I grew up with Jan Smuts being household name, quite literally. My great uncle, Henry William Alexander Cooper, was his private secretary during the war years, and my dad's godfather. We grew up with his artifacts and treasures in our home. My dad became ill when I was in my late thirties, and this treasure trove became mine to administer. Much of it went to the Smuts House, some to Brenthurst, and I then found his book, Our First Walk. I have taken it upon myself, a decade later, to publish it in his honour, as he would have wanted, so that he is never forgotten.
Smuts House (The Heritage Portal)
Henry was one of eleven children raised on the family homestead ‘Platdak’ in Rietfontein, Pretoria, at the end of the Boer War. He was a studious boy and got into the habit of keeping daily diaries in his early years. These tell sad tales of the stark economic situation in Pretoria after the war when obtaining daily provisions was a stretch, as is revealed more clearly in this book.
After completing his schooling, Henry enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of South Africa, where his favourite subject was Philosophy, and within that, Greek Philosophy and Mythology. He joined the Civil Service, and before long became Secretary to...
