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Oak Valley
Oak Valley
THE GREAT ESCAPE (OF ABOUT 3 METRES)
For most of us, Heritage Day means a big fire, a healthy dose of wine and talking Bok strategy against the Aussies on Sunday.
So, to honour our ancestors, we’ve slipped a quick palate cleanser between the braaibroodjies and lamb tjoppies.
People often ask how Oak Valley grew into the farm it is today. The answer involves a corrugated-iron cell, two mounted guards and an auction over a fence.
When Dr Antonie bought Oak Valley in December 1898 his friends called it a hungry piece of sour veld in the despised Groenland, weeds, palmiet, and acidic soils that seemed more suited to fynbos than apples.
War arrived and in October 1899 he set off north, not as a commando but as a doctor, with a pass from the Governor and instructions to treat the wounded of every side. He cobbled together a hospital in an old magistrate’s court at Boshof in the Free-State. Then word came of illness at home and on the way back, approaching Richmond Road Station, he was arrested by the Brits. The Governor’s pass impressed nobody that evening and he spent the night in a corrugated-iron cell in De Aar with 7 other guests of the Crown.
They released him on parole, told him to go home to the farm and not return to the Free State. For the rest of the war two uniformed Grabouw men named Matthews and Wilkinson watched him, their salaries paid in full by Antonie.
So, he took the opportunity to shop for more land.
On 6 October 1900 the adjoining farm, Glen Norman, came up for auction. He arranged for the sale to be held hard against the boundary, bid £1,200 and won, flung open the gate and walked through! Technically he had never left Oak Valley and the parole remained intact.
Heritage Day seems as good a moment as any to raise a glass to the good doctor who didn’t let being a prisoner stand in the way of his ambitions.
Happy Heritage Day! (And come on Bokke!)
Christopher Rawbone-Viljoen