for a good few decades.
The oldest buildings in Skukuza would in my view be (more or less in order of oldest first - but un-researched so there might well be an oversight), would be:
1. Campbell hut museum (and nearby 209, which was modernised a few times since)
2. The original SAPS building
3. Struben Guest Cottage (designed by Hilda Stevenson-Hamilton)
4. Stevenson-Hamilton Library

Kind regards.

JOEP

[BrendaK]

Dear Joep

Thank you so much for this info, will I find the Baobab trees there as well?

What about Lemoenboom Street?

Do you still have contact with Anne?

Why are they saying in Neem uit die verlede, that dogs were actually buried there after they moved the stones from the original cemetry?

Do you know anything abaout Doispan/e?

Thanks
B

[Joep Stevens]

Dear BrendaK,

Lemoenboom Street is in the Skukuza staff village, in the area east of the Nwaswitshaka Spruit adjacent to the rest camp's western fenceline - there where the doctors rooms are located. In earlier years this used to be a fruit tree orchard, thus the name of the street.

The two Stevenson-Hamilton children, Anne and Jamie live abroad but frequently visit South Africa and Skukuza. Jamie comes every year and I do still have contact with them both.

It might be that there were some dogs buried at the original site, but many others came from different rangers posts across the park and it would just not have been possible to bring those remains to Skukuza to be buried there.

Doispane is an old outpost of ranger Harry Wolhuter next to the Mtshawu Spruit that he used when travelling between his rangers post at Mtimba (outside current park boundary) and Skukuza. It was named after an old Tsonga inhabitant who pronounced his name as "Dustbin".

Kind regards.

JOEP