#: locale=en
## Media
### Floorplan
### Image
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### Popup Image
### Title
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album_DC5B7854_C682_E821_41E2_B23F077F410F_0.label = 1970's Left - Maria Hanse and Jurine van Rooi and Right - Madjie Booysen age 21
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album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_2.label = St Mary's Catholic Church Bell 3
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_5.label = Stained Glass Window 1
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_6.label = Stained Glass Window 2
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_7.label = Stained Glass Window 3
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_8.label = Stained Glass Window 4
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_9.label = Stained Glass Window 5
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_10.label = Stained Glass Window 6
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_11.label = Stained Glass Window 7
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_13.label = Stained Glass Window 8
album_F1D1DC82_C6BD_6826_41A1_C1E51ED4EC30_5.label = Standard Bank
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album_F1D1DC82_C6BD_6826_41A1_C1E51ED4EC30_3.label = Standard Bank Building from 1903 to 1927
album_F1D1DC82_C6BD_6826_41A1_C1E51ED4EC30_9.label = Standard Bank OLD
album_F1D1DC82_C6BD_6826_41A1_C1E51ED4EC30_4.label = Standard Bank new 1
album_F1D1DC82_C6BD_6826_41A1_C1E51ED4EC30_6.label = Standard Bank old 1
album_F1D1DC82_C6BD_6826_41A1_C1E51ED4EC30_7.label = Standard Bank old 2
album_F1D1DC82_C6BD_6826_41A1_C1E51ED4EC30_8.label = Standard Bank old 3
video_490129DC_CF85_6EFC_41E6_926B41D9E152.label = Standard Bank_0
album_854052C2_CDA1_16EE_41D9_C312AEC1216C_7.label = Station at Ceres Road
album_95B9CE13_CCA3_116D_41E6_7FBB4A7936FB_12.label = Statue
album_4A3EC570_D134_762C_41E0_B9F0570D4AE0_12.label = Stonewall
album_FB56C6D3_C79E_B826_41E5_678CE83FAA0C_5.label = Street Sign to Nduli
panorama_E1B84842_EE2E_B279_416A_0018F5D48D01.label = Synagogue
album_F118600C_C67D_9822_41DF_3AF4908EF3B8_0.label = Synagogue 1
album_F118600C_C67D_9822_41DF_3AF4908EF3B8_2.label = Synagogue Old
album_F118600C_C67D_9822_41DF_3AF4908EF3B8_1.label = Synagogue after the earthquake
photo_C7EB5C85_DBB0_E1F6_41DD_62D0FB1985DB.label = TOwn Hall Old 4
album_869CC906_C78E_A82E_41E8_0331BDF49280_0.label = The 1st Sanatorium
panorama_FE41A087_EE2A_F206_41E4_F3DCE53CDD4F.label = The Belmont Hotel
album_869CC906_C78E_A82E_41E8_0331BDF49280_1.label = The Belmont Hotel after the earthquake
album_869CC906_C78E_A82E_41E8_0331BDF49280_2.label = The Belmont Sanatorium
panorama_E1B3CE55_EE2F_AE1A_41A2_DA99894F2631.label = The Grand Hotel
album_DC5B7854_C682_E821_41E2_B23F077F410F_6.label = The Higgins House - Buffered Area
photo_D40B9F22_DB90_9F2D_41E9_A57CA14FBCDF.label = The Primary Department of the High School
panorama_E1BF1D36_EE2E_B219_41B1_CE0A8A850C0F.label = Toll House
album_4D3D5C5E_D137_D66D_41C5_31EF720E9264_2.label = Toll house 1
album_4D3D5C5E_D137_D66D_41C5_31EF720E9264_3.label = Toll house 2
album_4D3D5C5E_D137_D66D_41C5_31EF720E9264_4.label = Toll house 3
album_4D3D5C5E_D137_D66D_41C5_31EF720E9264_5.label = Toll house 4
album_4D3D5C5E_D137_D66D_41C5_31EF720E9264_6.label = Toll house 5
panorama_E1AD8E14_EE2D_AE19_41E7_8D7C9EBD3862.label = Town Hall
photo_C7163AA1_DBB0_E12F_41D8_9BEF6D3BDBE8.label = Town Hall New 1
album_E23EF95C_C6FD_A821_41DD_C6212298B7DC_0.label = Town Hall Old 1
album_E23EF95C_C6FD_A821_41DD_C6212298B7DC_1.label = Town Hall Old 2
album_E23EF95C_C6FD_A821_41DD_C6212298B7DC_2.label = Town Hall Old 3
album_DECE44E2_C687_F9E6_41C9_426D0D7756AD_6.label = Town Hall on the left and Luyt and Company on the right
album_F946C255_C785_9822_41DF_F6FB89D08116_4.label = Union Cafe
album_F946C255_C785_9822_41DF_F6FB89D08116_3.label = Union Cafe Building today
album_F946C255_C785_9822_41DF_F6FB89D08116_2.label = Union Cafe and Cinema 1948
album_F946C255_C785_9822_41DF_F6FB89D08116_5.label = Union Cafee 1
panorama_E18F2D7B_EE2E_920F_41DD_F39AD2955C35.label = Union Café
panorama_F08202DE_C3A1_1AA7_41E4_3A80F7B0358B.label = Union Café 2
album_F946C255_C785_9822_41DF_F6FB89D08116_7.label = Union Cinema old
album_F946C255_C785_9822_41DF_F6FB89D08116_6.label = Union Cinema old 2
panorama_E1A908FE_EE2D_F209_41DE_D9FF049E6152.label = United Reformed Church
panorama_E186F277_EE2B_9606_418C_A5235AE69F9E.label = Van Breda Bridge
panorama_EA330ED1_C3A1_2ABA_41C8_4B8F3CC87264.label = Van Breda Bridge 1
panorama_E1E8129D_EE2A_B60B_41E0_704E2B662D2A.label = Van Breda Bridge 2
panorama_EA33D832_C3A1_35FE_41E2_CCE3B8514D47.label = Van Breda Bridge 3
album_DECE44E2_C687_F9E6_41C9_426D0D7756AD_7.label = Van Eeden Building 2017
album_DECE44E2_C687_F9E6_41C9_426D0D7756AD_9.label = Van Eeden Building Old
album_DECE44E2_C687_F9E6_41C9_426D0D7756AD_8.label = Van Eeden Building after earthquake - view from Owen Street
album_DC5B7854_C682_E821_41E2_B23F077F410F_4.label = left - Letter to Mr Higgins Right - Karel Higgins with Charlene and Anton
photo_4DD2F52B_D12C_D628_41E6_EC6C2A40BD82.label = market regulations
panorama_D71F1084_C3A1_169B_41E2_736DC36FE84B.label = on Die Step
album_854052C2_CDA1_16EE_41D9_C312AEC1216C_3.label = opening
### Video
videolevel_7BC5B641_590E_ECB4_4176_9965AA387262.url = media/video_1AF5E80D_31E1_DADE_41C2_EC0F946041AB_en.mp4
videolevel_7BC5B641_590E_ECB4_4176_9965AA387262.posterURL = media/video_1AF5E80D_31E1_DADE_41C2_EC0F946041AB_poster_en.jpg
videolevel_7BC1C5E0_590E_EF74_41C1_B317F009EC87.url = media/video_490129DC_CF85_6EFC_41E6_926B41D9E152_en.mp4
videolevel_7BC1C5E0_590E_EF74_41C1_B317F009EC87.posterURL = media/video_490129DC_CF85_6EFC_41E6_926B41D9E152_poster_en.jpg
videolevel_7BCDA56C_590E_EF4C_41C6_AD7F9F9CE5D6.url = media/video_4901B1FC_CF82_9EBC_41E3_93F289902979_en.mp4
videolevel_7BCDA56C_590E_EF4C_41C6_AD7F9F9CE5D6.posterURL = media/video_4901B1FC_CF82_9EBC_41E3_93F289902979_poster_en.jpg
videolevel_7BCCE4F7_590E_ED5C_41BF_A724D7CF418E.url = media/video_4EABA66E_CF82_A5DF_41E1_F2A32ADB549B_en.mp4
videolevel_7BCCE4F7_590E_ED5C_41BF_A724D7CF418E.posterURL = media/video_4EABA66E_CF82_A5DF_41E1_F2A32ADB549B_poster_en.jpg
### Video Subtitles
## Right Click Menu
### Text
TDVAuthor.label = VRCapture
## Skin
### Button
Button_A43E19EE_CCA1_12B7_41E3_B7F7284E4397.label = Ceres Fruit Growers Info
Button_A43E19EE_CCA1_12B7_41E3_B7F7284E4397_mobile.label = Ceres Fruit Growers Info
Button_97227FC5_CCA1_2EEA_41E2_28490C1A72E7.label = Ceres Fruit Juice Info
Button_97227FC5_CCA1_2EEA_41E2_28490C1A72E7_mobile.label = Ceres Fruit Juice Info
Button_03D37B27_0C7A_63B3_41A1_89572D8C8762_mobile.label = HOUSE INFO
Button_03D37B27_0C7A_63B3_41A1_89572D8C8762.label = HOUSE INFO
Button_1CA392FC_0C0A_2295_41A3_18DEA65FB6AD.label = LOCATION
Button_1CA392FC_0C0A_2295_41A3_18DEA65FB6AD_mobile.label = LOCATION
Button_1FE4B611_0C0A_256F_418E_EA27E66F8360.label = MAP OF CERES
Button_1FE4B611_0C0A_256F_418E_EA27E66F8360_mobile.label = MAP OF CERES
Button_48290132_D17C_2E3D_41E5_03F5C372C128.label = Michells Pass
Button_084007E2_CCE3_1EAE_41EA_9FD0D111A50A_mobile.label = Michells Pass
Button_948AB853_CCA1_11ED_41DB_43E97231DEDE.label = Michells Pass Info
Button_4DA29B66_CF86_A3CF_41CB_D5653426B5DF.label = Michells Pass Info
Button_4DA29B66_CF86_A3CF_41CB_D5653426B5DF_mobile.label = Michells Pass Info
Button_948AB853_CCA1_11ED_41DB_43E97231DEDE_mobile.label = Michells Pass More Info
Button_0AC3DE1A_1612_2228_41AB_20F9B9C74614_mobile.label = More info
Button_9E93C2FC_CCA7_369A_41E7_D925FD79B9B5.label = More info
Button_0A5487CE_1612_222C_4182_0B29465CD90A_mobile.label = More info
Button_34C6B495_1735_F417_41B0_6E822B376054_mobile.label = More info
Button_9E93C2FC_CCA7_369A_41E7_D925FD79B9B5_mobile.label = More info
Button_34D1ECBB_1734_B41C_418C_8F09F6279585_mobile.label = More info
Button_32B57F05_173B_95F4_41AA_292CB1CD4EAB_mobile.label = More info
Button_F7A3386E_DB8F_A132_41D9_07485A0B3FB4.label = More info
Button_0AF8B8E2_1612_2E5E_41A1_C3FB561A6AA0.label = More info
Button_0FEB0253_1715_AC6C_41AA_831599EA22E1_mobile.label = More info
Button_0AF8B8E2_1612_2E5E_41A1_C3FB561A6AA0_mobile.label = More info
Button_30EF1CAF_1616_269E_41B0_228DB6AC73C6_mobile.label = More info
Button_34C6B495_1735_F417_41B0_6E822B376054.label = More info
Button_0DB47232_161E_2277_4187_8CACD45DB879_mobile.label = More info
Button_34D1ECBB_1734_B41C_418C_8F09F6279585.label = More info
Button_32B57F05_173B_95F4_41AA_292CB1CD4EAB.label = More info
Button_F7A3386E_DB8F_A132_41D9_07485A0B3FB4_mobile.label = More info
Button_0AC3DE1A_1612_2228_41AB_20F9B9C74614.label = More info
Button_30EF1CAF_1616_269E_41B0_228DB6AC73C6.label = More info
Button_0FEB0253_1715_AC6C_41AA_831599EA22E1.label = More info
Button_0DB47232_161E_2277_4187_8CACD45DB879.label = More info
Button_0A5487CE_1612_222C_4182_0B29465CD90A.label = More info
Button_04D5B2BF_1632_206B_41AA_390287DD64C6.label = More info..
Button_65DCCD94_40D5_2FCF_41C3_CAD501AF4BC3_mobile.label = More info..
Button_EFEAF4E1_DCB0_612F_41EA_FEFF39C25920.label = More info..
Button_65DCCD94_40D5_2FCF_41C3_CAD501AF4BC3.label = More info..
Button_EFEAF4E1_DCB0_612F_41EA_FEFF39C25920_mobile.label = More info..
Button_DB0D4DD3_C461_6EBE_41C0_1D919D0EC8F7_mobile.label = More info..
Button_9A7EC884_CDA1_116B_41D4_68E6EF1EE5F7_mobile.label = More info..
Button_9A7EC884_CDA1_116B_41D4_68E6EF1EE5F7.label = More info..
Button_DB0D4DD3_C461_6EBE_41C0_1D919D0EC8F7.label = More info..
Button_0473AD02_1632_6066_414E_A05BF224E4FE.label = More info..
Button_04D5B2BF_1632_206B_41AA_390287DD64C6_mobile.label = More info..
