WITH THE POSTCART

The coastal plateau between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua Mountains in the Southern Cape was known as Houtteniqualandt or Outeniqualand.  Outeniqua is derived from the Khoi-Khoi word meaning "laden with honey" or "people carrying bags of honey". Kannaland (Little Karoo) is between the Outeniqua and the Swartberg Mountains. Kanna is also a Khoi-Khoi word for a plant commonly found in the Little Karoo and was chewed for pain relief. The Lange Kloof runs between the Kamanassie and the Kouga Mountains to the north and the Outeniqua Mountains to the south. Pauw STEYL has been a stamp collector since his primary school days in Tulbagh, with a break while in high school. In 1978 he became a clergyman in Sutherland and reignited his interest in stamp collecting. In April 1980 he moved to George and joined the George Philatelic Society. Here he started a collection, The history of National Stamp Exhibitions in South Africa 1913-1960. He entered this collection in the annual National Stamp Exhibition in Paarl in 1987, winning a bronze award. He was encouraged to compile a postal history collection of the original George District. In 1988 Pauw found his first postal item originating from the George Post Office. Today this collection starts circa 1777, when George was a woodcutters post, and ends in 1911, George’s centenary year.

The original George District covered approximately 16402 km². It later comprised the districts of Knysna, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn and Uniondale. As the districts of the Colony were too extensive, a new district with its own Drostdy, named George Town, was seceded from Swellendam on 23 April 1811 by Governor CALEDON. The first landdrost was Adrianus Gysbertus VAN KERVEL. Knysna, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn became independent districts in January 1858 and Uniondale in December 1879.

In 1992 Pauw visited the National Archives in Cape Town and found a treasure trove in the "General Post Office Document: GPO 1 - Incoming letters from Country Postmasters to the Postmaster General: 1814–1880", all of 166 volumes. This served as the start of writing a book about the postal history in the original George District. As he was still a Chaplain at the Department of Correctional Services, full-time research was not possible. Over time, every letter of importance from the collection was transcribed by hand into several A4 examination pads. The last page of volume 166 was transcribed on 28 February 2002. Next, Pauw had to teach himself how to use a computer, with help from willing neighbours. Seventeen years later, the A4 format 230 page book describes postmasters, postal agents, post-contractors and post-drivers, along with many humorous incidents, and lots of history. I was fascinated to discover some unknown LEHMKUHL family history in this book. With The Postcart is available from Pauw via http://www.postalhistory.co.za

SOUTH AFRICA'S FIRST AIRMAIL AND AVIATION GENES

I've spent most of my life in the aviation field, so when I received a research request from a client in Afghanistan, I immediately recognised one of the names that turned up in this search. Evelyn Frederick DRIVER was one of the first thirty licenced pilots in the world. His nickname was Bok. On 27 December 1911 the first airmail was carried by Bok in his Bleriot monoplane, between Kenilworth Race Course and Oldham's Field near Muizenberg, in seven and a half minutes. He was born in Pietermaritzburg in 1887. He attended Hilton College and SACS, where he got his nickname due to his rugby skills. On 01 August 1911 he earned Aviator’s Certificate No. 110 of the Fédération Aeronautique International.

On 11 and 12 September 1911, Bok took part in the Royal Mail Aerial Postal Service flown to mark the coronation of King George V. The mail carried letters for the Royal Family, and one addressed to the King, signed by the directors and pilot aviators of the Grahame-White Aviation Company. Bok flew with Clement GRESSWELL, an Englishman, and Gustav HAMEL, of Scandinavian descent. Bok carried most of the mail in his Farman biplane, 11 bags on three flights. This included specially-designed postcards signed by Bok. The flight was from Hendon Aerodrome to Windsor, and on his return Bok landed at Nazeing Common, North London 30 minutes later. There were 100 000 letters and postcards addressed to nearly every country in the world, which were delivered using a total of 720 flying miles.

Part of this was the first airmail flight in South Africa. This post was opened on Thursday, 21 December and closed at 20:00 on 26 December 1911. The mail was limited to special copyright postcards depicting Bok’s Bleriot monoplane flying over Cape Town with Table Mountain in the background. These postcards were sold for one shilling, and for one halfpenny they could be sent to any place in South Africa. All the postcards were date-stamped at Kenilworth and Muizenberg and then circulated by ordinary mail. There were 2 597 postcards printed in total.

One of the postcards sent on 27 December 1911

One of the postcards sent on 27 December 1911

The first airmail flight in South Africa was scheduled for the morning of 27 December, but was postponed because of heavy rain. Bok took off at 19:15 from Kenilworth Race Course, landing at Oldham’s Field on the verges of Zandvlei in Muizenberg seven and a half minutes later. The mailbag with 729 postcards had been fastened to the back of his seat and delivery was for Muizenberg's newly opened Post Office at 184 Main Road. He handed over the mail to the local postmaster, Mr. P.J. HUTCHINGS, listened to congratulatory speeches and then took on board the Kenilworth mailbags for the return flight, which he accomplished in twelve and a half minutes, arriving at 20h10. This made him the only aviator to have flown the inaugural airmail service in two countries. Bok flew a second mail from Kenilworth to Muizenberg on 02 January 1912.

Evelyn Frederick DRIVER in the pilot's seat for the first airmail in South Africa on 27 December 1911

Evelyn Frederick DRIVER

The Police Museum Complex on Main Road, Muizenberg, contains Het Post Huijs which was originally the post office and where the first airmail was delivered. If you drive northwards out of Muizenberg's Main Road, you will find Oldham Field, between Main Road and Zandvlei, opposite the old railway station where Bok landed. George William Newitt OLDHAM was a chemist and his field was used as a dairy farm and sports ground.

2011 Centenary of First Airmail

In 1914 he went to England and was given a commission in the Royal Flying Corps. In 1915 he was sent to German South West Africa as a military pilot, but a year later he began to suffer ill health. He died on his farm in Tylden near Ladysmith in Natal on 22 July 1946. He was married to Minnie Humphreys BARRETT. They divorced in 1913 and she married Dr. Harold JOWITT. She died in 1957 and Harold (nickname Heli) died in 1963. Evelyn's second marriage was to Doris NN.

His son from his wife Minnie, Lynne, started flying with him from the age of three in 1912. Lynne later used the surname DRIVER-JOWITT. His son, Jonathan P. DRIVER-JOWITT (aka Jon), is an orthopaedic surgeon in Cape Town and has flown glider and powered aircraft recreationally. Jon’s son, Simon DRIVER-JOWITT, is also a pilot and flies for Nippon Cargo Airlines. Jon, Simon and another of Evelyn's great-grandsons all learnt to fly powered aircraft on a J3 cub owned by the Mashonaland Flying Club in Harare. The latter great-grandson flies for SAA.