De Klerk leaves legacy of love
Renowned dinosaur discoverer, lecturer, curator, remembered for passion for his work and people
Dr William ‘Billy’ de Klerk, emeritus curator of palaeontology at the Albany Museum, passed away earlier this month after a short illness.
Many of the dinosaurs De Klerk discovered and described were quite small. In fact Nqwebasaurusthwazi, the first dinosaur to have an isiXhosa name, is about the size of a family terrier.
But the scientific legacy he leaves is huge, and so is the gap he leaves in the lives of friends, family and colleagues.
Dr Rose Prevec, palaeobotanist and head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Albany Museum, however, began with the person.
“He was warm and selfeffacing and had time for everyone,” Prevec told Talk of the Town.
One of his greatest strengths as a scientist was his role as a facilitator.
“He loved sharing science with everyone and local and international scientists alike loved working with him.”
Dr Bruce Rubidge, director of the NRF/DST Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences at the University of Witwatersrand, worked extensively with De Klerk on the southern Karoo’s rich fossil fields where the Beaufort group of rock formations houses some of Godongwana’s earliest mammals.
Among the pioneering work they did was to collect volcanic ash from early formations they sent to MIT for carbon dating.
“Because all the formations were physically linked 250-260 million years ago, those samples Billy and I collected have provided the earliest reliable data for all Permian biozones,” Rubidge said.
This data is used by researchers in areas as distant as China and Russia.
One of De Klerk’s great strengths was public outreach – in a nutshell, making the science real.
The Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre that he and Rubidge established in New Bethesda has been selfsustaining since 2005.
“It was our test to see if we could make palaeotourism viable. I think it’s the only such project that’s self-sustaining,” Rubidge said.
De Klerk was born in Johannesburg on September 2 1952 and matriculated from
Potchefstroom Boys High. At Rhodes University, he obtained a doctorate in geology and met his wife, Vivian.
He worked as an exploration geologist In Namibia and SA but followed Viv to Makhanda when she was appointed at Rhodes.
He was appointed curator of Natural History Collections at the Albany Museum in 1986.
Among his organisational achievements was digitising the Albany Museum collections.
He was the curator of the Earth Sciences Department for 30 years and laid the foundation for the museum’s excellent fossil collection.
His two main exploration areas were the Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits of the
Sundays River and Kirkwood formations of the Algoa Basin.
“This was initially undertaken by himself but the programme expanded to include numerous local and international collaborators, many of whom continued to work with him well into his retirement,” the Palaeontological Society of Southern Africa (PSSA) wrote in a tribute shared with members.
Several new dinosaur species were discovered there.
Another important area for De Klerk was the Karoo.
“From the Beaufort Group he described a remarkable palaeosurface bearing the footprints of seven individuals of the large dicynodont
Aulacephalodon walking across the floodplain,” PSSA wrote.
“This provided new evidence on the morphology of the genus and also social and herding behaviour of dicynodonts, the dominant herbivores of the Permian period. His collecting prowess included the dinosaur-bearing beds of the Stormberg.”
De Klerk lectured in palaeontology at Rhodes for more than 20 years.
The PSSA said he had published more than 20 peerreviewed scientific papers, cited nearly 1,000 times.
“Chief among these contributions was his work in the Kirkwood Formation.”
Adults and children alike were drawn by his utter engagement with his favourite subject and, in the museum, the amazing dioramas he produced through some of the country’s best artists and sculptors.
He is survived by his wife Viv, his children Jenny, Andrew, and Chris, and four grandchildren.
Dr Rose Prevec, said, “Billy will be remembered for his good-natured and cheerful, balanced approach to life, his loyalty and deep love for his family and his community – and his absolute, exuberant delight in the natural world.”
FINAL MATCHES
After some excellent showings against Woodridge College’s senior rugby teams recently, Kingswood College now hosts Nico Malan High School from Humansdorp on Saturday, July 23. These will be Kingswood’s final matches for the 2022 schools’ rugby season. Meanwhile, Kingswood’s results against Woodridge were: 1sts won 62-0; 2nds won 17-6; U16A won 42-0; U15A won 19-5; U14A lost 5-27.
LONG DISTANCES
If we may call them such, there were 21 ‘long-distance’ runners, joggers and walkers among the field of 73 tackling last Saturday’s parkrun in Makana botanical gardens. For purposes of this week’s parkrun story, those are participants with more than 100 parkruns to their credit. They come in three categories 300 and more, 200 to 299, and 100 to 199. Who of these ‘long-distance’ participants do you know? With more than 300 are Stavie van Aardt (313) and Peter Stockwell (310), with Lynne Marshall in the 200-299 category on 297.
Those having completed between 100 and 199 are: Siviwe Moyake 104, Patrick Pringle 108, Enoch Odei-Addo 110,
Helen McCallum 111, Paul Caiger 113, Kenny Nolan 116, Gregory Shaw 121, Phemelo Hellemann 122, Val Varela 122, Karen Davies 126, Monde Duma 132, Kim Weaver 140, Marty Poole 144, Nqabisa Bridget Mazwai 163, Natasha Agnew 167, Cee-Jay Porthen 177, Andrew Stevens 180 and Harry Weissenberg 196.
WINDING DOWN
Graeme College’s final rugby fixtures for the 2022 season are against Pearson High in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) on July 23, Queen’s College in Komani (Queenstown) on August 6, and Muir College in Makhanda on August 13.
RHODIANS ON THE WATER
Well done to the members of the Rhodes University Rowing Club who travelled to Port Alfred last week when they held a team building session with the Nemato development rowing squad, and which included coaching on the Kowie River.
NETBALL SELECTION
Congratulations to Rhodes University player Yoliswa Gusha on her selection to the University Sport SAs Dream Team’ in the C Division at the conclusion of the recent inter-universities’ netball tournament.
