The history of our country has been built not only by genealogical pedigrees of our ancestors but also the occupations and contributions that they have made to the country.

There is an intriguing history about the development of the building industry in South Africa, starting with the simple dwellings erected in the Cape by the nomadic Khoikhoi, to the advanced shopping malls built around the city centres across the land. It includes the tale of Piet Retief and the emergence of speculative builders from the 1820 Settlers.

The City of Gold, better known as Johannesburg or Egoli, has blossomed, through three wars and a brief civil war, from a small mining town constructed from corrugated iron and six inch nails, to the industrial metropolis which it is today.

Cape Town developed out of the vegetable garden and a chandlers’ staging post established by Van Riebeeck. Port Elizabeth was established after the 1820 Settlers landed on a lonely, uninhabited beach. Durban had its roots in a military stockade which was established on the Natal coast as a defence point.

These cities were built by people of vision and drive with the able assistance of the craftsmen who made up the building industry in South Africa. Many of the buildings and endeavours reflecting building construction in South Africa have disappeared, but the people who contributed are still very much alive in our history as well as our memories – they are part of our heritage.

Master Builders played an integral part of the building foundation of South Africa. These men are not only those who belonged to organized bodies such as the Master Builders Association or other recognized institutions but those men whose skills as builders, carpenters, joiners, road makers, engineers, architects, bricklayers and artisans have cemented the path for growth and development in South Africa.

Many of these talented men who were either of English, French, Italian, Dutch, Chinese or even of Xhosa descent made remarkable contributions to our heritage and buildings that still stand today.

Master builders

The first stone was laid for the Castle de Goede Hoop – the magnificent fort that was halfway house to the rest of the world. The finest stonecutters and builders were used to build this castle. Douwe Gerbrandtz Steyn, master mason, Adriaan van Braeckel, mason, and engineer Pieter Dombaer were the craftsmen behind this mammoth project. Timber for the project was brought from Hout Bay. Other building materials such as the magnificent stone, and the lime burnt from shells, were obtained from Robben Island. The actual building was done by soldiers.

The city of Cape Town began to grow, bringing skilled artisans from far and wide. Local slaves were soon trained to become skilled artisans whose inept ability to become outstanding craftsmen has been carried on through their ancestors until today.

In 1797 Servaas van Breda, who already owned Molenvliet on the southern boundary of Koornhoop in the Gardens, acquired the southern third of Koornhoop, on which the oldest buildings of the farm stood, viz. the old barn, a homestead that had by then probably assumed an H-shaped plan, three small square buildings alongside of very considerable age, and possibly two other large barns opposite them and nearer the river. Van Breda came from a family of builders and was himself a builder. Today the Van Breda family still continues in the construction industry in the form of Scheltema Roofing in Cape Town owned and run by Barry and Hammie Van Breda.

Today a company like Group Five Construction had one of its founder members R.H. Morris building for giants like Cecil John Rhodes and AB Reid. The Morris story lives on today to be one of South Africa’s largest and oldest building companies in existence.

Master Builders Association

In 1904 William Ralph Poynton banded the independent Associations of the Master Builders together to form the National Federation of Building Trades Employers. This was based on its British counterpart and the Federation set out to unify the building industry at a time when there was growing labour unrest and dissatisfaction among employees. It is unlikely that when Poynton and a small group of men met in the board room of the MBA at 339 Smith Street, Durban, on 23 March 1904 that what they were planning would survive and become a respected and dynamic organization 100 years later.

The Master Builders Association came up with the ideals to set the standards of quality building, fair wages as well as workmen’s compensation for disability and death.

