Community

Caring Pinelands

THE Brown & Annie Lawrence Home, for the aged, is the oldest retirement home in Pinelands. I was opened by HRH Princess Alice, the Countess of Athlone on 21st February 1930.   Mr Brown Lawrence was a successful businessman having set up the company B Lawrence and Co in 1901 dealing in soap, candles and as …

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Pinelands Fayres

Pinelands had its own Gretna Green complete with a marriage anvil and marriage certificates. It was part of the Pinelands Old World Country Fayres that were held in the early 1940s with the aim of raising funds for the Mayor’s National War Fund. The first fair was held in April 1940 over three days on …

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Fires in Pinelands

The tragedy of a house on fire is not an unusual experience for Pinelands residents. With the large number of thatched houses, fire prevention and fire services have been an essential part of Pinelands since the late 1930s. It is incredible to think that prior to that there were no fire hydrants in Pinelands. When …

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Life in the 1920’s

The many vleis in the Pinelands area attracted yellow billed duck, pheasants and partridges, but also attracted mosquitoes which plagued residents. In the thick bush, duiker and hare were commonplace. Buck were still found in the area, with the claim that the last Steenbok was shot by Mr Maag outside his house in Central Avenue. …

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Early Beginnings

Richard Stuttaford was looking for a suitable site to build a town in South Africa similar to Letchworth in England which had been built based on the Garden City concept of Ebenezer Howard. The Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1918 effected two out of every three residents in Cape Town, which had a population of 199 570. …

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