My Oranjemunder Emails.

[Michael Alexander]

Fellow (EX) Oranjemunders, I receive so many emails of late, that I do not always have time to reply. The emails are from interesting people from all around the world. I have decided to post certain emails that I receive, in the hope that they jog a memory chord or two with you. In some cases , it,s just plain interesting to see where our fellow Oranjemunders went to. If I've posted a letter that you sent me and you do not wish to have it displayed, I apologise and once you let me know, I will be more than happy to remove it.

Enjoy!

;D

[Michael Alexander]

From the Macks!.

"Hi Michael,



We, John and Jean Mack with the children Georgina and Nolan, are ex-residents from 1970 to 1981.  We left for Australia after being headhunted by what was then the Ashton Joint Venture in Australia and is now Argyle Diamond Mines in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.



I originally joined CDM as a youngish Metallurgist based at No 4 Plant R&D section.  Previously we had spent various periods at Kimberley and Finch Mines and a two year spell of the very beginning of the Orapa Mine.  When we moved up there it was just a prospecting plant and Jean and I took the total staff complement up to six people all living in tents with food cooked over an open fire.



I rose through the ranks to Assistant plant Superintendent then Plant Superintendent at No I Plant, I commissioned and ran No 3 Plant and was then promoted to Divisional Plant Superintendent looking after No3 and No 4 Plant, the Recovery Plant, the 50G sampling plant and the prospecting sites up the river.  One of my success stories was to lead the team that researched, developed and commissioned the Boulder Bounce Plant attached to No 4 Plant – it nearly got me fired – but we won through in the end. 



As Chairman of the Angling Club and the Photographic Club we have many happy memories of the place.  Great golf and parties at the Golf Club, cray fishing trips and the fabled Meob Bay trips to our fishing camp up the coast.  (I have just written an article for publication about the latter but have lost my photos – so if anyone has any photos at all of any Meob Bay trip I would be most appreciative)  We put life into the Camera Club and together with Dieter Heiser we took the little shop from a mere R500 a month revenue to over R10,000.  Plus we had all our costs paid by the Recreation Club – as a very wealthy Club we could afford to bring top professional photographers up to the mine for weekend workshops.  Some fantastic club trips were made to the Richertersveld, Bakers Bay, Chamois and Elizabeth bay.



In Australia – I continued to work for the Argyle Mine as a senior manager until 1977 when I took 'early retirement'.  We had bought a 65Ha rundown property 20 kilometres out of town and developed it to a fully developed commercial farm growing bananas, citrus and sugar cane...... what was that I said about 'retirement'!!  We built a beautiful house on the property overlooking a gorge and would probably still be there but for a fall from the top of the double storey roof in late 99'  I spent three month in hospitable trying to get al the bits functioning again – with some success - these days I just think it is just "Knackered Old Shits Syndrome" that slows me down!



We finally sold the farm and really retired in 2005 – set off to follow all the back tracks, outback and remote beaches in our Bushtracker Caravan. That is the life we still enjoy though we still have not managed to get out of Western Australia yet.  We paused in our travels late last year to manage 1.35 million acres of ex-pastoral (cattle) country.  It is now owned by the Dept of Environment and Conservation as is planned to be a future conservation reserve.  We are pretty remote – often just the two of us and the nearest neighbour is 75km away.  Having worked to eradicate all the feral cats and other non native nasties they are planning on releasing some endangered native species in the next couple of weeks.  We plan on continuing our travels in November and will head to the coast for a fishing fix and after lolling around in the wine regions for a while we will catch up with our daughter Georgina



She also worked for many years at Argyle Mine and is now in Perth working for Newmont Mining in the IT field.  Not married (too busy) but she has a beautiful rammed earth house up in the Perth hills and hope to retire to being a full time investor in the next couple of years. 



Nolan, who was born in Oranjemund, still lives in the Kimberley region of WA and works for the mine.  He was a shift Boss in the pit and now works in Mine Planning.  He also hopes to become a full time property investor.  Neither is married though Nolan has a partner who has three children which he now supports.



To all of ex-residents and current residents still at the mine – "Hi" from Australia.  We hope to come over a visit you sometime in the not overly distant future.



Regards



John and Jean"

[Michael Alexander]

I quote:
"
Hello Michael



The Mc Bride family lived in Oranjemund for many years and after my parents retired in 1993, none of us returned there.



Sadly, my brother Leigh passed away in July 2006 of a heart attack in his sleep in Southampton UK, where my parents currently live. Their email is daberas@aol.com

My sister Vanessa and me both currently live in Johannesburg.