98 Years of Past Presidents of the Master Builders Association

1932 -Albert Barrow (Johannesburg

1933 – H. J. Hedden (Cape Town)
1934 – J. D. B. Clark (Johannesburg)
1935 – B. P. Jones (Bloemfontein)
1936 – J. Garnett (Pietermaritzburg)
1937 – H. O. Young (Cape Town)
1938 – W. Knuckey (Johannesburg)
1939 – G. F. Vercoe (Durban)
1940 – C.C. Pike (East London)
1941 – J. Downie (Pretoria)
1942 – A. J. Brokensha (Durban)
1943 – J. N. Bird (Cape Town)
1944 – R. Rutherford (Johannesburg)
1945 – R. Barras (Pietermaritzburg)
1946 – J. Glendinning ( Port Elizabeth)
1947 – J.C. Bitcon (Johannesburg)
1948 – J. J. Smith (Durban)
1949 – F. B. Blomkamp (Cape Town)
1950 – J. P. Lamb (Pretoria)
1951 – G. J. R. Bulman (Pietermaritzburg)
1951 – J. A. Annand (East London)
1953 – F. H. Mitchell (Johannesburg)
1954 – F. H. Radford (Durban)
1955/6 – R. T. Morrison (Bloemfontein)
1956 / 57 – A. Barrow (Johannesburg)
1957 / 58 – H. Aitken (Durban)
1958 / 59 – J. W. L. Ruddy ( Port Elizabeth)
1959 / 60 – F. E. Kennard (Johannesburg)
1960 / 61 – T. Pattullo (Cape Town)
1961 / 62 – W. P. Hamilton (Durban)
1962 / 63 – H. H. Lobban (Johannesburg)
1963 / 64 – H. McCarthy (Cape Town)
1964 / 65 – H. T. Stirling (Johannesburg)
1965 / 66 – J. A. Reardon (Durban)
1966/ 67 – R. A. Briggs (Cape Town)
1967 / 68 – P. J. Van Twisk (Pretoria)
1968 / 69 – M. Lipshitz (Durban)
1969 / 80 – D. R. Herd (Johannesburg)
1970 / 71 – H. N. Dodd (East London)
1971 / 72 – J. Zylstra (Pretoria)
1972 / 73 – F. Williams (Johannesburg)
1973 / 74 – C. H. R. Kincaid (Durban)
1974 / 75 – G. K. Breedt (Bloemfontein)
1975 / 76 – B. L. Moyle (Johannesburg)
1976 / 77 – L. Fish (Durban)
1977 /78 – D. F. D. Allan (Cape Town)
1978 / 79 – D. H. Mitchell (Johannesburg)
1979 / 80 – R. L. Stevenson (Durban)
1980 / 81 – J. A. Barrow (Johannesburg)
1981 / 82 – L. S. Glaser (Cape Town)
1982 / 83 – P. O. Morris (Johannesburg)
1983 / 84 – G. H. Rowles (Kimberley)
1984 / 85 – A. J. M. Stewart (Durban)
1985 / 86 – B. J. S. Zylstra (Pretoria)
1986 / 87 – A. P. Jacobson (Johannesburg)
1987 / 88 – D. N. Fraser (Cape Town)
1988 / 89 – B. G. Thompson ( Port Elizabeth)
1989 / 90 – R. G. Hurry (Johannesburg)
1990 / 91 – E. V. Hulme (Johannesburg)
1991 / 92 – V. N. Smailes (Kimberley)
1992 / 93 – R. M. Guiricich (Johannesburg)
1993 / 94 – G. P. Volck (Johannesburg)
1994/ 95 – B. R. Buys (Bloemfontein)
1995 / 96 – R. A. Edwards (Johannesburg)
1996 / 97 – S. E. Jones (Cape Town)
1997 / 98 – W. S. Deacon (Durban)
1998 / 99 – P. J. Ridl (Durban)
1999/ 00 – J. A. Dempers (Boland)
2000 / 01 – N. L. Klopper (Johannesburg)
2001 / 02 – M. B. Van Breda (Cape Town)
2002 / 03 – N. Maas (Johannesburg)

From a failed builder to a famous Voortrekker leader and hero

In 1815 the famous Voortrekker leader, Piet Retief, moved to Grahamstown where the building boom and the shortage of skilled builders encouraged him to try his hand at speculative building.