Button_F89C67C4_CA05_5C31_41CF_8424C647A0A2.label = More info..
Button_1EBF3282_0C0A_1D6D_4190_52FC7F8C00A5.label = START TOUR
Button_1EBF3282_0C0A_1D6D_4190_52FC7F8C00A5_mobile.label = START TOUR
Button_1FDDCF4A_0C0A_23FD_417A_1C14E098FDFD_mobile.label = STREET VIEW
Button_1FDDCF4A_0C0A_23FD_417A_1C14E098FDFD.label = STREET VIEW
Button_41416914_CF83_6F4C_41D5_A589DCAF697D_mobile.label = Standard Bank Info
Button_41416914_CF83_6F4C_41D5_A589DCAF697D.label = Standard Bank Info
Button_E8DB174F_F81A_1961_41D8_C7CA9820440C.label = Start Tour in Afrikaans
Button_E8DB174F_F81A_1961_41D8_C7CA9820440C_mobile.label = Start Tour in Afrikaans
Button_885D3175_CA7F_34DC_419D_9C835748ED48.label = Start Tour in English
Button_885D3175_CA7F_34DC_419D_9C835748ED48_mobile.label = Start Tour in English
Button_E876824D_F81A_1B61_41E5_C0FE4C36B3AA_mobile.label = Start Tour in isiXhosa
Button_E876824D_F81A_1B61_41E5_C0FE4C36B3AA.label = Start Tour in isiXhosa
Button_33E0F47E_11C1_A20D_419F_BB809AD89259.label = THIS TOUR WAS FUNDED BY PERDEKRAAL EAST WIND FARM
Button_33E0F47E_11C1_A20D_419F_BB809AD89259_mobile.label = THIS TOUR WAS FUNDED BY PERDEKRAAL EAST WIND FARM
Button_470136BA_CF8E_A547_41D7_E6F5242205C6.label = The Belmont Hotel Info
Button_470136BA_CF8E_A547_41D7_E6F5242205C6_mobile.label = The Belmont Hotel Info
Button_429AFB22_CF82_E347_41D7_0B2D0357C52F_mobile.label = The Rebuilt Pass
Button_429AFB22_CF82_E347_41D7_0B2D0357C52F.label = The Rebuilt Pass
Button_FC9FD121_DB90_E32F_41D5_BA4670E804B3.label = The Rebuilt Pass
Button_308BCB00_CCE1_776A_4194_26D3366A4ED0_mobile.label = The Rebuilt Pass
Button_30E8DCAE_1616_269E_41B3_C5D40B21D0DB.label = Then and Now
Button_0FEA8253_1715_AC6C_41B2_5B7E06CDA41C.label = Then and Now
Button_406F058D_CF82_A75D_41E6_1D2A4C99D65B.label = Then and Now
Button_9E9392FC_CCA7_369A_41E8_11C42F3DBD95.label = Then and Now
Button_0FEA8253_1715_AC6C_41B2_5B7E06CDA41C_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_470136C9_CF8E_A2C4_41AD_879736FA6590_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_0A782626_161E_2215_41B4_6F50B70ADBE1.label = Then and Now
Button_0DB42230_161E_2273_41AB_2CB69C187094.label = Then and Now
Button_470136C9_CF8E_A2C4_41AD_879736FA6590.label = Then and Now
Button_34D0ACBB_1734_B41C_41B3_A3F8E3FD76BF.label = Then and Now
Button_40C4B560_CF86_E7C3_41C6_145EAF4D2E58.label = Then and Now
Button_406F058D_CF82_A75D_41E6_1D2A4C99D65B_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_41410914_CF83_6F4C_41BC_B9BA2598B269.label = Then and Now
Button_34D0ACBB_1734_B41C_41B3_A3F8E3FD76BF_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_40C4B560_CF86_E7C3_41C6_145EAF4D2E58_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_30E8DCAE_1616_269E_41B3_C5D40B21D0DB_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_0A782626_161E_2215_41B4_6F50B70ADBE1_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_41410914_CF83_6F4C_41BC_B9BA2598B269_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_054AD9C3_1612_2103_41AC_512C878DEA10.label = Then and Now
Button_0DB42230_161E_2273_41AB_2CB69C187094_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_42D6A871_CF82_ADC5_41CE_189EEC2AEE5C_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_B45996D7_CE87_E2CC_41CB_7E322FC4BB5A.label = Then and Now
Button_B45996D7_CE87_E2CC_41CB_7E322FC4BB5A_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_054AD9C3_1612_2103_41AC_512C878DEA10_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_42D6A871_CF82_ADC5_41CE_189EEC2AEE5C.label = Then and Now
Button_9E9392FC_CCA7_369A_41E8_11C42F3DBD95_mobile.label = Then and Now
Button_B5D4F416_CE87_A54C_41DA_F448925B688F.label = Then and Now...
Button_B5D4F416_CE87_A54C_41DA_F448925B688F_mobile.label = Then and Now...
Button_04D442BE_1632_206D_4181_FE5F169AD3DE.label = Then and now
Button_F7ECA34B_DB8F_A772_41B0_D2C045A86419_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_9A7E0884_CDA1_116B_41DC_2C57EAE82D9F_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_084137E1_CCE3_1EAD_41E3_4161AA4E8734_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_EFEAC4E1_DCB0_612F_41DB_36F8C61E01D0_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_9A7E0884_CDA1_116B_41DC_2C57EAE82D9F.label = Then and now
Button_05C45A86_1612_E359_41B2_92EF235EE543_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_DB0C3DD3_C461_6EBE_4147_0DE73614AB53_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_F8E3E7C4_CA05_5C31_41D4_7676F2BC18C8.label = Then and now
Button_32A1EAA9_CCE1_16BA_41D3_150F60B47B72_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_05C45A86_1612_E359_41B2_92EF235EE543.label = Then and now
Button_EFEAC4E1_DCB0_612F_41DB_36F8C61E01D0.label = Then and now
Button_DB0C3DD3_C461_6EBE_4147_0DE73614AB53.label = Then and now
Button_04D442BE_1632_206D_4181_FE5F169AD3DE_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_0472BD00_1632_6062_41B0_F2EA886DF742.label = Then and now
Button_65DD2D94_40D5_2FCF_41CB_8036A6AE8BF8.label = Then and now
Button_65DD2D94_40D5_2FCF_41CB_8036A6AE8BF8_mobile.label = Then and now
Button_FDEA3425_DB93_E136_41C9_E0B8A554A729.label = Then and now
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Button_F7ECA34B_DB8F_A772_41B0_D2C045A86419.label = Then and now
Button_FDB9B800_DB93_A0EE_41DE_3E92C84B225C.label = Then and now
Button_34C52495_1735_F417_4168_7805D2280D16.label = Then and now..
Button_0AC30E19_1612_2228_41A3_8B3D09920E1B_mobile.label = Then and now..
Button_05C4AA85_1612_E35B_419F_76D9575B40E2.label = Then and now..
Button_0330E370_160E_62CD_41A4_9719162D34C3_mobile.label = Then and now..
Button_0A54A7CD_1612_222C_41A2_F06C871F19B3_mobile.label = Then and now..
Button_0AC30E19_1612_2228_41A3_8B3D09920E1B.label = Then and now..
Button_0AF8C8E1_1612_2E5A_4193_54C024DCC2F7_mobile.label = Then and now..
Button_0330E370_160E_62CD_41A4_9719162D34C3.label = Then and now..
Button_34C52495_1735_F417_4168_7805D2280D16_mobile.label = Then and now..
Button_0AF8C8E1_1612_2E5A_4193_54C024DCC2F7.label = Then and now..
Button_32B61F05_173B_95F4_41B0_4E3829899949.label = Then and now..
Button_0A54A7CD_1612_222C_41A2_F06C871F19B3.label = Then and now..
Button_32B61F05_173B_95F4_41B0_4E3829899949_mobile.label = Then and now..
Button_40C42560_CF86_E7C3_41E0_C4FE2706463D.label = Van Breda Bridge Info
Button_40C42560_CF86_E7C3_41E0_C4FE2706463D_mobile.label = Van Breda Bridge Info
Button_0F47E3D9_1715_EC1F_41A3_DF23221A7A08_mobile.label = Watch Video
Button_4052C823_CF8D_ED44_41D5_CA07787A1462_mobile.label = Watch Video
Button_4052C823_CF8D_ED44_41D5_CA07787A1462.label = Watch Video
Button_FD881F98_DB90_7F1D_41B2_0F07B92EB1EB.label = Watch Video
Button_4564F00A_CF82_BD47_41E7_D50F5E5D67EF.label = Watch Video
Button_313C9760_CCE1_1FAA_41E4_A18E33DEA3D9_mobile.label = Watch Video
Button_4107FE93_CF83_E545_41E3_DF61FDB8D746_mobile.label = Watch Video
Button_0F47E3D9_1715_EC1F_41A3_DF23221A7A08.label = Watch Video
Button_084197E3_CCE3_1EAD_41D1_FF7C0B7DEA45_mobile.label = Watch Video
Button_4107FE93_CF83_E545_41E3_DF61FDB8D746.label = Watch Video
### Image
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### Label
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Label_EE501D84_DC91_E3F5_41AB_7BF6450FB14D_mobile.text = << SLIDE WHITE LINE LEFT OR RIGHT >>
Label_A392F4F0_D1C8_76BA_41E3_288707BD3094_mobile.text = << SLIDE WHITE LINE LEFT OR RIGHT >>
Label_A8C9E1FB_D1C8_EEAE_41EB_130AEB8704C8_mobile.text = << SLIDE WHITE LINE LEFT OR RIGHT >>
Label_A0AA7C45_D1CB_B5DA_41BD_5E16D47307D7_mobile.text = << SLIDE WHITE LINE LEFT OR RIGHT >>
Label_AFE53EB4_D1C8_52B9_41DE_F321FF2DEB03_mobile.text = << SLIDE WHITE LINE LEFT OR RIGHT >>
Label_A9B41CD4_D1C8_B6F9_41E5_D81384B061CB_mobile.text = << SLIDE WHITE LINE LEFT OR RIGHT >>
Label_C5324414_DEE8_92B7_41E5_D134AAFE7FCD_mobile.text = << SLIDE WHITE LINE LEFT OR RIGHT >>
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Label_0B130419_16A3_7FB3_41A4_E5F9FA0AC39B_mobile.text = Ceres: Then and Now
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HTMLText_E36E002C_CC7E_9740_41AB_3D1E03204894.html = WELCOME TO THE HISTORICAL VIRTUAL TOUR OF CERES
WELCOME TO THE HISTORICAL VIRTUAL TOUR OF CERES
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AME CHURCH
ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH
At the annual conference in December 1941, Rev. Johannes David Zekoe was appointed Minister of the Ebenezer A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church of Ceres. At that stage there was no church building and worship services, prayer hours, Holy Communion, christenings, reception of new members, weddings and Sunday school took place in the home of brother Petrus van Wyk.
The turning of the first sod on the church site was done by Dr. Francis H. Gow, superintendent of the church. The church arranged many functions in the form of tea meetings in order to raise funds so the building could proceed.
The masons were Rev. Zekoe, bros. Jannie Festus and others. The carpenters were bros. P.A. van Wyk and Sons, who also made the pews.
On 26 March 1944 the foundation stone was laid by Dr. F.H. Gow.
Under the leadership of Rev. David Clement West the Laymans League, A.C.E. League and the Council for Christian Education were established.
THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY
The first school for the education of black people in Ceres was run by the Ebenezer A.M.E. Church. It was attended by the children from an area known as Sakkiesbaai. In spite of the government’s objections and limitations, the school continued to serve the black community. Council minutes of 24th March 1960 record that the pupil numbers of ‘Noodkamp’ ( Sakkiesbaai) had grown to 43. After the removal in 1962, the school moved to hostel S7 in Nduli.
Mr Kaiser Mbiko, originally from Idutywa, was the teacher at the A.M.E. Church School. Before the forced removal he lived in a house behind the school.
During 1943 a day school was started at Agtertuin. The teachers were Mr James Belelie and Jochem Nasson.
In the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church brown and black congregants prayed together, got married and found their final resting place together in the A.M.E. cemetery. Apartheid ended this situation and separation was forced on the Ceres community
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LOVERS BRIDGE
Water needed to be supplied to the residents living on the eastern side of the Dwars River. After Ceres became a municipality in 1864, a wooden aqueduct was constructed to carry water from the Skurweberg on the west side of Ceres, to the mill in Mill Street (now Owen Street). From there the water ran in a furrow to the wooden aqueduct. The aqueduct was supported by wooden pillars. More than once these pillars were washed away by flood water. In 1866 a heavy chain was purchased and used to strengthen the supports.
1892: The wooden pillars were replaced by stone pillars constructed in the river and a wooden pedestrian bridge was added. The bridge and aqueduct were erected by Jan Keet.
1904: The bridge was replaced
1926: The aqueduct was replaced by a 15-inch pipe.
There are no records available about changes to the bridge since 1926. We do know that the wooden railings were changed to what they look like today.
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NDULI HOSTELS
In July 1962, the Ceres Council began to remove residents from Sakkiesbaai to Nduli.
