Memories and Recollections of Parow

Above image: Boet in his MG outside his home in Parow probably mid to late 1940s.

This is a transcription from very difficult to read notes that Boet van der Merwe had made about his memories about Parow, a suburb of Cape Town, from the mid-20th century. These are subjective memories from the 1930s and 1940s so may not be 100% accurate at all.

For those interested I also uploaded this old 8mm movie to YouTube, which was also focussed on the history of Parow.

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Introduction and Purpose of the Notes

This is my third and final attempt to record my memories of Old Parow as I knew it. First of all, I must apologise for phoning more than I should have. The reason for my calls was that I needed guidance, as I lack academic qualifications. Secondly, the only blood relative who grew up with me in Old Parow tried to dissuade me from doing this. Another reason for my hesitation is my indifferent health, and while my memory is still quite good, I am reluctant to put anything in writing unless I can confirm it. I also feel that my memories are not of much use unless I can attach accurate dates to them.

I find it impossible to shorten my memories, and though it may be far too late for this to be of any use to you, I am writing this down for my own satisfaction and for any future descendants I may have. If any of the facts I record are useful to the Historical Society, you are welcome to extract them, provided the information is credited to the name I have been known by for more than sixty years: “Boet”.

I have received encouragement from a few people, including Phillida (to whom I wrote a long thank-you letter) and Dr. Enid Daitch. Because Enid and I grew up together and serve on the same committee, I only know her as Enid. My best friend Ralph also encouraged me. I once phoned an elderly senior member for advice, but the conversation lasted about two seconds, which made me realise I am very much a junior member. I also contacted Enid, whose son Richard wrote a book about Sammy Marks.

(Note to Howard: This is a private note to you and is not intended for publication. However, if you wish to incorporate any of these facts, it is up to you. Thank you for the honour of requesting me to record my early memories of Old Parow. I must mention that I take after my late father and my grandfather, who joined the Wellington Town Guard on his own conditions: he agreed to attend Saturday afternoon drills, but flatly refused to wear a uniform, and they had to accept it. Like my late father, I am completely non-political and respect people of all religions. When I welcomed my own Minister back from holiday, he told me he knows me well enough to record my brushes with the late Ds. A.E. van Niekerk. He advised me that history is history and that I should record it exactly as I remember it.)

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The Founding of Parow and Street Names

• The Founder: The founder of the town was Captain Johann Heinrich Ferdinand Parow. I believe his surname should correctly be pronounced “Parauw”. He was a Prussian whose schooner, the Kehrwieder, was stranded in Table Bay during a storm in 1865.
• Marriage and Family: He married a local woman named Johanna Wilhelmina Timmerman. I heard from old men that he married a second time to a lady who was not accepted, but this has never been confirmed and cannot be recorded as historical fact. He had no children. There is a possibility he had a brother—presumably an ex-sea captain—who settled in Maitland, as there is a Parow Road near the Epol factory there.
• The Consolidation of Parow: Long before my time, the area consisted of Glen Lily, Fairfield, and Parow. The influx of people moving from Woodstock, Salt River, and Observatory was so rapid that a “Dorpshuis” was formed in 1925. The management board for the three original areas decided to consolidate them under the name “Parow” in honour of the founder. This official beginning of Parow took place on December 15, 1903.
• Street Names: From the facts supplied to me, I ascertained what happened to Timmerman Straat, named after Captain Parow’s wife. Timmerman Straat was later removed and renamed. In fact, quite a few streets were renamed during the 1938 Voortrekkerfees celebrations. Like in many other towns, the road leading to the church was renamed Sarel Cilliers Straat. The Main Road became Voortrekkerstraat, and Parow Road was renamed Piet Retief Street before eventually reverting to Parow Street, which is where I grew up.

