Oranjemund Telephone Directory 50's 60's

[Michael Alexander]

John Haycox has sent us a telephone directory from what we think might be a 50's or 60's directory.

I found it immensely interesting scrolling through the pages, all the familiar names and those long gone departments of the mine...

Please feel free to comment!

LINK: www.oranjemundonline.com/Forum/Newsletters/OranjemundTelephoneDirectory.pdf

File Size: 5.2megs

You shall need a pdf reader to view this!

Thanks once again to John for taking the time to scan the entire directory for us!

[John Haycox]

Definitely in the 1950s as our name is in there and my parents left Oranjemund in 1959.

[Mike Thurtell]

We arrived in O'Mund end of June 1969 and our name isn't in it. Can't find Eyer, Siebers, Smith and others who were there even earlier e.g. Dr Venter (principal) or Zandhuizen.  Judging by the short list of names, I would gamble on the 1950's?

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

Must before 1958.... no Stenson name in there..

[Robert Bruce]

I see  the PJ Bruces are listed but not us AE Bruces! The old man was a grumpy git and modern technology was considered too costly for him. This was probably while we lived at 60-2nd Ave.

We eventually got a phone at 21-1st Ave and the number was 727 I think. Or was that the PO Box number?!

[Michael Alexander]

In the book, there be a phone number that states Mittag Area  ....

What is that? Area? I know where Mittag be , but is it a phone phone on a pole in the middle of the desert?

[Robert Bruce]

Mmmm, so perhaps Mittag was allocated a new number and my parents were re-allocated the 727 number?

[Bob Molloy]

The reason why there were so few numbers in the early directory was that originally only management were given phones. This was later relaxed to include all houseowners. Calls in town were free, only calls to numbers outside Oranjemund were charged and these nornally had to be booked in advance.
As for the Mittag phone number, this was the office of the Mittag workshop foreman Billy McGrath.

[Melanie Jonker]

I can see my Dad's name...W. Jonker. We were there in February 1958 (when I was born) and left in April 1968 for Australia.

[henniek]

Not far from Chamais , quite a distance away from the road , one finds a 200 L drum , and a weathered notice board telling you that you are out of bounds. A joker added underneath " If lost - phone 3869 "  . Four digits  .  Oranjemund phone numbers then were only three digits -  my number was 869 until we got the new exchange - and added more phones and a number 3 exchange for town . and MY number in town became 3869 - and on top of that - I wonder - If lost where would one find a working Phone [ that can dial digits ]to call for help on phone number 3869 ??   I took a photograph  of the notice board  . I must just search  for it

[Michael Alexander]

@hennie,

Something like the attached photograph.... this is the phone in the desert on a pole near Chamais.... not sure if it is the same one that you are referring to though..... Funny feeling standing out there in the middle of nowhere with a telephone on a pole...

[henniek]

Yes Michael - it was similar. one of the old type - with the crank handle. suitable for a party line. It might very well be the same phone . The two batteries looks as if the really served their time