The first structures in Nduli area were the 16 single-men’s hostels for migrant workers and 6 family blocks. Infrastructure in Nduli quickly developed and by 1975 there were 15 hostels, 24 houses, 2 halls, 1 school, 1 beer hall, 1 mortuary, 1 laundry and 1 private hostel, which totalled to 47 units. Each of the twelve two roomed houses cost 90c per week, each of the twelve four roomed houses cost R1,73c per week and a bed in the hostel for single men cost 50c per person per week.
For more information of the history of Nduli please visit the Forced Removals exhibition in the museum.
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SAKKIESBAAI
In the 1920's Sakkiesbaai was the first area in town where black people stayed.
Most men came from the Eastern Cape to work on the roads, farms and later in the factories.
Originally the area was declared an emergency camp but became a residential area until 1962.
Due to the Groups Area Act No. 40 of 1950 the residents had to move to a new area outside Ceres, known as Nduli.
Inhabitants of Sakkiesbaai were removed from 21 July 1962 to Nduli and Sakkiesbaai was redeveloped by the Municipality into the new White City housing scheme.
For more information a detailed exhibition on the history of Sakkiesbaai and Nduli can be seen in the museum as part of the Forced Removal exhibition.
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ST ANDREWS ANGLICAN CHURCH
Bishop Gray received a letter from the Dutch Reformed Mission School requesting that the Anglican Church should pay attention to the spiritual welfare of the Non-European in the vicinity. In 1862 bishop Gray bought plots east of the Dwars River, for a church and a church school. What is interesting is that, since 1850, a plot for a school church and plots for occupation rights for the members of the congregation, was being investigated. Initially a private home was used as a chapel and as a school, before the church sight was bought. Since 1861 the number of members of the congregation with his 100 Europeans as congregation members, increased immensely. In 1864 the members were 500. Rev. Albert Jefferey assumed duty as curator (1863—1876) and then as rector (1876-1905) in Ceres in 1863. An official church was built and was operating as school since 1864 too. The additional land at the church was being rented by Non-European families in exchange for free labour at the church and premises. This premise later was known as Glebe. In 1954 The English Church was enlarged using rocks and stones from the Dutch Reformed Stone Church that were bought after the stone church was demolished.
On 29 September 1969 an earthquake caused havoc in the Boland and Ceres. The church was severely damaged and services had to move to Ceres School Hall. The St Andrews school also suffered extensive damage. On 1 November 1969 the state officially took over the reins of the school. In 1971 and 1972 they started renovating and rebuilding the church buildings. On 1 December 1972 the church hall was inaugurated. In 1976 the church met with another disaster when an electrical short-circuit caused a fire and the church burnt down partially. The church was renovated once again, but the thatched roof was replaced by a tiled roof. On 20 December 1979 the renovation was completed and the church was put into use again.
Church Grounds / Glebe
On 25-28 June 1910 the Archbishop of Cape Town paid the Parish a visit. Certain decisions were made, amongst others, if you rented a plot from the church, you had to conclude a contract with the church before 1 July to become a legal owner of the plot. All tenants could not keep up with the rental charge, which caused a financial knock for the church. The property became a delapidated area and there were no sanitary facilities. They urgently had to find solutions for these problems.
At the time of Rev. Leslie Morris (1949-1960) an agreement was reached with the governing body. The church, from then onwards, could hire Glebe for £200 per annum. The Provincial Government approved the decision. At a meeting held in 1953 the decision was being made that plots might only be sold to Coloureds. New streets were built and some streets were widened. On 8 February 1953 the Archbishop officially handed over the responsibility of Glebe to the municipality. The Glebe’s name was also changed to Morrisdale.
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ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
Father James O'Connell (1811 - 1893) started a work circle in Ceres in 1875 consisting of 6 members. Up to the early 1950’s there was no church building for the catholic community in the area. A master builder, Mr J.A. Peters was contracted to build a church which was finished in 1953. Mr Jan Peters was an immigrant from the Netherlands who arrived in South Africa on 10 January 1951 and settled in Ceres with his wife, 3 sons and a daughter. Mr Peters built the church at cost, without profit. The building was designed by John Peter Duppé Grant. He lived on the farm, Waterval, in the Ceres area during 1948.
According to the books 1061 baptisms, 110 weddings and 302 funerals took place in the church up to end of January 2003.
The list of priests:
Fr James O’Connel (1875 - )
Fr Sneekers (1951 -1963)
Fr Janses (1963 -1966)
Fr Dudler ( 1967 – 1995)
Fr Behlich (April 1995 -2001)
Fr Lawrence Mubiru (2001 –2010)
Fr Mbekwa (2011-2014)
Fr Hermanus Swartz (2014 – 2020)
Fr Ewan Swartz (2021 - )
Leonie Aviat Convent and creche
The Leonie Aviat Convent, just next to the Catholic Church was founded in 1958 by two Sisters, Thérĕsa Victor Brunnel, from France, and Françoise Elizabeth Shadwell from Port Elizabeth. The convent was initially started as an orphanage for children, but later it was also set up as a day-care centre, now creche. The monastery still operates as a day-care centre. The convent is named after Saint Leonie Aviat.
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SYNAGOGUE
The Ceres Hebrew congregation was established around 1903. It reached its peak of 30 families in the 1920’s. The Ceres Synagogue was built in 1923 on the corner of Porter and Munnik Streets. The foundation stone was laid by Mr Baumann, chairman of the congregation at that time. By the 1930’s, the Synagogue served a large Jewish community that included the Jews of Wolseley. A hall was built in 1933 with the aid of a building fund established by the Ceres Zionist Association in 1925, whereas the land had been purchased a year earlier with funds provided by the Ladies Benevolent Society. The congregations of Ceres, Wolseley and Tulbagh were amalgamated in 1944 under the chairmanship of Mr M Friedman who remained chairman until his death in 1947. This congregation also included the Jews of Prince Alfred’s Hamlet. In 1953 the congregation, which numbered 21 at that stage, received a Silver Yad (pointer) from the S.A.J.B.D. (South African Jewish Board of Deputies) as part of their distribution of ceremonial silver, which had been looted by the Nazis and was found in Germany after the war. When Rabbi Natas left for Cape Town in 1953, Mr Wolf Metter, gabbai (lay leader) of the synagogue, took over many of the duties of the minister, including conducting all the services.
Very little is known about the arrangements for shechita (kosher slaughtering) in Ceres. The local butchery once had a “kosher corner” and Rabbi Natas took care of the kosher slaughtering during his term as rabbi in Ceres. In 1958 kosher meat was obtained from Worcester. In 1964 the Ceres-Wolseley Hebrew congregation numbered 17 families. The September 1969 earthquake badly damaged the synagogue and hall, and both had to be demolished. The three Sifrei Torah (Hebrew Bible) were removed undamaged. After the disaster, prayers were conducted in a temporary steel construction which later became the hall.
A new Ceres-Wolseley Synagogue and communal hall were consecrated on 31 January 1973. This occasion was attended by all members of the community as well as visitors from Cape Town and neighbouring centres. Wolf Metter unveiled the plaque and rabbi Prof. J Newman officiated, assisted by cantor Philip Badash and the choir of Green Point and Sea Point Hebrew Congregation.
By 1994 the Synagogue was used only once a year, on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and an attempt was made to sell it in the late 1990’s. The building was sold in 2015 to the Du Toit Group who now uses the building as a conference facility and offices.
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THE BELMONT HOTEL
The "Belmont Sanatorium" was built in 1890 as private house for Rev. George Heberden of England. The double storey stone building was built on 30 hectares. Heberden passed away shortly after the building was finished. The property then was sold to Henry Cutler who transformed it into a sanctuary. It was managed by dr. Gustav Cutler from England. The word ‘Belmont” means “Beautiful mountain”. Dr Cutler believed that the excellent climate, combined with the fresh air of Ceres and the pure water from the mountain was ideal for the treatment for lung disease, as well as rehabilitation after serious illness.
As Ceres is well sheltered from the south eastern winds, exercising outdoors was possible. Patients with psychological issues came all the way from Europe to be treated here.
Ceres was only seven hours travel by railways from Cape Town and later by wagon through Michells Pass as well.
With facilities like fireplaces in each of the ten rooms, warm baths, a boudoir for ladies, a smoking room, two tennis courts and seven electrical service bells which were answered by English servants, this sanatorium could accommodate 20 guests.
On 1 December 1898 Sir James Logan took over the sanatorium and changed it into a beautiful hotel.
During 1920-1944 the Belmont became the private residence of Mr and Mrs Phillip Malherbe.
The Rankin family bought the estate in 1944. The Belmont became a hotel once again and was taken over by Lt. Col. Knoble. The Rankins also opened a sports and men’s clothing shop (now Basson Sport). Since 1954 Mr and Mrs Conradie owned the Belmont. The hotel was severely damaged during the earthquake of 1969 and had to be renovated. It was also extended to contain 45 double rooms and modern facilities. There was a heated swimming pool and a squash court in the building. The pear orchard became beautiful gardens and a large bird park had been laid out. People living in Ceres habitually took their children on a Sunday afternoon to the bird park to feed the animals. They could also see Swiss goats, exotic monkeys and mountain tortoises.
The Belmont was also well known for its buffet on a Sunday afternoon. Guests travelled from far to enjoy this buffet. The building hosted three restaurants: Ben se Vat with superb steak, Pizza Nostra with the most delicious pizzas and the dining room with its Sunday buffets. The Belmont was managed by the Conradie couple and their daughter, Lucia and son-in-law, Patrick Caballero from 1975-2006. After Mr Stefaan Conradie had passed on in 1989, Lucia and Patrick continued managing the hotel until it was sold in 2006. The building was then demolished.
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THE MAGISTRATES OFFICE
Around 1872 the first magistrate court and jail were situated on the corner of Vos and Voortrekker Street.
Currently we find the police office on these premises. The new magistrates court and post office moved to the premises next to the town hall in Voortrekker Street, on 24 November 1936.
In 1989, with the extensions to the court, the post office moved to its current location in Owen Street.
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VAN BREDA BRIDGE 1855 - 2021
The first bridge over the Dwars River in Ceres, was opened on Wednesday, 7 February 1855. The bridge was 175 feet long, the construction of which was supervised by Thomas Bain (son of AG Bain) with the prisoner labour and voluntary assistance of residents from the Bokkeveld and surrounding area.
The Bridge was named after Dirk Gysbert van Breda, Member of the High House of the old Cape Parliament. After the bridge was damaged by floodwaters in the early 1890s it was rebuilt or replaced in about 1894. Photos show that the original Van Breda Bridge was supported by wooden pillars that were splayed (divergent sides). The 1894 bridge was supported by vertical wooden columns.
During the flood of 1925, the bridge subsided and in 1928 construction of a new bridge was completed. This bridge was supported by concrete columns as we know it today.
From 1928 until the 1950’s the pedestrian walkway was on the inside of the walls of the bridge. By the 1960’s the walkway on the inside of the bridge was moved to the outside of the wall. In 1993 further maintenance work was done.
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CERES FRUIT GROWERS
At the beginning of the 19 th century Ceres was a wheat and livestock district. The cultivation of fruit followed later. After fruit cultivation was established on a larger scale, there was no organization to assist the new producers to co-ordinate their production. To cater for their need for co-operation between the producers, Ceres Fruit Growers Association Co-operative Ltd. was established in 1923. The co-operative was formed by 21 founder members. Each was required to purchase one share at the cost of £1 (one pound), of which two shillings per share would be paid up. Each member also undertook to pay an annual membership fee of ten shillings.
CFG has taken the lead in creating a central packaging plant. Frustration was experienced with packaged products from the different farmers that were not uniform. The first experimental joint packing took place on Ceres Drying Bed during the late 1940s. With its success, the co-operative called a members meeting and 29 producers signed on to use the central packaging. A packing plant was built and the first fruit on the new packing line took place at the end of January 1951. With that, CFG'ss status as association changed to an official packaging organization. Over time, several packing stores were built to meet the needs of its shareholders. However, Ceres Fruit Growers did not only focus on packaging, but also set up a concentrate plant in 1971. The company further shifted its focus by producing single strength juice. (Learn about the history of juice manufacturing and CFG's role in it under CERES FRUIT JUICES)
As fruit cultivation grew, CFG customised itself further to meet the needs of farmers. As early as 1929, the Board of Directors of CFG played the leading role for the establishment of Ceres Cold Storage. With shares in the newly formed co-operative shareholders, as well as non-shareholders fruits, could be chilled there. The official opening of the first cold room took place on February 21, 1931. However, Ceres Fruit Growers identified the need for proprietary cold room amenities to its shareholders. It would thereby be able to exercise better control over the cooling of delivered fruit. Although CFG still owned shares in CCS, it was decided in July 1958 to erect up its own cold rooms. By 1970 CFG had sufficient cooling capacity to sell its remaining shares in CCS. In 1982, the first Controlled Atmosphere Complex was established, increasing profitability of certain cultivars. A further development would occur at the beginning of the 20th century by equipping rooms to achieve a slower cooling rate for fruit.