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Personal Memories, Family, and Collections

• Early Utilities: For instance, I recall that we used candles and a wood-fuelled copper geyser; I recently saw one just like it in a country museum. I can vaguely remember my father taking us by car to Bloubergstrand at low tide, driving along the beach before roads were built. I am indebted to Mr. J. Victor, the Deputy Town Clerk, for supplying me with dates regarding when electricity and flush sanitation were installed.
• My Father: While searching for things to confirm my memories, I found a lengthy press cutting about my late father, who passed away 23 years ago. I knew he wore two bronze medals, one gold medal, and one silver medal, which I have since inherited. I also knew he went on a hunting expedition to the Soutpansberg mountains in 1926. Because he rarely spoke about himself, I learned for the first time from the article that he was actually the organiser of that expedition and held the rank of lieutenant at the time.
• Collections: I am a man of many interests, though unfortunately a master of none. I own quite a few Africana books and a modest collection of banknotes valued at approximately R3000. I also have a small collection of coins that circulated in the “Tavern of the Seas,” including VOC money, which is worth a few rand.
• Historical Interests: I am particularly interested in the history of slaves in South Africa, provided the subject is handled objectively. I possess an original deed of sale (handmade on parchment and printed on a flatbed press) registering a transfer at the Slave Registry Office in Stellenbosch in 1831. It is fascinating that although the British took over the Cape in the early 1800s, the Cape Dutch equivalent of the rixdollar (then equivalent to 1/6) was still reflected on this document for duty purposes. Because I own a book referencing slaves and have become somewhat politically aware, I trust that any talks on this subject will be handled carefully.
• Historical Talks: Once, I attended a talk titled “Little Known Facts About Paarl” that I was very interested in. However, after listening to a presentation on the Black Sash and referencing their documents, I told my wife I was leaving. As we got up, the lady next to my wife said, “I don’t blame you”. I would much rather listen to research regarding a story I heard over 40 years ago: that there is a treadmill in the old Breakwater Prison on Portswood Road (at the Waterfront), which was recently used to house native migrant workers who were possibly employed as stevedores (dockworkers who load and unload ships).
• Word Origins: I ascertained from a top authority in the country who published a book on Muslims that the correct spelling of a specific term is Tieka. Furthermore, I confirmed that there are two versions of how the term “Tickey” came into being. It is a well-known fact that the word “Tickey” was only used in this country, and it is derived from a Malay word meaning “three”. For decades, I was under the false impression that it was spelled Tiga.

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Schooling in Old Parow

My father accepted a teaching appointment at Parow Primary School when we settled there in 1927. He bought a house at 122 Parow Road (Note: See road name changes above as it is now Parow Street) when I was two years old. In 1937, he built a new house on the empty plot next door (number 124) using master builder Piet Yuesen. I recently took photos of these houses.

There were only three schools in my day, and I attended all of them. All the children went to school barefoot.

1. Parow Preparatory School: Located on 2nd Avenue, this was known during my time as “Miss Botha’s School” after the principal. I started Sub A there, and the building is still standing.
2. Parow Primary School: Located on Alexandria Road, this school opened in 1935. My principal was H.T.B. (Abie) de Villiers.
3. Parow District High School: This school was located in Tiervlei (later renamed Parow Valley). Its first principal was Mr. Whiteford, who served for a few months when it was known as Parow Secondary School. He was succeeded by Mr. J.J. du Preez, who served from 1931 to 1953. The school was later renamed J.J. du Preez High School after he left. It was here that I wore my first pair of shoes when I started High School in Standard 7 (not Standard 6, as it is now). My name still appears in big gold letters in the assembly hall for passing my Matric class in 1942; it was no great achievement, but it is one memory I left behind. (There was also a Roman Catholic Convent school, which I did not attend.)

During the 1932 depression and drought, many farmers and their sons from further inland had to move off their farms and settle in Parow. It was not unusual to see farm children much older than me in my class, trying to catch up on their education. Many children born in Old Parow who went to school with me went on to be very successful, such as Hannes Louw, who served twice as the mayor of Parow.