His unfortunate involvement with Government contracts began with the erection of new military barracks and headquarters. Retief put in his tender for £3 000 and after being awarded the contract, construction started on Scott’s Barracks in May 1820. The plans included a group of buildings, the largestof which was two storeys in height running the full width of the site and built of stone with mud cementing, earthen floors and a slate roof.

The entire erf was to be surrounded by a high wall and the building was planned to house 180 soldiers and six officers with stables, stores and a powder magazine. Retief soon realised that he had under quoted for his work but was not permitted to withdraw from the contract. To save costs, he undertook much of the stonework himself and employed an under-qualified carpenter to complete the woodwork. The military authorities, unhappy with the shoddy carpentry, stopped payment, causing a long and bitter dispute over the terms of the original contract. Work nevertheless continued and the barracks were finally completed in April 1823, but unfortunately for Retief the building collapsed six months later during a storm. Retief lost the case against him and was ordered to make good any damages in addition to paying a 5 000 rix-dollars indemnity.

Shortly after Retief had set to work rebuilding Scott’s Barracks, a previous contract that he had signed for the erection of a Drostdy went into dispute. From the start, the plans and contract were dubious and since the building was still a shell fourteen months after work had begun, the Landdrost, Harry Rivers, filed a complaint and Retief was sued for breach of contract. Retief again lost the case with costs. Although he was eventually paid a token sum for his work, Retief was insolvent and left the Cape to become the leader of the Great Trek. He was more successful as leader of men than he had been as a builder and he has become one of South Africa ‘s most famous historical figures. He was treacherously killed by Dingaan in February 1838. (Source – Our Building Heritage, An Illustrated History by Paddy Hartdegen)

Women in the Industry

Rose Resnick was one of the first women in South Africa believed to have been involved in the building industry. At the age of 17 she was already running her own import/export plywood company and by the time she had immigrated to South Africa in 1920, her business began to expand. By 1923 the company was firmly established in Johannesburg with the versatile material called Plymax which was used in the contraction industry, engineering and the manufacturing of ships, cars, rail, trams and aeroplanes.

Other

Builders

Anderson, John – mason/ builder Simonstown Dock Co
Anhuyser, L.F. – master carpenter
Baines, Andrew Geddes – road builder
Baines, Thomas Charles John – road builder
Barker, George – builder
Barry, Francos Henry – builder
Boers, Willem Cornelis – fiscal and builder – Rust en Vreugd
Cock, William – harbour builder
Colling, Thomas – builder
Darter, William Silver, piano-tuner and -builder
Douthwaite, Richard – builder
Durham, Edward – builder with William Warren – (built Bertram House) who founded the firm George Findlay and sons.
Edwards, Roger
Elliot, George – brick layer
Findlay, George – builder and Merchant
Fitzpatrick, Thomas – stone mason – Robben Island
Gush, Richard – builder
Hagard, Thomas – glazer + builder
Heyward,William – builder
Hitchcock, TJ
Kestell, Charles – builder + carpenter
Kressien, Fran – bouer in Kaapstad – SA Family Register
Main, Robert – bricklayer to Mr Kohler of the CT Museum
Mapikela, Thomas Mtobi – Carpenter / Builder
Maritz, Gerhardus -father – builder
Melck, Martin
Mitton, John – joiner + builder
Mokgatle, Naboth Monyadioe Moreleba – Carpenter / Builder (see biography: New Dictionary of SA)
Mokone, Mangena Maaka – Builder – (see biography: New Dictionary of SA)
Schutte, Hermann – builder
Scott, John – mason
Shepstone, Theophilus
Smit, MJ – architect and builder
Thiabult – architect
Warren, William – bricklayer to Thomas Dixon of Graaf Reniet
Will, William – mason / builder

Tags: Builder, Master Builder, occupations