In 1984 CFG changed its name to Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative Limited. The tremendous growth CFG had experienced, especially during the years 1988 – 1992, necessitated restructuring. All the interests of Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative would be transferred to a new Control Company. The change from co-operative to a company took effect on December 1, 1992. The co-operative would still exist autonomously, appointing Ceres Holdings as its agent. On November 16, 1998, the Board of Directors decided to also turn the co-operation Ceres Fruit Growers into a Private Company. It would become the first co- operative in SA to be converted into a private company.
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CERES FRUIT JUICE
The Ceres Fruit Juice factory originated when a businessman from Ceres, Mr Piet Bosman, and a local farmer, Mr M.R. du Toit of the farm Monte Carlo, started to manufacture fruit juice.
In 1953 a factory was built after the first juice was produced on the farm Monte Carlo. The factory then moved to the village and was located on the corner of Voortrekker and Cilliers Streets. A few years later the plant moved to the northern end of Vos Street where Ceres Fruit Processors is now located. The company traded as Ceres Fruit Juices and Vitamin Company. The export market in particular knew the trademark Ceramin as a product with a high vitamin C content. At that time the company also started canning fruit, and with a fair measure of success, entered the export market. The name Ceres Fruit Juices and Canning was registered, and Ceramin became their trademark. The canned fruit market in Europe became smaller and smaller and, in the eighties, withdrew from the local market.
In 1984 Ceres Fruit Juices came to an agreement with Langeberg Co-operative whereby Langeberg would provide, at a cost, certain services to Ceres Fruit Juices & Canning. However, CFJ & Canning was in no position to pay, and Langeberg took them to court. The court’s decision was that Langeberg might take over the company, provided the creditors of CFJ had to be paid. As part of the rationalisation of Langeberg in the canning industry, production in Ceres ended and the assets were sold. That is how the first juice factory came to an end.
Ceres Fruit Growers, which had its own concentrating plant, shifted its focus to single strength juice in 1978. This was marketed under the ‘CFG’ brand. In the early 1980’s it changed to the ‘Ceres’ brand. On 6 th October 1982 the new juice factory was opened by Mr Pietman Hugo, MP for Ceres.
The company, Ceres Fruit Juices, was established in 1986, after the name was purchased from Langeberg Co-operative. The fruit juice interests of Ceres Fruit Growers and SA Breweries were combined in the new company where the parties had equal shareholding. The brands used were Ceres, Liqui Fruit and Fruit Tree.
In 1992 the KWV acquired shares in Ceres Fruit Juices. In 1999 SA Breweries withdrew and sold their shares to Pioneer Foods.
In 2003 Pioneer Foods acquired the interests of CFG in Ceres Fruit Juices and became the sole owner of Ceres Fruit Juices.
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FLOUR MILL
Jacobus Hendrik Bredekamp constructed the mill in 1932. In 1969 the gable was badly damaged by the earthquake. With the help of the earthquake compensation a new mill was constructed in Atlas Street and started operating in 1972.
On 7 November 1978 the museum was proclaimed as a local museum and on 1 April 1987 became a Provincial Supported Museum.
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MARKET SQUARE
During 1849 town development originally occurred on the west side of the Dwars River in and around Market Square.
The Market Square became the main focus of the town as farmers sold their products on Market Square. Today most of Market Square has been developed as parking areas.
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THE GRAND HOTEL
The current Shell Garage originally existed of 5 plots.
According to early publications the hotel was erected on the walls of the Pilgrim’s Rest Hotel (1872). There was an additional floor added onto the walls of the previous hotel. Mr C.H.G. Schmidt bought the site for the hotel in December 1919, whereafter he sold the hotel and the plot to Mr Jockey Levin in 1929. The hotel then was named as Levin’s Grand Hotel. He was the last owner of this hotel.
In 1969 the premises were sold and was demolished before the earthquake in 1969.
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TOLL HOUSE
A Toll House was erected just after the completion of Michells Pass.
Toll fees were charged here from 1 January 1849 at:
• 3 pennies per wheel of four-wheeled vehicles without remschoens;
• 2 pennies per wheel of other vehicles;
• 1 penny per pack animal;
• ½ penny each for sheep, goats or pigs, and
• 2 pennies each for all other animals.
During the diamond rush many fortune seekers passed the tollhouse as the pass was on the main route to the north.
With the opening of Michells Pass agriculture – consisting mainly of wheat, farming-developed rapidly and the town of Ceres soon evolved.
The popularity of this road to the diamond fields ended with the completion of the railway from Cape Town to the diamond fields in 1885, and to the Witwatersrand in 1895.
The Toll House was declared a National Monument under Section 10 (1) of the National Monuments Act, 1969. (Act 28 of 1969).
During the late 1980’s the building was restored after some much-needed maintenance work had to be done.
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TOWN HALL
In 1865 the council wanted to sell certain plots. The proceeds would be applied for the erecting of a town hall, but unfortunately we do not have clarity on the date the first town hall – the small building next to the Dutch Reformed Church – became operative. In 1898 they ordered twelve dozen chairs from America for "seating the town hall". The next year they applied for a government loan to renovate the old building. Meanwhile the council wanted to sell six morgen land in Michell’s Pass at £14 per morg to C.A.R. Brett to cultivate trees. By means of this mountain fires could be avoided, the trout in the rivers could be protected and, by the way, the town hall could be renovated. It does not seem as if this plan worked out.
On 27 February 1903 the council decided to build a new town hall and on 28 March 1903, on proposal of ds. Alheit en Jan Keet, this idea was accepted in general by the taxpayers. Seeing that other important renovations were given priority, and that they were very expensive, the town hall was put on ice until October 1909. The taxpayers then authorized the council to buy a new municipality building, including a town hall. The intention was to buy plot 3 in ward 1 at a reasonable price from the estate Mrs Loxton. They did not satisfy the conditions of the council, but they also did not want to let this opportunity slip through their fingers. The deal was wrapped up on 4 November 1909. A protest of 21 registered voters against this decision came too late. Architect Fagg was appointed to draw up a plan for the changes and renovations to the building. A loan of £2,800 for electrical lighting was negotiated with S.A. Mutual. The tender of J Bosman of £853 was accepted so he could start with the job. A Schiedmayer Grand piano was bought at Darter and Sons for £85 and Isaacs and Kie delivered red Chenille curtains for the “schouwplaats” in the town hall.
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MEMORIES OF DIE STEP (BRIDGE OVER THE RAILWAY, ROOIKAMP)
Valerie Juries
Since I was old enough to come to my senses, the bridge was there. My grandparents lived nearby and everyone had to use the bridge to go to town, to church, to school or to get to the other side of the tracks. Bridge was a bit unsafe, especially when everything was still pitch dark in the underworld.
Randall Damon
A few guys, as kids, were brave enough to sail down those steep slopes … in spite of burning inner thighs … great adrenaline rush ... our parents would probably have fainted right there!!
Nathan Jacobs
Police searched our school bags there on the way to school. Boycott years
Le-Dene C Agulhas
They were wooden steps at first. Every day I walked over the bridge to my grandmother and then to Ceres Primary. Wow, if those steps were broken you would have to climb along the side to the other side. Then you would cross the bridge and still have to run for the dog waiting on the other side. The best playground was under that bridge, lots of clay to play with.
Steven Clarence Du Toit
The wooden Step where we often played as children. We played on train tracks, swung under the bridge. We picked up coal when the coal train had passed under the bridge because some of the coal had fallen from the train. Unforgettable good old days.
Shaun Hoffie Court Master
As a child, I had to walk over that bridge to school without shoes in the winter time, the frost lay thick on it .... I am grateful for that, good memories. Also stood on the bridge as a child and waited for the train to pass underneath.
Jerome Basson
Grew up in the Ostrich Camp. I almost ended up under the train when a dog knocked my legs out from under me. I fell along the train tracks with those iron wheels rattling centimetres away from me. The Step was our playground. Nostalgic.
Fareeda Isaacs
I also walked over the Step to school. Had to cross it to buy my toffee apple from great aunt Tiena Gateyeni. The queen travelled through Ceres in a train that passed under that Step. We played a lot on the train track under that step and as many say, I also had to get a swing first. We really have the best memories of the popular Step.
Adrian Paul
Every morning close to 5 am, from Monday to Friday, I crossed there to pick up newspapers to deliver with my bicycle before going to school. Good memories, I was only 11 years old.
Coleen De Bruin Geldenhuys
In 1988 I went to Fred Gaum, then it was still a wooden bridge. In the morning you would go to school and the bridge would be fine. In the afternoon when you come home 1 or 2 of the wooden files could be gone, then you have the choice whether you risk crossing it, or defy the clay soil below, and heaven help you if you get home dirty. Of course you also had to swing under the bridge before going home.
Susan-Anne Jacobs-Hull
We lived next to the bridge. As the trains passed by, the edges of the coal would touch the bridge. Then we would slide down to the bottom and collect the fallen coal for the ghellie can. Best days.
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MICHELLS PASS
In 1828 Colonel Charles Michell was appointed surveyor general, civil engineer and superintendent of works at the Cape Colony after a distinguished military career. It was his desire to open the Cape by means of roads and passes through the imposing inland mountain chains.
In 1846, Michell assigned Andrew Geddes Bain the job of constructing a pass through the Skurweberge. He felt Bain would be the man with enough courage and skills to complete the pass.
Work started on the pass in October 1846 and it was built with the aid of 240 convicts, at a cost of 21 000 pounds. It was officially opened by Sir Harry Smith, Governor of the Cape Colony, on 1 December 1848 and named Michells Pass in honour of colonel Michell. Bain completed the pass in just 26 months – an amazing engineering feat when you consider the meagre equipment available at the time.
Michells Pass was used for nearly a century, until a concrete road was completed on 31 March 1946. The Divisional Council of Ceres rebuilt Michells Pass in the Second World War at a cost of R100 000,00. The roadway was broadened and in some places the gradient was improved. Due to the shortage of asphalt a 20ft concrete road was built. The newly built pass was inaugurated on 31 March 1946. The concrete roadway was slowly deteriorating and despite maintenance, the condition was worsened by the earthquake of 1969 and ultimately lead to the rebuilding of the pass in 1988.
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MOSTERTSHOEK PASS
Its inaccessibility initially hampered the Bokkeveld’s progress. The first farmers carried their necessities by pack animal through the kloof along the river. From the waterfall it had to be carried over the mountain. Wagons later reached Ceres via a detour of some 150 km over the Hex River Pass.
Bokkeveld farmers also wanted to benefit from the great upsurge in the Cape market in the 18th century, and in 1765 Jan Mostert of the farm Wolvenkloof, built the first pass to Ceres.
This pass was called Mostertshoek Pass and was certainly not built for joyrides. It criss-crossed the river and was so steep at certain areas, that the wagons had to be taken apart and carried over the mountain in pieces. Mostertshoek Pass was used until 1848.
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RAILWAY LINE AND CERES STATION
Even before 1898, Parliament was petitioned to provide a railway to link up Ceres with the main line at Ceres Road (Now Wolseley). In 1899 a route was surveyed by George A. Schele for a 2-feet gauge line, estimated to cost R82 184 or R4 982 per km. In 1902 the request for a railway was repeated when Dr. J.H.M. Beck, the member of Parliament for Worcester, presented a petition from Henry Carson and others to Parliament. Act No. 38 of 1902 made provision for the construction of this railway of 16.5km at a revised cost of R88 334. After there was no progress, Dr Beck once again tabled a petition from the Ceres Mayor, Mr. Henry Carson and others, during the 1905 session of Parliament. Still another year passed when it was decided to construct the railway to a gauge of 3 ft. 6 in. as a guaranteed line at a cost of R 121 746. Under Act 34 of 1906 authority was given for this work.
Interesting to mention that, according to local publications, the railway engineer was unable to measure the proper vertical and horizontal gradients. The local council was responsible to share the cost of the work on the line but had limited funds. It was suggested that a local engineer from Ceres, Jan Keet, would assist in the setting out and pegging of the route. Within 3 months the route was finalized. (This was not published in the Minutes of proceedings of the SA Institution of Civil Engineers when report was given on the Ceres Railway construction).
During July 1910 construction started on the branch line, the work being entrusted to the contractors Messrs. Warren & Co. The Railway branch line was completed in May 1912. The line was formally opened on 18 th May 1912, being opened to full traffic two days later.
The railway and station were formally opened by the Minister of Railways, Hon. J. W. Sauer, in the presence of a large gathering of residents and visitors. Sir James Molteno, Speaker of the House of Assembly and member for the Ceres Division, the Right Hon. Abraham Fisher, P.C., Minister of Lands, the Hon. Henry Burton, Minister of Native Affairs, Senators Jacobus Graaf and Meiring Beck were some of the guests at the opening. Ceres Station later became known as Demeter Station. Later a freight terminal was erected near Retief Street.
In 1926 the line was extended to Prince Alfred’s Hamlet and the opening of the station took place on 10 April 1929.
(THE SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAY MAGAZINE July 1912)
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THE REBUILT PASS
They began to rebuild the pass in August 1988 and completed it four years later, in 1992, at a cost of R42 million.
Michells Pass passes through the Ceres Nature Reserve and as its impact on nature had to be limited, the rebuilt pass mainly follows the old route. The roadway was widened from 6m to 9.8m. Three passing lanes were constructed, and the surface of the roadway was bordered with concrete paved side drains and guardrails conforming to modern standards.