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Community, Daily Life, and Shops

• The Community: Parow was predominantly an Afrikaans community with a sprinkling of English speakers, like Harold Clarke, who built the gravel roads in the area. There were also many shops belonging to the Jewish community, including three on Station Road. I never recall any friction between different nationalities or religions, even during the war years.
• The War Years: During the war, the Ossewabrandwag (pro-German) and the Greyshirts (pro-pacifist) each had an office on the main road. We were given stamp-sized stickers that read, “Don’t talk about ships or shipping” and “There is a snake in the grass”. Those who overstepped the mark were sent to the internment camp in Koffiefontein. Fortunately, no one in Parow had this problem. Old Parow remained a very quiet place, though we weren’t allowed to listen to certain broadcasts or sift meal to make white bread (although most people did anyway). I still have the petrol coupons that were issued to me during that time.
• Shopping: As a very small child, I used to shop for my mother. I would buy produce, such as sugar, which was weighed, cut, and packed into paper bags called kadoes from Sam and Bella Mellar on Station Road. In those days, a shop felt less like a strict business; we often received a pasella (a free gift), like a sweet, when shopping.
• Historic Businesses: I looked into the names and surnames of people recorded by the late Mrs. A.R. Faull in an article for the 75-year anniversary of Parow Primary School (1903–1978). Because I knew these people well, I spotted that her records were incorrect. I affectionately knew her as Annie Faull; she and her husband, Charles A. Faull, ran the only chemist shop during my time. Even today, there are shops I remember perfectly, such as Frick’s Sewing Machines. It was opened in 1937/1938 by Adriaan Theunis (or Martinus) Frick. After he passed away in 1938, his eldest son took over. The firm is still in the same building—dating back to 1910 or 1916—and is still run by the same family. This is the only building on the Main Road that has not been changed.
• Historic Architecture: I recently took a picture of the Frick’s building, along with some pictures of corrugated zinc houses. I remember these zinc houses from my youth and was surprised to locate one on Wrench Road and another four just north of C.A. Faull’s Pharmacy. They are beautifully maintained, and since the Parow municipality is considering starting a museum, I would personally love to see at least one preserved for future generations. I am donating something towards this cause.
• Hotels and Tokens: There were two hotels during my youth. The Parow Hotel, built in 1902, has now been demolished, leaving only the Central Hotel. I have a rare 2d brass token issued in 1940 by the Parow Hotel’s later owner, Mr. S. Selzer. It was used exclusively for empty bottle returns. Mr. Selzer passed away in 1951 or 1952. I also have a 2d token that was overstamped with a “3d” punch, which is even more uncommon. A member of the numismatic society told me that anyone could overstamp a token, but I phoned Dr. Frank Mitchell—a top authority on South African coins, tokens, and medals—and he confirmed its legitimacy. Dr. G.T.T. Theron even recorded this exact token in his article “Tokens of Southern African History” (Page 22, No. C26).

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Geography and Landmarks of Old Parow

• Roads: I was curious about when the main road—the only road to the north—was tarred and by whom. The municipality could not help me, but I traced the information through a friend whose father was involved in the project. The last road to Old Parow on the Cape Town side was Malherbe Street, where Mayor Hannes Louw grew up. This road no longer exists, having been superseded by a four-lane highway (possibly Giel Basson Drive).
• The Mop: Beyond Malherbe Street, towards Cape Town, was a large flat area known as “The Mop,” where I used to play. It is now an industrial area. A late friend related to me that the steam train from Cape Town used to unload its refuse at Elsieshalt, from where animal-drawn vehicles transported it to The Mop. As youngsters, we used to dig up old bottles there, and I still have some of them today.
• The Moederkerk: Finally, I attended the Moederkerk in Parow, which was consecrated on Sunday, May 24, 1931. I even remember when the great lion statue was placed inside the church itself, which was a very controversial subject at the time.