Leigh was friends with the Epsteins and Kevin Laubscher.



All the very best and thanks for providing a great website.



Stirling McBride"
:-\

[Michael Alexander]

I quote, (this is interesting,well for me at least)

"I joined CDM beginning of 1958 and was one of the 4 blockmen in the butchery. All the meat was slaughtered and distributed at the abatoir ot only to the butchery but also to all the compunds and kitchen at Affenrucken,Ubvlei etc. Pigs and paultry came from Beauvalon,cattle first sheppered from Kolmans,later by a special truck. Only boerewors and small quantities of pork sausage was made in a little room at the abatoir. Since I was a fully qualified Sausage Maker, it did not take me long to seed the idea of suply the Oranjemunders with every thing required.The management finaly decided to spend a lot of money for the ´factory´ according to my ideas and plans.When I resigned from the company in 65 the public had a choice between 25 to 30 different kind of sausages and cold meats,plus vacum packed home made bacon and smoked ham.On demand special sausages were sometimes made for the different nations by me together with about 10 Ovambos who always returned to their specialized work. Only for the Mule Derby I produced the famous mule-derby-sausages grilled on the site,i.e.only available for this occasion. My products were also sent to Kleinzee.Quite a lot of fish,caught at the river mouth, was smoked at my place."

From Sylvis Naturladen    ;D

[Donald Duck]

Very interesting.
I had the "pleasure" numerous times, of driving the Chamies road to Aus/Luderitz. What I thought was a "wee-wee" stop, was the old cattle watering stations.

[Michael Alexander]

This one came from Bob and Laura Jones, if anyone can help their email address is  jonestoby6@aol.com.uk

I quote their email:
"HI To whoever remembers us,

We have three daughters, ages at the time Sarah 10yrs Rachel 9yrs and Lee-ann 3yrs. Bob worked on 4 plant field service.Laura (for a very short time work in the mine stores, in transport area).  We were both members of the bowls team and had many good nights & mornings in the club, as well as enjoying playing the game.We were in oranjmund from 1984-86 when we had to return to the UK.  Would love to hear from anyone who remembers us and/or the girls, as they would love to hear from any of their old school friends.
We now live in South Wales Nr Cardiff.  If Linda Wiseman (as she was when we met) reads this, Laura would love to get in touch. Linda was very much involved with the riding club and was there during the floods.  Linda was married to Bobby Wiseman and the last I heard she had a baby, but we lost touch when she seemed to move from East London to PE. We have visited South Africa twice since but still had no luck in finding her or Bobby
hoping to hear from anyone
all the best Bob & Laura."

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Nice to see John and Jean Macks message.

Hope they will tell us an Email Adress, i found none in the board....

John, if you read that here, i am George from 3 Plant Electr. and the Camera Club

Send me a message please

[Michael Alexander]

Another nice email received from Jean Donaldson( nee Shepherd )
I include her comments

"Hi Mike
Jean Donaldson nee Shepherd ... I think you have done a fantabulicious job and this is to say thanks!!! I was born in Oranjemund;schooled in Oranjemund and boarding schooled from Oranjemund... 18 years plus..after I started work my late parents stayed on for a while. We first stayed in 2nd avenue over the road from the Greenways then moved to fifth avenue next door to the magistrate.
My sisters are Alice and Brenda (she told me about the site) then my brother is Brian.I still have contact wih Mike the fisherman Dippenaar
I would love to hear from anyone who remembers us.
Keep up the excellant job you have made many memories resurface in many peoples minds.
Jean.. "

her email is jean(put the sign at in here)primelandmark.com

[georg ruf jr.]

Hi Jean.
I remember the name shepard, but I can't picture who you are.
Maybe Shepard is just a name I heard once in a while in om in the 70's.
Maybe you can give me a hand.
Georg Ruf jr.

[Paula Gottsch (Willson)]

Here's a hand Georg emot112_2  hope it helps, do you remember now??!! 

[georg ruf jr.]

Sheesh Paula! You're everywhere. Especialy where you're not expected...
Go enjoy yourself with the ... poledancing

[Cheryl Quantrill (van Greunen)]

Hi Jean

Brian was in my class and Brenda a year ahead of me -last saw them when I went to boarding school.

Regards
Cheryl

[Cheryl Quantrill (van Greunen)]

  Georg!

[georg ruf jr.]

Hi honey!

[georg ruf jr.]

Has Mark recovered hitting the tabs. He's not in to good condition.  Gave up real soon.
Maybe you could tell him, there's a lot more to catch on...
Georg