It was wonderful to stumble across this article on one of the first surveys carried out by a non-professional group in South Africa. The piece was published in the 1980 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish.
The Simon van der Stel Foundation and the Monuments' Council have realised that no organised effort at preservation is possible without a full and descriptive list of old buildings. Mr John Rennie, a Cape Town architect, was commissioned to organise a survey of the buildings of central Cape Town. The results were published in The Buildings of Central Cape Town (1978). The success of the survey led to other areas being considered for a similar investigation.
Book Cover
Paarl is an excellent choice as there is a great variety of style and even though many of the buildings have undergone great changes since 1900, a wealth of beauty and interest lies undiscovered behind the altered facades.
Under the able and enthusiastic leadership of Len Raymond, the Survey Committee was established in February 1980. Sanlam very generously donated R2 500 towards the Survey's expenses. Most of the...
