The Fish Hoek Valley Historical Association will host Trish Wood, the current owner of the Old Homestead in Sunnydale, formerly known as Poespaskraal Farmstead and later Sunnydale Farm, for an illustrated talk about the hunt to find a painting of the farmstead by renowned South African artist Tinus de Jongh.
The talk will take place at the Fish Hoek Valley Bowling Club, in Central Circle, Fish Hoek, on Thursday October 10, at 4.30pm for 5pm.
According to Ms Wood, it will be the first time the story is told.
She will talk about the De Stadler family’s quest to find the painting of Poespaskraal Farmstead painted by De Jongh in the late 1930s while sitting under the shade of a tall gum tree.
The homestead – initially a simple T-shaped, thatched dwelling, built with clay and local sandstone rocks and painted with lime wash – came into the hands of Ms Wood’s family in 1864 when it was bought by George Francis de Stadler.
According to Ms Wood, there are many “twists and turns” in the tale, and attendees may just find out where the painting hangs today.
The house, which is an example of Cape Dutch architecture, was declared a national monument in 1987.
Poespaskraal, which means “hotchpotch place”, was one of four land grants made simultaneously in 1743 by the governor general of the Netherlands East Indies, Governor Van Imhoff (“The colourful history of the former Poespaskraal,” Echo May 18, 2018).
Entry is R20 for members and R30 for visitors. For more information, email fhvhistoricalassociation@gmail.com