HOCKEY AT HOME
Victoria Girls’ High School’s 1st hockey team is at home to Volkskool High School from Graaff-Reinet on Saturday, July 23, according to the VGHS calendar.
FROM PITCHES TO FAIRWAYS
Manley Flats Cricket Club goes golf on Friday, September 2 when it hosts its spring golf day over the Belmont course, an event offering much more than just golf.
There’s also an auction, prizes for the best-dressed spring-themed four-ball, putting competition on the 18th green, raffle, longest drive and nearest-the-pin prizes, plus a jumping castle for the kids. Entry fee is R1,600 per four-ball and this includes green fees, competition fee and halfway house. For more info and to book places contact Craig Fourie at 076-3123514.
MEDALS FOR SHOOTERS
St Andrew’s College air rifle shooters Kevin Campbell, Timothy Nasasira and Julius Rocher travelled to Vanderbijlpark over half-term where they took part in the Oranje-Vaal open shooting competition. Campbell won a bronze medal in the U20 age group and Nasasira was placed fourth, while Rocher won gold in the U16 age group.
SHOWING AND JUMPING
Showjumping, dressage, showing and equitation will be on the programme when the Grahamstown Riding Club stages its winter show at their grounds opposite the old golf club on July 30 and 31. Competition is in graded and ungraded classes, and the convenors are Hayley Futter and Nicole van der Merwe.
WAS THE OLD HOUSE HAUNTED?
Last week this column carried a story on York Street, ending with a comment about a double-storey house on a smallholding. ‘Old Grahamstonian’ writes as follows regarding the old house. “That doublestorey house in York Street is well remembered.
“My friends and I were told the house was haunted, so one Saturday evening the three of us got on our bikes and pedalled off to find out for ourselves. We were about 11 or 12 years of age then.
“On reaching the cabbage land we hid our bikes as best we could and slowly made our way to the house. We got to the house in the dark and we were scared. We crept up to the front door, heard nothing and then decided to knock on the door. We knocked and then heard loud shouting from inside.
“The three of us turned around and ran back to our bicycles and made off home as quickly as possible, still not sure if the house was haunted or not.”
YORK AND THE YORKIES
Former Grahamstonian David Stevens, now residing in George, found last week’s story on York Street rather interesting. He writes: “The main street in the centre of George is also York Street. In addition, we have York High School here (not in York Street) which was founded as an Englishmedium high school in 1975. The pupils are referred to as Yorkies.”
A PLAQUE AND A STREET
A visit to the ‘Creative City’ market on Church Square a couple of weeks ago saw the writer of this column meandering over to the City Hall where one of the plaques at the base of the tower reads: “The Foundation Stone of this tower was laid by The Hon Robert Godlonton, 23rd May 1870”.
So off it was to the official listing of local streets to ascertain whether there is a Godlonton Street in the present-day Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown). Oh yes, there is a Godlonton Street and it’s up there at the edge of Fingo Village, across the valley from the eastern side of the suburb of Sunnyside . Godlonton Street runs from Orsmond Terrace eastwards to Edward Street, and is between Wood and Powell Streets. At this stage, readers may be a little confused. Don’t worry, so am I.
TWO GOALS’EACH
The St Andrew s College 1st football team beat Woodridge College at Woodridge by 7 goals to 2 at the weekend, with Mila Mzamane and Zan Jonah scoring two goals apiece. St Andrew’s U16A beat Woodridge 5-1.
THEY ARE REMEMBERED
This column is read all along the Sunshine Coast from Kleinemonde in the east to Cannon Rocks in the west, and by former Grahamstonians via e-mail now living all over SA and even abroad.
I wonder how many former residents of the city remember these iconic upper High Street businesses, all of which have since closed shop. They advertised in the ‘Coming Events’ brochure of September 1976 published by the then Grahamstown Publicity Association and printed by Grocott & Sherry. Oxford Furnishing at the corner of High Street and Anglo-African Street was owned and managed by the father-andson duo of Philip and Mike Kahn, and stated in the brochure: “Three floors of the largest and finest selection of furniture, electrical appliances, carpets and curtains.”
After a fire in the early 1990s, Blaine’s Building housing Oxford was rebuilt as a two-storey structure, although the façade indicates it’s three storeys. Another family-owned business in the 1970s was Beaumont & Rice at 112 High Street, a transport business run by the Beaumont family, “for all your household removal requirements, packing, storage, shipping and general transport”.
A couple of doors further up High Street on the same side was Rodgerson’s grocery and provisions store under the ownership and management of Tom Rodgerson. The store supplied “quality provisions at competitive prices”.
And, who remembers the Rodgerson property at the corner of George and Lawrance Streets in Sunnyside that had three tennis courts, home to Brooklyn Tennis Club, in the 1960s and 1970s?
THEY WERE ACTIVE BACK THEN
Back in the 1960s and 1970s the Grahamstown Publicity Association published and distributed a free and handy monthly ‘Coming Events’ brochure detailing local bioscope showings, club events and local business advertisements. Back then there were many clubs and societies that are no longer in existence. Soroptimists International of Grahamstown met in the Godlonton Hall, while Albany Cine Club held its meetings in the Public Library projection room in Hill Street.
Albany Freshwater Angling Association met in the clubroom of the Grand Hotel in lower High Street, Grahamstown Amateur Dramatic Society (GADS) held play readings in St George’s Hall, and Albany Photographic Society held its meetings at the public library.
The Leo Club held monthly meetings in the Monument, Grahamstown Chess Club met every Wednesday in the library projection room, and Grahamstown Table Tennis Club held training evenings and played matches on Tuesdays in the Boy Scout Hall in African Street.