During construction the pass was closed for traffic for three hours per working day to accommodate blasting. All other construction work took place in full traffic with a minimum of workspace available
Some 400 000 cubic metres of material was excavated from road cuttings, 180 000 cubic meters of which was used for fills, the rest was crushed to be re-used as gravel layers. 250 000 cubic meters of hard rock had to be blasted, for which 83 000 kg explosives was used.
The foundation of the new Wittebrug consists of ten cylindrical caissons. Because there are enormous boulders in the riverbed, this was the only viable option for the bridge foundation. These caissons were excavated by hand to a maximum depth of 13m below the riverbed.
The old toll house and parts of Bain’s original stone retaining walls were preserved for posterity so that future generations can acknowledge Bain’s engineering genius.
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MISSION SCHOOL AND CERES PRIMARY
The establishing of Ceres Primary is unequivocally part of the Mission Congregation, because the school was a direct result of the Mission Church.
THE MISSION ORGANISATION / INSITUTE
A year after the establishment of the Dutch Reformed Mother Congregation (1855) there was a request for ‘’Godsdienstige Gesticht’’, where Europeans and Non-Europeans could be taught in literacy and religion, to be established. The Gesticht was inaugurated on 8 September 1858. The building served as church as well as school. N.G. Vos, employed by Mother Congregation, was also appointed as employee of the Mission Church, where he taught brown children at school. The Gesticht was in Murchinson Street, where the parsonage of N.G. Mother Congregation is today.
THE FIRST SCHOOL BUILDING
The first official mission school was erected in 1887. It was in Van Riebeeck Street on the same plot where the church would have been built. This church was only inaugurated on 8 March 1907.
Land in Lyell Street was received from Ceres Municipality on 17 May 1943. On 19 May 1945 the first cornerstone was laid and the school building was inaugurated in October 1945. Thereafter the building was extended and enlarged. Master A.C. Goliath was the first principal of Ceres Primary. The house of the principal was on the school grounds.
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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DUTCH REFORMED MISSION CHURCH IN CERES
The South African Mission Association was established in Cape Town in 1799. The Dutch Reformed Church in Tulbagh already carried out Missionary work since 1743. In 1811 a permanent missionary, Arie Vos, was appointed in Tulbagh. This laid the foundation for community building in the surrounding areas.
After a Dutch Reformed congregation was established in Ceres during 1855, a training facility (Godsdienstige Gesticht) was erected and run by N.G. Vos, where both white and brown people could receive religious instruction and literacy teaching. This was the forerunner of the establishment of the Mission congregation. In 1858 preacher Vos was appointed as the first missionary in the mission working circle under the supervision of the Dutch Reformed Mother Church. After N.G. Vos left Ceres, Rev. W.G. Jongeneel was ordained on 30 April 1862.
After 1866 a number of missionaries were appointed including reverend A.E. Keet (1868-1869) and Rev. P.A. Karemacher (1876-1880). Candidate Daniel Michiel Reinecke (1881-1902), as well as other congregants, sent a request to the Church Council of the Dutch Reformed Mother Congregation for his ordination by the Mission Commission. On 19 March 1883 he was officially ordained as Mission Minister. Under Rev. Reinecke the Mission Congregation was established and succeeded in acquiring ground for a church building. On 15 October 1894 a building fund was established and the congregants themselves laid down the foundations on 5 February 1899. For some time no building took place. However, by 8 March 1907, under the leadership of Rev. P.L. le Roux (1902-1919) the church had been completed and was officially consecrated. The total cost of the building came to R1 727,91. The Church was erected alongside the mission school in Van Riebeek Street (previously Buckland street) where Huis Maudie Kriel Old Age Home is today. Ministers were Reverends C.A. Bastiaanse (1919-1919), P.M. Bester (1919-1942) and E.H. Holtzapfel( 1943-1957). This once highly adequate church became too small for the growing community. During the term of Reverend Holtzapfel the church acquired a site in Lyell Street in order to erect a larger church. The old complex of church and school was purchased by the A.C.V.V.
A tender of £32,400 for the new building was accepted and construction commenced. On 20 April 1957 a dignified consecration of the new Mission Church took place. After Rev. Holtzapfel the following ministers were confirmed: I.S. Louw (1958-1960), D.M. Louw (1961-1966), H.M. Beets (1966-1978), Rev. P.J. du Plessis Strauss (1978-1996), co-minister Rev. S.A. Davis (1981-1982), Rev. J.B.J. Rayners (1996-2010), Rev. S.A. Esterhuizen (2012-2014) and Rev F. Booysen (2016-currently (2022)).
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UNION CAFÉ AND CINEMA
For many years the Union Café was managed by Caroline Catto and the cinema by Mr Catto himself. These two buildings were next to each other.
At a later stage the cinema was demolished and a new building was built on the foundation of the Union Café.
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DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH
DUTCH REFORMED MOTHER CONGREGATION
The Dutch Reformed Community of Ceres branched out from the Tulbagh community on 21 March 1855.
On Saturday 5 May 1855, the first church, built on the site of the present church hall, was inaugurated. That building was demolished in 1955.
On 14 October 1881, the new stone church (Klipkerk) was inaugurated, as the first building had become too small. The new building, on the site of the present church, was completed at a cost of £11,682 (pounds). That building was demolished in 1952.
A third building was erected on this site and the new church building was inaugurated on 24 October 1953. The cost of this church was £62,957.
The steeple was fragmented just above the clock by the earthquake on 29 September 1969, and the gables were extensively damaged. Services were then held in the town hall and in the school hall of Gericke Primary School. After the damage to the church hall was repaired, services were held there. The cost of repairing the damage to the church was R223 000,00. On 10 June 1972 services resumed in the Church.
Alongside the church a memorial was erected commemorating the earthquake. The granite stones used came from the damaged building.
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GERICKE PRIMARY SCHOOL
THE "CERES PUBLIC SCHOOL" (1st Class Public School)
The Ceres Public School started in July 1860. Mr James Marren was appointed as teacher. From 1862 until 1864 the classroom was located in a room in the teacher’s home, but in 1865 the school moved to the old courtroom. One can assume that it was the same room as the circuit court where Mr Vos had started the then Dutch Reformed Church School. In 1869 there were 54 pupils in the public school.
In 1895 a suitable building was erected on the site where Gericke Primary School is now situated. In October 1898 Mr J.C. Gericke became principal of the school which was named after him. He came from Richmond where he was chief teacher in charge of Richmond Public School from January 1897 till September 1898. Before that he was chief teacher in charge of Caledon Public School where he had to prepare pupils for the matric exams. He was a dedicated teacher and a member of the English Speaking South African Teachers’ Association (S.A.T.A.). S.A.O.U. was only founded 1905. During the South African War the school committee of the Ceres Public School expressed themselves in the strongest terms against the British Authorities. In 1902 Mr Gericke and the vice-principal, Mr Ackerman, were declared undesirable by the British Military. They were then sent to a concentration camp at Matjiesfontein. At the same time the school committee was dissolved. After the war Mr Gericke resumed his duties at Ceres Public School where he served as principal for 19 years.
The growing numbers of pupils justified a high school. The high school was established in 1918. In 1921 the high school pupils moved to the buildings of Charlie Hofmeyr High School. Although the primary and high school were on different premises they were still managed as one school until 1940. In January 1941 the new, independent Gericke Primary School was established. The principal was Mr J.A. Conradie. At its official establishment the school hosted 341 pupils and 13 staff members.
The establishment of the sports facilities was a process rather than an event. The current sports ground was bought by Department of Education in two parts.m The northern sports ground was bought in 1957 and the rest in 1960. In 1989 a building with two cloakrooms, a kiosk and small pavilion was built in 1989. This was an absolute necessity and was built without any support from the Department of Education. mThe school is very proud of the parent community, as well as the business sector who supported the building project tremendously.
In 1952 a school badge was designed with the motto, Rotsvas (Steadfast). In 1957 the school song was composed.
THE SCHOOL BADGE
Inspiration came from the beautiful nature of Ceres. On the badge is a mountain rose appears against snow covered mountains. This rose only grows in this area in the mountains above a height of 600m above sea level. With its roots anchored in the rocks, the motto refers to this plant, that has to face all the elements of nature.
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LUYT AND COMPANY
This general dealer store was established in 1875. It was run by Gabriel Jacobus Luyt until 1903, when it was taken over by Gus van der Merwe. On 1 April 1939 it was purchased by Japie van Heerden, and it was later run by his son, Koos. Originally there was an outspan / unharnessing area behind the shop.
The store had the reputation of selling ‘from a needle to an anchor’. There was a ladies and gents outfitting department, as well as hardware and groceries. Later a restaurant was added.
In 1955 the original building was demolished and a new building erected.
In 1980 further additions were made and on 16 June 1980 a SPAR Foodliner was also opened in the building. Luyt and Company closed its doors in 1988.
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STANDARD BANK
Records show that a Standard Bank branch was opened in Ceres on 15 February 1876, with Peter Gordon as the acting manager. In March 1876 James Mitchells was appointed as the first official manager earning a salary of £350.
Mr Peter Stegman was appointed as a clerk. He was the son of minister Stegman of the Dutch Reformed Mother Congregation.
Diagrams show that it was located where the bank is situated now. It was purchased by the bank in 1901. It included the manager’s house.
Large scale alterations were made to the bank during 1902 and 1903. The managers house was not altered, in order to save costs, however it was demolished and rebuilt in 1929. A second renovation was carried out in 1937.
In 1962 the building was completely demolished and the Standard Bank building as it is now, was erected.
The managers house was situated where "Giovanni's" currently stands.
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BUFFERED AREA - ROOIKAMP
At a public meeting on the 3 December 1963 the mayor explained that the previous council of Ceres decided to demolish and replan Rooikamp. To do this, it was important to estimate the value of all properties in Rooikamp, so that entitled residents could be compensated accordingly.
The municipality decided to survey the plots officially and to layout proper roads. The residents could now also obtain proper transfer certificates of their properties.
During the zoning process, a section of the old Rooikamp fell outside the coloured area. This was a direct result of the Groups Area Act No. 41 of 1950 (Forced Physical Separation between races by creating different residential areas for different races). This area was declared a buffered area between the white and coloured areas.
The replanning was interrupted by a major earthquake in September 1969. Many houses were destroyed or severely damaged. After the earthquake, residents of the old Rooikamp had to move and many received housing in the new housing scheme, known as White City.
No development took place on the land that was declared a buffered area, not even after the groups area act was repealed in 1991. It still serves as a reminder of the impact that legislation had on the community of Rooikamp and the larger Ceres.
On 1 March 2014 the land claims of the families of people who lived in the buffered area, was completed.
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AME CHURCH
ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH
At the annual conference in December 1941, Rev. Johannes David Zekoe was appointed Minister of the Ebenezer A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church of Ceres. At that stage there was no church building and worship services, prayer hours, Holy Communion, christenings, reception of new members, weddings and Sunday school took place in the home of brother Petrus van Wyk.
The turning of the first sod on the church site was done by Dr. Francis H. Gow, superintendent of the church. The church arranged many functions in the form of tea meetings in order to raise funds so the building could proceed.
The masons were Rev. Zekoe, bros. Jannie Festus and others. The carpenters were bros. P.A. van Wyk and Sons, who also made the pews.
On 26 March 1944 the foundation stone was laid by Dr. F.H. Gow.
Under the leadership of Rev. David Clement West the Laymans League, A.C.E. League and the Council for Christian Education were established.
THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY
The first school for the education of black people in Ceres was run by the Ebenezer A.M.E. Church. It was attended by the children from an area known as Sakkiesbaai. In spite of the government’s objections and limitations, the school continued to serve the black community. Council minutes of 24th March 1960 record that the pupil numbers of ‘Noodkamp’ ( Sakkiesbaai) had grown to 43. After the removal in 1962, the school moved to hostel S7 in Nduli.
Mr Kaiser Mbiko, originally from Idutywa, was the teacher at the A.M.E. Church School. Before the forced removal he lived in a house behind the school.
During 1943 a day school was started at Agtertuin. The teachers were Mr James Belelie and Jochem Nasson.
In the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church brown and black congregants prayed together, got married and found their final resting place together in the A.M.E. cemetery. Apartheid ended this situation and separation was forced on the Ceres community
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DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH
DUTCH REFORMED MOTHER CONGREGATION
The Dutch Reformed Community of Ceres branched out from the Tulbagh community on 21 March 1855.
On Saturday 5 May 1855, the first church, built on the site of the present church hall, was inaugurated. That building was demolished in 1955.
On 14 October 1881, the new stone church (Klipkerk) was inaugurated, as the first building had become too small. The new building, on the site of the present church, was completed at a cost of £11,682 (pounds). That building was demolished in 1952.
A third building was erected on this site and the new church building was inaugurated on 24 October 1953. The cost of this church was £62,957.
The steeple was fragmented just above the clock by the earthquake on 29 September 1969, and the gables were extensively damaged. Services were then held in the town hall and in the school hall of Gericke Primary School. After the damage to the church hall was repaired, services were held there. The cost of repairing the damage to the church was R223 000,00. On 10 June 1972 services resumed in the Church.
Alongside the church a memorial was erected commemorating the earthquake. The granite stones used came from the damaged building.
