The renowned Afrikaans writer, Wilma Johanna Stockenström, was born on 7 August 1933 in Napier in the Overberg district, where she also completed high school in 1949. Wilma is one of the most important multi-award-winning Afrikaans authors, poets, and actresses. Wilma’s best-known novel is The Journey to the Baobab Tree (1981). The translation by JM…

6 Groenewoud Street has puzzled architects and delighted passers-by since 1938. Nearly 90 years later, it’s still the only house of its kind in town. Stand at the gate, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’d taken a wrong turn somewhere. The house in front of you, with its curved rotunda entrance, Classical columns,…

Anyone who owns or manages land has to deal with fast-spreading, water-thirsty invasive alien plants (AIP). We started clearing our property, which borders the Klippedrift River, about nine years ago. At that stage, an Alien Clearing group existed in Napier and was doing an excellent job at the end of Reservoir Street in the Cameron McMaster…

When someone mentions the word “heritage”, we generally picture a historic building. However, a series of events in Napier encouraged me to look deeper into the idea of “living heritage”. These gatherings and creative endeavours illustrate that heritage is not just preserved in buildings but actively sustained through community traditions, artistic expression, and the ongoing…

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Easter weekend with plenty of chocolate! The rest of April looks to be a busy and artistic month. From April 17th to 19th, the “Heritage on Foot” series will take place in Agulhas, Bredasdorp, and Napier, organised by the Archaeological Society of South Africa. The only event in Napier…

Members explore the Cape Archives at March member’s event The NHCB held its third members’ event for the year on Saturday, 29 March, with Dr Helena Liebenberg of the Tracing History Trust (THT) as the speaker of the day. The talk centred on the interesting pieces of Overberg history, its people and places uncovered as…