Page 126 - Bulletin 22 2019

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Her father took a transfer to Johannesburg in the hopes that this would lead to a move

back to Cape Town but it never happened. He died there in 1969 aged 79 and was still
working on his shark book in conjunction with two American researchers.

Barbara told me one anecdote. Her mother was friendly with Blanche Menigo (maiden

name unknown, her husband worked as a carpenter in Simon’s Town). Blanche sent one
of the children to buy something from Woolfsohn’s shop. The child returned with the

change which included a half sovereign covered in flour and obviously mistaken by
Wolfsohn for a ha’penny. The child was immediately sent back and rewarded by

Wolfsohn with two sweets!

At number 164 Main Road (erf 89999, now erf 90298) stands the house Prospect. Built by JJ
Meyer it was sold from his estate in 1917 to Eileen Akerman Orpen - a member of the well-

known and very wealthy Barry family.

In 1917 the Orpens had the house extensively altered to the plans of leading architect Douglas
Hoets at a cost of £700 and the house stands 100 years later largely unchanged. (Figs. 3.14 –

3.18.)

The couple was living at Prospect in 1919 but by 1925 it was tenanted. James Orpen was a
surveyor and the couple was very involved in the formation of the Kruger National Park:

JH Orpen, a surveyor and member of the National Parks Board in South Africa, helped

sponsor boreholes for the Kruger National Park. His wife Eileen bought up seven farms
immediately to the west of Rabelais gate during the 1930s and 1940s and donated them

to the Park, thereby extending the total area by almost 24 500 hectares. When the

entrance to the Park was moved 10km (6 miles) to the west of Rabelais in 1954, and a
new rest camp was established beside the gate, it was named in honour of the Orpen

family.

They died within days of each other in 1954.