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SAKKIESBAAI
In the 1920's Sakkiesbaai was the first area in town where black people stayed.
Most men came from the Eastern Cape to work on the roads, farms and later in the factories.
Originally the area was declared an emergency camp but became a residential area until 1962.
Due to the Groups Area Act No. 40 of 1950 the residents had to move to a new area outside Ceres, known as Nduli.
Inhabitants of Sakkiesbaai were removed from 21 July 1962 to Nduli and Sakkiesbaai was redeveloped by the Municipality into the new White City housing scheme.
For more information a detailed exhibition on the history of Sakkiesbaai and Nduli can be seen in the museum as part of the Forced Removal exhibition.
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MISSION SCHOOL AND CERES PRIMARY
The establishing of Ceres Primary is unequivocally part of the Mission Congregation, because the school was a direct result of the Mission Church.
THE MISSION ORGANISATION / INSITUTE
A year after the establishment of the Dutch Reformed Mother Congregation (1855) there was a request for ‘’Godsdienstige Gesticht’’, where Europeans and Non-Europeans could be taught in literacy and religion, to be established. The Gesticht was inaugurated on 8 September 1858. The building served as church as well as school. N.G. Vos, employed by Mother Congregation, was also appointed as employee of the Mission Church, where he taught brown children at school. The Gesticht was in Murchinson Street, where the parsonage of N.G. Mother Congregation is today.
THE FIRST SCHOOL BUILDING
The first official mission school was erected in 1887. It was in Van Riebeeck Street on the same plot where the church would have been built. This church was only inaugurated on 8 March 1907.
Land in Lyell Street was received from Ceres Municipality on 17 May 1943. On 19 May 1945 the first cornerstone was laid and the school building was inaugurated in October 1945. Thereafter the building was extended and enlarged. Master A.C. Goliath was the first principal of Ceres Primary. The house of the principal was on the school grounds.
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CERES FRUIT GROWERS
At the beginning of the 19 th century Ceres was a wheat and livestock district. The cultivation of fruit followed later. After fruit cultivation was established on a larger scale, there was no organization to assist the new producers to co-ordinate their production. To cater for their need for co-operation between the producers, Ceres Fruit Growers Association Co-operative Ltd. was established in 1923. The co-operative was formed by 21 founder members. Each was required to purchase one share at the cost of £1 (one pound), of which two shillings per share would be paid up. Each member also undertook to pay an annual membership fee of ten shillings.
CFG has taken the lead in creating a central packaging plant. Frustration was experienced with packaged products from the different farmers that were not uniform. The first experimental joint packing took place on Ceres Drying Bed during the late 1940s. With its success, the co-operative called a members meeting and 29 producers signed on to use the central packaging. A packing plant was built and the first fruit on the new packing line took place at the end of January 1951. With that, CFG'ss status as association changed to an official packaging organization. Over time, several packing stores were built to meet the needs of its shareholders. However, Ceres Fruit Growers did not only focus on packaging, but also set up a concentrate plant in 1971. The company further shifted its focus by producing single strength juice. (Learn about the history of juice manufacturing and CFG's role in it under CERES FRUIT JUICES)
As fruit cultivation grew, CFG customised itself further to meet the needs of farmers. As early as 1929, the Board of Directors of CFG played the leading role for the establishment of Ceres Cold Storage. With shares in the newly formed co-operative shareholders, as well as non-shareholders fruits, could be chilled there. The official opening of the first cold room took place on February 21, 1931. However, Ceres Fruit Growers identified the need for proprietary cold room amenities to its shareholders. It would thereby be able to exercise better control over the cooling of delivered fruit. Although CFG still owned shares in CCS, it was decided in July 1958 to erect up its own cold rooms. By 1970 CFG had sufficient cooling capacity to sell its remaining shares in CCS. In 1982, the first Controlled Atmosphere Complex was established, increasing profitability of certain cultivars. A further development would occur at the beginning of the 20th century by equipping rooms to achieve a slower cooling rate for fruit.
In 1984 CFG changed its name to Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative Limited. The tremendous growth CFG had experienced, especially during the years 1988 – 1992, necessitated restructuring. All the interests of Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative would be transferred to a new Control Company. The change from co-operative to a company took effect on December 1, 1992. The co-operative would still exist autonomously, appointing Ceres Holdings as its agent. On November 16, 1998, the Board of Directors decided to also turn the co-operation Ceres Fruit Growers into a Private Company. It would become the first co- operative in SA to be converted into a private company.
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CERES FRUIT JUICE
The Ceres Fruit Juice factory originated when a businessman from Ceres, Mr Piet Bosman, and a local farmer, Mr M.R. du Toit of the farm Monte Carlo, started to manufacture fruit juice.
In 1953 a factory was built after the first juice was produced on the farm Monte Carlo. The factory then moved to the village and was located on the corner of Voortrekker and Cilliers Streets. A few years later the plant moved to the northern end of Vos Street where Ceres Fruit Processors is now located. The company traded as Ceres Fruit Juices and Vitamin Company. The export market in particular knew the trademark Ceramin as a product with a high vitamin C content. At that time the company also started canning fruit, and with a fair measure of success, entered the export market. The name Ceres Fruit Juices and Canning was registered, and Ceramin became their trademark. The canned fruit market in Europe became smaller and smaller and, in the eighties, withdrew from the local market.
In 1984 Ceres Fruit Juices came to an agreement with Langeberg Co-operative whereby Langeberg would provide, at a cost, certain services to Ceres Fruit Juices & Canning. However, CFJ & Canning was in no position to pay, and Langeberg took them to court. The court’s decision was that Langeberg might take over the company, provided the creditors of CFJ had to be paid. As part of the rationalisation of Langeberg in the canning industry, production in Ceres ended and the assets were sold. That is how the first juice factory came to an end.
Ceres Fruit Growers, which had its own concentrating plant, shifted its focus to single strength juice in 1978. This was marketed under the ‘CFG’ brand. In the early 1980’s it changed to the ‘Ceres’ brand. On 6 th October 1982 the new juice factory was opened by Mr Pietman Hugo, MP for Ceres.
The company, Ceres Fruit Juices, was established in 1986, after the name was purchased from Langeberg Co-operative. The fruit juice interests of Ceres Fruit Growers and SA Breweries were combined in the new company where the parties had equal shareholding. The brands used were Ceres, Liqui Fruit and Fruit Tree.
In 1992 the KWV acquired shares in Ceres Fruit Juices. In 1999 SA Breweries withdrew and sold their shares to Pioneer Foods.
In 2003 Pioneer Foods acquired the interests of CFG in Ceres Fruit Juices and became the sole owner of Ceres Fruit Juices.
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GERICKE PRIMARY SCHOOL
THE "CERES PUBLIC SCHOOL" (1st Class Public School)
The Ceres Public School started in July 1860. Mr James Marren was appointed as teacher. From 1862 until 1864 the classroom was located in a room in the teacher’s home, but in 1865 the school moved to the old courtroom. One can assume that it was the same room as the circuit court where Mr Vos had started the then Dutch Reformed Church School. In 1869 there were 54 pupils in the public school.
In 1895 a suitable building was erected on the site where Gericke Primary School is now situated. In October 1898 Mr J.C. Gericke became principal of the school which was named after him. He came from Richmond where he was chief teacher in charge of Richmond Public School from January 1897 till September 1898. Before that he was chief teacher in charge of Caledon Public School where he had to prepare pupils for the matric exams. He was a dedicated teacher and a member of the English Speaking South African Teachers’ Association (S.A.T.A.). S.A.O.U. was only founded 1905. During the South African War the school committee of the Ceres Public School expressed themselves in the strongest terms against the British Authorities. In 1902 Mr Gericke and the vice-principal, Mr Ackerman, were declared undesirable by the British Military. They were then sent to a concentration camp at Matjiesfontein. At the same time the school committee was dissolved. After the war Mr Gericke resumed his duties at Ceres Public School where he served as principal for 19 years.
The growing numbers of pupils justified a high school. The high school was established in 1918. In 1921 the high school pupils moved to the buildings of Charlie Hofmeyr High School. Although the primary and high school were on different premises they were still managed as one school until 1940. In January 1941 the new, independent Gericke Primary School was established. The principal was Mr J.A. Conradie. At its official establishment the school hosted 341 pupils and 13 staff members.
The establishment of the sports facilities was a process rather than an event. The current sports ground was bought by Department of Education in two parts.m The northern sports ground was bought in 1957 and the rest in 1960. In 1989 a building with two cloakrooms, a kiosk and small pavilion was built in 1989. This was an absolute necessity and was built without any support from the Department of Education. mThe school is very proud of the parent community, as well as the business sector who supported the building project tremendously.
In 1952 a school badge was designed with the motto, Rotsvas (Steadfast). In 1957 the school song was composed.
THE SCHOOL BADGE
Inspiration came from the beautiful nature of Ceres. On the badge is a mountain rose appears against snow covered mountains. This rose only grows in this area in the mountains above a height of 600m above sea level. With its roots anchored in the rocks, the motto refers to this plant, that has to face all the elements of nature.
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LUYT AND COMPANY
This general dealer store was established in 1875. It was run by Gabriel Jacobus Luyt until 1903, when it was taken over by Gus van der Merwe. On 1 April 1939 it was purchased by Japie van Heerden, and it was later run by his son, Koos. Originally there was an outspan / unharnessing area behind the shop.
The store had the reputation of selling ‘from a needle to an anchor’. There was a ladies and gents outfitting department, as well as hardware and groceries. Later a restaurant was added.
In 1955 the original building was demolished and a new building erected.
In 1980 further additions were made and on 16 June 1980 a SPAR Foodliner was also opened in the building. Luyt and Company closed its doors in 1988.
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MARKET SQUARE
During 1849 town development originally occurred on the west side of the Dwars River in and around Market Square.
The Market Square became the main focus of the town as farmers sold their products on Market Square. Today most of Market Square has been developed as parking areas.
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MEMORIES OF DIE STEP (BRIDGE OVER THE RAILWAY, ROOIKAMP)
Valerie Juries
Since I was old enough to come to my senses, the bridge was there. My grandparents lived nearby and everyone had to use the bridge to go to town, to church, to school or to get to the other side of the tracks. Bridge was a bit unsafe, especially when everything was still pitch dark in the underworld.
Randall Damon
A few guys, as kids, were brave enough to sail down those steep slopes … in spite of burning inner thighs … great adrenaline rush ... our parents would probably have fainted right there!!
Nathan Jacobs
Police searched our school bags there on the way to school. Boycott years
Le-Dene C Agulhas
They were wooden steps at first. Every day I walked over the bridge to my grandmother and then to Ceres Primary. Wow, if those steps were broken you would have to climb along the side to the other side. Then you would cross the bridge and still have to run for the dog waiting on the other side. The best playground was under that bridge, lots of clay to play with.
Steven Clarence Du Toit
The wooden Step where we often played as children. We played on train tracks, swung under the bridge. We picked up coal when the coal train had passed under the bridge because some of the coal had fallen from the train. Unforgettable good old days.
Shaun Hoffie Court Master
As a child, I had to walk over that bridge to school without shoes in the winter time, the frost lay thick on it .... I am grateful for that, good memories. Also stood on the bridge as a child and waited for the train to pass underneath.
Jerome Basson
Grew up in the Ostrich Camp. I almost ended up under the train when a dog knocked my legs out from under me. I fell along the train tracks with those iron wheels rattling centimetres away from me. The Step was our playground. Nostalgic.
Fareeda Isaacs
I also walked over the Step to school. Had to cross it to buy my toffee apple from great aunt Tiena Gateyeni. The queen travelled through Ceres in a train that passed under that Step. We played a lot on the train track under that step and as many say, I also had to get a swing first. We really have the best memories of the popular Step.
Adrian Paul
Every morning close to 5 am, from Monday to Friday, I crossed there to pick up newspapers to deliver with my bicycle before going to school. Good memories, I was only 11 years old.
Coleen De Bruin Geldenhuys
In 1988 I went to Fred Gaum, then it was still a wooden bridge. In the morning you would go to school and the bridge would be fine. In the afternoon when you come home 1 or 2 of the wooden files could be gone, then you have the choice whether you risk crossing it, or defy the clay soil below, and heaven help you if you get home dirty. Of course you also had to swing under the bridge before going home.
Susan-Anne Jacobs-Hull
We lived next to the bridge. As the trains passed by, the edges of the coal would touch the bridge. Then we would slide down to the bottom and collect the fallen coal for the ghellie can. Best days.
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MICHELLS PASS
In 1828 Colonel Charles Michell was appointed surveyor general, civil engineer and superintendent of works at the Cape Colony after a distinguished military career. It was his desire to open the Cape by means of roads and passes through the imposing inland mountain chains.
In 1846, Michell assigned Andrew Geddes Bain the job of constructing a pass through the Skurweberge. He felt Bain would be the man with enough courage and skills to complete the pass.
Work started on the pass in October 1846 and it was built with the aid of 240 convicts, at a cost of 21 000 pounds. It was officially opened by Sir Harry Smith, Governor of the Cape Colony, on 1 December 1848 and named Michells Pass in honour of colonel Michell. Bain completed the pass in just 26 months – an amazing engineering feat when you consider the meagre equipment available at the time.
Michells Pass was used for nearly a century, until a concrete road was completed on 31 March 1946. The Divisional Council of Ceres rebuilt Michells Pass in the Second World War at a cost of R100 000,00. The roadway was broadened and in some places the gradient was improved. Due to the shortage of asphalt a 20ft concrete road was built. The newly built pass was inaugurated on 31 March 1946. The concrete roadway was slowly deteriorating and despite maintenance, the condition was worsened by the earthquake of 1969 and ultimately lead to the rebuilding of the pass in 1988.
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RAILWAY LINE AND CERES STATION
Even before 1898, Parliament was petitioned to provide a railway to link up Ceres with the main line at Ceres Road (Now Wolseley). In 1899 a route was surveyed by George A. Schele for a 2-feet gauge line, estimated to cost R82 184 or R4 982 per km. In 1902 the request for a railway was repeated when Dr. J.H.M. Beck, the member of Parliament for Worcester, presented a petition from Henry Carson and others to Parliament. Act No. 38 of 1902 made provision for the construction of this railway of 16.5km at a revised cost of R88 334. After there was no progress, Dr Beck once again tabled a petition from the Ceres Mayor, Mr. Henry Carson and others, during the 1905 session of Parliament. Still another year passed when it was decided to construct the railway to a gauge of 3 ft. 6 in. as a guaranteed line at a cost of R 121 746. Under Act 34 of 1906 authority was given for this work.
Interesting to mention that, according to local publications, the railway engineer was unable to measure the proper vertical and horizontal gradients. The local council was responsible to share the cost of the work on the line but had limited funds. It was suggested that a local engineer from Ceres, Jan Keet, would assist in the setting out and pegging of the route. Within 3 months the route was finalized. (This was not published in the Minutes of proceedings of the SA Institution of Civil Engineers when report was given on the Ceres Railway construction).
During July 1910 construction started on the branch line, the work being entrusted to the contractors Messrs. Warren & Co. The Railway branch line was completed in May 1912. The line was formally opened on 18 th May 1912, being opened to full traffic two days later.
The railway and station were formally opened by the Minister of Railways, Hon. J. W. Sauer, in the presence of a large gathering of residents and visitors. Sir James Molteno, Speaker of the House of Assembly and member for the Ceres Division, the Right Hon. Abraham Fisher, P.C., Minister of Lands, the Hon. Henry Burton, Minister of Native Affairs, Senators Jacobus Graaf and Meiring Beck were some of the guests at the opening. Ceres Station later became known as Demeter Station. Later a freight terminal was erected near Retief Street.
In 1926 the line was extended to Prince Alfred’s Hamlet and the opening of the station took place on 10 April 1929.
(THE SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAY MAGAZINE July 1912)
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THE GRAND HOTEL
The current Shell Garage originally existed of 5 plots.
According to early publications the hotel was erected on the walls of the Pilgrim’s Rest Hotel (1872). There was an additional floor added onto the walls of the previous hotel. Mr C.H.G. Schmidt bought the site for the hotel in December 1919, whereafter he sold the hotel and the plot to Mr Jockey Levin in 1929. The hotel then was named as Levin’s Grand Hotel. He was the last owner of this hotel.
In 1969 the premises were sold and was demolished before the earthquake in 1969.
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THE MAGISTRATES OFFICE
Around 1872 the first magistrate court and jail were situated on the corner of Vos and Voortrekker Street.
Currently we find the police office on these premises. The new magistrates court and post office moved to the premises next to the town hall in Voortrekker Street, on 24 November 1936.
In 1989, with the extensions to the court, the post office moved to its current location in Owen Street.
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TOLL HOUSE
A Toll House was erected just after the completion of Michells Pass.
Toll fees were charged here from 1 January 1849 at:
• 3 pennies per wheel of four-wheeled vehicles without remschoens;
• 2 pennies per wheel of other vehicles;
• 1 penny per pack animal;
• ½ penny each for sheep, goats or pigs, and
• 2 pennies each for all other animals.
During the diamond rush many fortune seekers passed the tollhouse as the pass was on the main route to the north.
With the opening of Michells Pass agriculture – consisting mainly of wheat, farming-developed rapidly and the town of Ceres soon evolved.
The popularity of this road to the diamond fields ended with the completion of the railway from Cape Town to the diamond fields in 1885, and to the Witwatersrand in 1895.
The Toll House was declared a National Monument under Section 10 (1) of the National Monuments Act, 1969. (Act 28 of 1969).
During the late 1980’s the building was restored after some much-needed maintenance work had to be done.
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VAN BREDA BRIDGE 1855 - 2021
The first bridge over the Dwars River in Ceres, was opened on Wednesday, 7 February 1855. The bridge was 175 feet long, the construction of which was supervised by Thomas Bain (son of AG Bain) with the prisoner labour and voluntary assistance of residents from the Bokkeveld and surrounding area.
The Bridge was named after Dirk Gysbert van Breda, Member of the High House of the old Cape Parliament. After the bridge was damaged by floodwaters in the early 1890s it was rebuilt or replaced in about 1894. Photos show that the original Van Breda Bridge was supported by wooden pillars that were splayed (divergent sides). The 1894 bridge was supported by vertical wooden columns.
During the flood of 1925, the bridge subsided and in 1928 construction of a new bridge was completed. This bridge was supported by concrete columns as we know it today.
From 1928 until the 1950’s the pedestrian walkway was on the inside of the walls of the bridge. By the 1960’s the walkway on the inside of the bridge was moved to the outside of the wall. In 1993 further maintenance work was done.
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BUFFERED AREA - ROOIKAMP
At a public meeting on the 3 December 1963 the mayor explained that the previous council of Ceres decided to demolish and replan Rooikamp. To do this, it was important to estimate the value of all properties in Rooikamp, so that entitled residents could be compensated accordingly.
The municipality decided to survey the plots officially and to layout proper roads. The residents could now also obtain proper transfer certificates of their properties.
During the zoning process, a section of the old Rooikamp fell outside the coloured area. This was a direct result of the Groups Area Act No. 41 of 1950 (Forced Physical Separation between races by creating different residential areas for different races). This area was declared a buffered area between the white and coloured areas.
The replanning was interrupted by a major earthquake in September 1969. Many houses were destroyed or severely damaged. After the earthquake, residents of the old Rooikamp had to move and many received housing in the new housing scheme, known as White City.
No development took place on the land that was declared a buffered area, not even after the groups area act was repealed in 1991. It still serves as a reminder of the impact that legislation had on the community of Rooikamp and the larger Ceres.
On 1 March 2014 the land claims of the families of people who lived in the buffered area, was completed.
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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DUTCH REFORMED MISSION CHURCH IN CERES
The South African Mission Association was established in Cape Town in 1799. The Dutch Reformed Church in Tulbagh already carried out Missionary work since 1743. In 1811 a permanent missionary, Arie Vos, was appointed in Tulbagh. This laid the foundation for community building in the surrounding areas.
After a Dutch Reformed congregation was established in Ceres during 1855, a training facility (Godsdienstige Gesticht) was erected and run by N.G. Vos, where both white and brown people could receive religious instruction and literacy teaching. This was the forerunner of the establishment of the Mission congregation. In 1858 preacher Vos was appointed as the first missionary in the mission working circle under the supervision of the Dutch Reformed Mother Church. After N.G. Vos left Ceres, Rev. W.G. Jongeneel was ordained on 30 April 1862.
After 1866 a number of missionaries were appointed including reverend A.E. Keet (1868-1869) and Rev. P.A. Karemacher (1876-1880). Candidate Daniel Michiel Reinecke (1881-1902), as well as other congregants, sent a request to the Church Council of the Dutch Reformed Mother Congregation for his ordination by the Mission Commission. On 19 March 1883 he was officially ordained as Mission Minister. Under Rev. Reinecke the Mission Congregation was established and succeeded in acquiring ground for a church building. On 15 October 1894 a building fund was established and the congregants themselves laid down the foundations on 5 February 1899. For some time no building took place. However, by 8 March 1907, under the leadership of Rev. P.L. le Roux (1902-1919) the church had been completed and was officially consecrated. The total cost of the building came to R1 727,91. The Church was erected alongside the mission school in Van Riebeek Street (previously Buckland street) where Huis Maudie Kriel Old Age Home is today. Ministers were Reverends C.A. Bastiaanse (1919-1919), P.M. Bester (1919-1942) and E.H. Holtzapfel( 1943-1957). This once highly adequate church became too small for the growing community. During the term of Reverend Holtzapfel the church acquired a site in Lyell Street in order to erect a larger church. The old complex of church and school was purchased by the A.C.V.V.
A tender of £32,400 for the new building was accepted and construction commenced. On 20 April 1957 a dignified consecration of the new Mission Church took place. After Rev. Holtzapfel the following ministers were confirmed: I.S. Louw (1958-1960), D.M. Louw (1961-1966), H.M. Beets (1966-1978), Rev. P.J. du Plessis Strauss (1978-1996), co-minister Rev. S.A. Davis (1981-1982), Rev. J.B.J. Rayners (1996-2010), Rev. S.A. Esterhuizen (2012-2014) and Rev F. Booysen (2016-currently (2022)).
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UNION CAFÉ AND CINEMA
For many years the Union Café was managed by Caroline Catto and the cinema by Mr Catto himself. These two buildings were next to each other.
At a later stage the cinema was demolished and a new building was built on the foundation of the Union Café.
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FLOUR MILL
Jacobus Hendrik Bredekamp constructed the mill in 1932. In 1969 the gable was badly damaged by the earthquake. With the help of the earthquake compensation a new mill was constructed in Atlas Street and started operating in 1972.
On 7 November 1978 the museum was proclaimed as a local museum and on 1 April 1987 became a Provincial Supported Museum.
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LOVERS BRIDGE
Water needed to be supplied to the residents living on the eastern side of the Dwars River. After Ceres became a municipality in 1864, a wooden aqueduct was constructed to carry water from the Skurweberg on the west side of Ceres, to the mill in Mill Street (now Owen Street). From there the water ran in a furrow to the wooden aqueduct. The aqueduct was supported by wooden pillars. More than once these pillars were washed away by flood water. In 1866 a heavy chain was purchased and used to strengthen the supports.
1892: The wooden pillars were replaced by stone pillars constructed in the river and a wooden pedestrian bridge was added. The bridge and aqueduct were erected by Jan Keet.
1904: The bridge was replaced
1926: The aqueduct was replaced by a 15-inch pipe.
There are no records available about changes to the bridge since 1926. We do know that the wooden railings were changed to what they look like today.
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MOSTERTSHOEK PASS
Its inaccessibility initially hampered the Bokkeveld’s progress. The first farmers carried their necessities by pack animal through the kloof along the river. From the waterfall it had to be carried over the mountain. Wagons later reached Ceres via a detour of some 150 km over the Hex River Pass.
Bokkeveld farmers also wanted to benefit from the great upsurge in the Cape market in the 18th century, and in 1765 Jan Mostert of the farm Wolvenkloof, built the first pass to Ceres.
This pass was called Mostertshoek Pass and was certainly not built for joyrides. It criss-crossed the river and was so steep at certain areas, that the wagons had to be taken apart and carried over the mountain in pieces. Mostertshoek Pass was used until 1848.
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NDULI HOSTELS
In July 1962, the Ceres Council began to remove residents from Sakkiesbaai to Nduli.
The first structures in Nduli area were the 16 single-men’s hostels for migrant workers and 6 family blocks. Infrastructure in Nduli quickly developed and by 1975 there were 15 hostels, 24 houses, 2 halls, 1 school, 1 beer hall, 1 mortuary, 1 laundry and 1 private hostel, which totalled to 47 units. Each of the twelve two roomed houses cost 90c per week, each of the twelve four roomed houses cost R1,73c per week and a bed in the hostel for single men cost 50c per person per week.
For more information of the history of Nduli please visit the Forced Removals exhibition in the museum.
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ST ANDREWS ANGLICAN CHURCH
Bishop Gray received a letter from the Dutch Reformed Mission School requesting that the Anglican Church should pay attention to the spiritual welfare of the Non-European in the vicinity. In 1862 bishop Gray bought plots east of the Dwars River, for a church and a church school. What is interesting is that, since 1850, a plot for a school church and plots for occupation rights for the members of the congregation, was being investigated. Initially a private home was used as a chapel and as a school, before the church sight was bought. Since 1861 the number of members of the congregation with his 100 Europeans as congregation members, increased immensely. In 1864 the members were 500. Rev. Albert Jefferey assumed duty as curator (1863—1876) and then as rector (1876-1905) in Ceres in 1863. An official church was built and was operating as school since 1864 too. The additional land at the church was being rented by Non-European families in exchange for free labour at the church and premises. This premise later was known as Glebe. In 1954 The English Church was enlarged using rocks and stones from the Dutch Reformed Stone Church that were bought after the stone church was demolished.
On 29 September 1969 an earthquake caused havoc in the Boland and Ceres. The church was severely damaged and services had to move to Ceres School Hall. The St Andrews school also suffered extensive damage. On 1 November 1969 the state officially took over the reins of the school. In 1971 and 1972 they started renovating and rebuilding the church buildings. On 1 December 1972 the church hall was inaugurated. In 1976 the church met with another disaster when an electrical short-circuit caused a fire and the church burnt down partially. The church was renovated once again, but the thatched roof was replaced by a tiled roof. On 20 December 1979 the renovation was completed and the church was put into use again.
Church Grounds / Glebe
On 25-28 June 1910 the Archbishop of Cape Town paid the Parish a visit. Certain decisions were made, amongst others, if you rented a plot from the church, you had to conclude a contract with the church before 1 July to become a legal owner of the plot. All tenants could not keep up with the rental charge, which caused a financial knock for the church. The property became a delapidated area and there were no sanitary facilities. They urgently had to find solutions for these problems.
At the time of Rev. Leslie Morris (1949-1960) an agreement was reached with the governing body. The church, from then onwards, could hire Glebe for £200 per annum. The Provincial Government approved the decision. At a meeting held in 1953 the decision was being made that plots might only be sold to Coloureds. New streets were built and some streets were widened. On 8 February 1953 the Archbishop officially handed over the responsibility of Glebe to the municipality. The Glebe’s name was also changed to Morrisdale.
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ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
Father James O'Connell (1811 - 1893) started a work circle in Ceres in 1875 consisting of 6 members. Up to the early 1950’s there was no church building for the catholic community in the area. A master builder, Mr J.A. Peters was contracted to build a church which was finished in 1953. Mr Jan Peters was an immigrant from the Netherlands who arrived in South Africa on 10 January 1951 and settled in Ceres with his wife, 3 sons and a daughter. Mr Peters built the church at cost, without profit. The building was designed by John Peter Duppé Grant. He lived on the farm, Waterval, in the Ceres area during 1948.
According to the books 1061 baptisms, 110 weddings and 302 funerals took place in the church up to end of January 2003.
The list of priests:
Fr James O’Connel (1875 - )
Fr Sneekers (1951 -1963)
Fr Janses (1963 -1966)
Fr Dudler ( 1967 – 1995)
Fr Behlich (April 1995 -2001)
Fr Lawrence Mubiru (2001 –2010)
Fr Mbekwa (2011-2014)
Fr Hermanus Swartz (2014 – 2020)
Fr Ewan Swartz (2021 - )
Leonie Aviat Convent and creche
The Leonie Aviat Convent, just next to the Catholic Church was founded in 1958 by two Sisters, Thérĕsa Victor Brunnel, from France, and Françoise Elizabeth Shadwell from Port Elizabeth. The convent was initially started as an orphanage for children, but later it was also set up as a day-care centre, now creche. The monastery still operates as a day-care centre. The convent is named after Saint Leonie Aviat.
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SYNAGOGUE
The Ceres Hebrew congregation was established around 1903. It reached its peak of 30 families in the 1920’s. The Ceres Synagogue was built in 1923 on the corner of Porter and Munnik Streets. The foundation stone was laid by Mr Baumann, chairman of the congregation at that time. By the 1930’s, the Synagogue served a large Jewish community that included the Jews of Wolseley. A hall was built in 1933 with the aid of a building fund established by the Ceres Zionist Association in 1925, whereas the land had been purchased a year earlier with funds provided by the Ladies Benevolent Society. The congregations of Ceres, Wolseley and Tulbagh were amalgamated in 1944 under the chairmanship of Mr M Friedman who remained chairman until his death in 1947. This congregation also included the Jews of Prince Alfred’s Hamlet. In 1953 the congregation, which numbered 21 at that stage, received a Silver Yad (pointer) from the S.A.J.B.D. (South African Jewish Board of Deputies) as part of their distribution of ceremonial silver, which had been looted by the Nazis and was found in Germany after the war. When Rabbi Natas left for Cape Town in 1953, Mr Wolf Metter, gabbai (lay leader) of the synagogue, took over many of the duties of the minister, including conducting all the services.
Very little is known about the arrangements for shechita (kosher slaughtering) in Ceres. The local butchery once had a “kosher corner” and Rabbi Natas took care of the kosher slaughtering during his term as rabbi in Ceres. In 1958 kosher meat was obtained from Worcester. In 1964 the Ceres-Wolseley Hebrew congregation numbered 17 families. The September 1969 earthquake badly damaged the synagogue and hall, and both had to be demolished. The three Sifrei Torah (Hebrew Bible) were removed undamaged. After the disaster, prayers were conducted in a temporary steel construction which later became the hall.
A new Ceres-Wolseley Synagogue and communal hall were consecrated on 31 January 1973. This occasion was attended by all members of the community as well as visitors from Cape Town and neighbouring centres. Wolf Metter unveiled the plaque and rabbi Prof. J Newman officiated, assisted by cantor Philip Badash and the choir of Green Point and Sea Point Hebrew Congregation.
By 1994 the Synagogue was used only once a year, on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and an attempt was made to sell it in the late 1990’s. The building was sold in 2015 to the Du Toit Group who now uses the building as a conference facility and offices.
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THE BELMONT HOTEL
The "Belmont Sanatorium" was built in 1890 as private house for Rev. George Heberden of England. The double storey stone building was built on 30 hectares. Heberden passed away shortly after the building was finished. The property then was sold to Henry Cutler who transformed it into a sanctuary. It was managed by dr. Gustav Cutler from England. The word ‘Belmont” means “Beautiful mountain”. Dr Cutler believed that the excellent climate, combined with the fresh air of Ceres and the pure water from the mountain was ideal for the treatment for lung disease, as well as rehabilitation after serious illness.
As Ceres is well sheltered from the south eastern winds, exercising outdoors was possible. Patients with psychological issues came all the way from Europe to be treated here.
Ceres was only seven hours travel by railways from Cape Town and later by wagon through Michells Pass as well.
With facilities like fireplaces in each of the ten rooms, warm baths, a boudoir for ladies, a smoking room, two tennis courts and seven electrical service bells which were answered by English servants, this sanatorium could accommodate 20 guests.
On 1 December 1898 Sir James Logan took over the sanatorium and changed it into a beautiful hotel.
During 1920-1944 the Belmont became the private residence of Mr and Mrs Phillip Malherbe.
The Rankin family bought the estate in 1944. The Belmont became a hotel once again and was taken over by Lt. Col. Knoble. The Rankins also opened a sports and men’s clothing shop (now Basson Sport). Since 1954 Mr and Mrs Conradie owned the Belmont. The hotel was severely damaged during the earthquake of 1969 and had to be renovated. It was also extended to contain 45 double rooms and modern facilities. There was a heated swimming pool and a squash court in the building. The pear orchard became beautiful gardens and a large bird park had been laid out. People living in Ceres habitually took their children on a Sunday afternoon to the bird park to feed the animals. They could also see Swiss goats, exotic monkeys and mountain tortoises.
The Belmont was also well known for its buffet on a Sunday afternoon. Guests travelled from far to enjoy this buffet. The building hosted three restaurants: Ben se Vat with superb steak, Pizza Nostra with the most delicious pizzas and the dining room with its Sunday buffets. The Belmont was managed by the Conradie couple and their daughter, Lucia and son-in-law, Patrick Caballero from 1975-2006. After Mr Stefaan Conradie had passed on in 1989, Lucia and Patrick continued managing the hotel until it was sold in 2006. The building was then demolished.
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THE REBUILT PASS
They began to rebuild the pass in August 1988 and completed it four years later, in 1992, at a cost of R42 million.
Michells Pass passes through the Ceres Nature Reserve and as its impact on nature had to be limited, the rebuilt pass mainly follows the old route. The roadway was widened from 6m to 9.8m. Three passing lanes were constructed, and the surface of the roadway was bordered with concrete paved side drains and guardrails conforming to modern standards.
During construction the pass was closed for traffic for three hours per working day to accommodate blasting. All other construction work took place in full traffic with a minimum of workspace available
Some 400 000 cubic metres of material was excavated from road cuttings, 180 000 cubic meters of which was used for fills, the rest was crushed to be re-used as gravel layers. 250 000 cubic meters of hard rock had to be blasted, for which 83 000 kg explosives was used.
The foundation of the new Wittebrug consists of ten cylindrical caissons. Because there are enormous boulders in the riverbed, this was the only viable option for the bridge foundation. These caissons were excavated by hand to a maximum depth of 13m below the riverbed.
The old toll house and parts of Bain’s original stone retaining walls were preserved for posterity so that future generations can acknowledge Bain’s engineering genius.
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TOWN HALL
In 1865 the council wanted to sell certain plots. The proceeds would be applied for the erecting of a town hall, but unfortunately we do not have clarity on the date the first town hall – the small building next to the Dutch Reformed Church – became operative. In 1898 they ordered twelve dozen chairs from America for "seating the town hall". The next year they applied for a government loan to renovate the old building. Meanwhile the council wanted to sell six morgen land in Michell’s Pass at £14 per morg to C.A.R. Brett to cultivate trees. By means of this mountain fires could be avoided, the trout in the rivers could be protected and, by the way, the town hall could be renovated. It does not seem as if this plan worked out.
On 27 February 1903 the council decided to build a new town hall and on 28 March 1903, on proposal of ds. Alheit en Jan Keet, this idea was accepted in general by the taxpayers. Seeing that other important renovations were given priority, and that they were very expensive, the town hall was put on ice until October 1909. The taxpayers then authorized the council to buy a new municipality building, including a town hall. The intention was to buy plot 3 in ward 1 at a reasonable price from the estate Mrs Loxton. They did not satisfy the conditions of the council, but they also did not want to let this opportunity slip through their fingers. The deal was wrapped up on 4 November 1909. A protest of 21 registered voters against this decision came too late. Architect Fagg was appointed to draw up a plan for the changes and renovations to the building. A loan of £2,800 for electrical lighting was negotiated with S.A. Mutual. The tender of J Bosman of £853 was accepted so he could start with the job. A Schiedmayer Grand piano was bought at Darter and Sons for £85 and Isaacs and Kie delivered red Chenille curtains for the “schouwplaats” in the town hall.
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STANDARD BANK
Records show that a Standard Bank branch was opened in Ceres on 15 February 1876, with Peter Gordon as the acting manager. In March 1876 James Mitchells was appointed as the first official manager earning a salary of £350.
Mr Peter Stegman was appointed as a clerk. He was the son of minister Stegman of the Dutch Reformed Mother Congregation.
Diagrams show that it was located where the bank is situated now. It was purchased by the bank in 1901. It included the manager’s house.
Large scale alterations were made to the bank during 1902 and 1903. The managers house was not altered, in order to save costs, however it was demolished and rebuilt in 1929. A second renovation was carried out in 1937.
In 1962 the building was completely demolished and the Standard Bank building as it is now, was erected.
The managers house was situated where "Giovanni's" currently stands.
THE SECOND TOWN HALL (1910)
An offer by “Worcester Amateur Dramatic Society”, under the direction of gentleman Hugo Naude, to present “eene dramatische voordracht, ten voordeele van den Raad” in Ceres, was accepted gracefully. The production, “Piet z’n Tante”, was a huge success and “tot genoegen van‘t Ceres publiek zoo wel als van de Worcester vrienden”. The high yield given was £13 14s 9d, of which 20s 2d belonged to the council to pay for the curtains.
The new town hall was inaugurated by honourable J.T. Molteno, first speaker of the Union House of Assembly, on the afternoon of 23 September 1910. Quite a good number of inhabitants and visitors viewed the building and premises and looked pleased with what they saw. Intentions to sell the old town hall, or to change it into a house, did not realise. It became a bioscope. Three years later it was sold to Rev. McDonald.
In 1930 the Municipal Council prepared for the building of a new town hall. Property of Mr A.M. Frick, next to the town hall and on the main street, was bought for the building of municipal offices. They decided to rather build a new town hall than to renovate the present building. Furniture for the hall, stage and offices was ordered for an amount of £1,500. The cornerstone had been laid on 4 November 1936, but the opening ceremony was on 16 June 1937. The new building made provision for the main hall, stage, banqueting hall, municipal offices, public library and school board office.
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THE SECOND TOWN HALL (1910)
An offer by “Worcester Amateur Dramatic Society”, under the direction of gentleman Hugo Naude, to present “eene dramatische voordracht, ten voordeele van den Raad” in Ceres, was accepted gracefully. The production, “Piet z’n Tante”, was a huge success and “tot genoegen van‘t Ceres publiek zoo wel als van de Worcester vrienden”. The high yield given was £13 14s 9d, of which 20s 2d belonged to the council to pay for the curtains.
The new town hall was inaugurated by honourable J.T. Molteno, first speaker of the Union House of Assembly, on the afternoon of 23 September 1910. Quite a good number of inhabitants and visitors viewed the building and premises and looked pleased with what they saw. Intentions to sell the old town hall, or to change it into a house, did not realise. It became a bioscope. Three years later it was sold to Rev. McDonald.
In 1930 the Municipal Council prepared for the building of a new town hall. Property of Mr A.M. Frick, next to the town hall and on the main street, was bought for the building of municipal offices. They decided to rather build a new town hall than to renovate the present building. Furniture for the hall, stage and offices was ordered for an amount of £1,500. The cornerstone had been laid on 4 November 1936, but the opening ceremony was on 16 June 1937. The new building made provision for the main hall, stage, banqueting hall, municipal offices, public library and school board office.