Reflecting on the Sarel Marais Homestead

REFLECTING ON THE SAREL MARAIS HOMESTEADWHO PUT IT UP?By the early 1800s, there were 1000s of Boer husbandmans who had settled on the eastern frontier of the Cape liquidation. They became progressively dissatisfied with the British colonial Government. The Boers were displeased, among other things, with the continual intervention in their personal businesss by the compound Government, the on-going foraies on their bring abouts by the Xhosa and the long h of age(predicate) in being given(p) self-de circumstanceination ( Britz, 2012 ) .This resulted an organized out-migration of 1000s of Afrikaner frontier husbandmans and their laborers from the Crown Colony of the Cape to the northern and north-eastern sectors of southern Africa order to get away the empurpled subjugation and the accordingly colony of the country North of the Vaal River, subsequently to go the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek ( ZAR ) ( Fraser, 1986 ) . S arl Marais and his household were one the first households who s ettled in the Transvaal. Sarel bought the western ingredient of the farm Rietvlei where he constructed the household homestead ( Britz, 2012 ) .WHAT WERE THEY CONCERNED ABOUT?When emigres move themselves they have three beginnings for their edifice civilization, viz. tradition, invention and adoption. The Voortrekkers, born on African dirt, trekked from the Eastern Cape, an country with a peculiar edifice civilization, into the boondocks occupied by autochthonal pastoralists with their ain traditions. Although the Trekkers maintained trade associate with the South, the terrain was rugged and transport hard. They hence resorted in utilizing locally available stuffs wherever possible. This in bend influenced the techniques of building ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 ) .WHAT MATERIAL FACTORS INFLUENCED IT ( AVAILABILITY/PRESTIGE/ thrift ) ?The part of the Rietvlei farm where the Marais settled had ample graze, fertile dirt, plentifulness of water system and an copiousness of game. Sarel c onstructed the farm house from bricks made from clay that was found locally, on the Bankss of the Bloubosspruit, which is one of basic edifice stuffs Transvaal ( Britz, 2012 ) . The clay was prepared by wetting, kneading, ( where sludge and husk might be added ) and adding limestone. The clay mixture was so moulded and change to organize clay bricks ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 ) .The window gaps were constructed with wooden headers and were ab initio covered with a piece of cheesecloth dipped in lubricating oil to maintain out diffuse and to give a grade of privateness to the occupant. This was a consequence of the unobtainability of field glass as it broke on the journey by waggon midland from the seashore. Shutters were subsequently added when the abode became more lasting. The floor made from clay intricate with cow blood with a thin bed of cow ooze to protect it. Such a floor was besides frequently embellish with Prunus persica cavities that were laid in the wet clay is pres sed and polish with aloe juice or wax ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 ) .The roof was roofed which so as straight off was tied in packages with the grass seeds topmost. Once fixed by stitch with rawhide lashs to the laths beneath, the packages would be beaten parallel to the pitch of the roof with a dekspaan or thatching spade or jostle. This technique has later became prevailing and is known amongst many black people as Boer ( or sometimes Afrikaner ) thatching ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 ) . The thatch was supported by yellowwood beams and balks. This was an indicant that the Marais were comparatively affluent as the yellow had to be ordered and delivered from Cape Town by waggon.WHAT potpourri OF DESIGN MERIT YOU THINK IT HAS ( INNOVATION/BEAUTY/UTILITY ) ?What are of deduction about these colonies is to retrieve that prior to populating in proper homes or houses , the Trekkers lived in ox waggons that truly merely protected their most internal properties and offered privatene ss for kiping and none for life indoors. These edifices were stripped of all extravagancy reflecting the trailblazer settlers existent demands for shelter and protection ( Meiring, 1985 ) .We should non try to get wind the parking lot edifice traditions of the seminomadic and first stage innovator colonist from a modem position. Besides that these persons had a vision of a big home or house and that they pursued this vision every bit shortly as they settled on a piece of land. In many cases it is give notice that constructing a house with many suites functioning all or at least the majority of the demands of the household at one time was non a precedence. Needs were served as they arose, depending on the blessing of the male parent or patriarch of the house ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 ) .WHAT THE IMPORTANT FEATURES DOES THE Building HAVE?What can be farther deducted from the above observations is that to the innovator colonists, unfastened infinite was more of meaning than c losed infinite . Distance between activities and closed infinites were more of import than constellating and the economic linking of infinites. These spacial constructs lie at the bosom of the early common architecture in rural Transvaal ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 ) .WHAT OTHER BUILDINGS AND SYSTEMS IT RELATES TO?In the Transvaal land term of office was to follow the same system of issue as in the Cape. Every original Trekker of 16 old ages of age and older could tell apart a vacant piece of land and petition that it be surveyed and registered in his name. A fixed quitrent was so paid on every farm ( Fraser, 1986 ) . Prior to 1852 fledglings to the part were entitled to two farms one either residential or harvest farm and the other a bushveld farm for overwinter graze. Surveying of farming area besides followed the tested and trusted old Cape system. A horseback drive of halt-an-hour would be taken at a walk from a cardinal point ( normally a perennial H2O beginning where the farmst ead would be located ) in each of the four central waies. Such a farm was non to choke 3000 morgen* although larger farms could buy extra land ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 ) .* A South African unit of country ( now archaic in the Nederlands ) , equal to some two estates or 0.8 hectare. From the Dutch morgen ( forenoon ) therefore the land which could be ploughed by a span of cattle in a forenoon ( Fisher, et al. , 1998 )WHAT SORT OF CONDITION IT IS IN TODAY?The homesteads ruins can be found in the southern portion of Klipriviersberg genius Reserve.BibliographyBritz, R. , 2012.Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Assosiation. Online easy at hypertext transfer protocol //www.klipriviersberg.org.za/index.php/history-overview/sarel-marais-story Accessed 14 March 2014 .Fisher, R. , lupus erythematosus Roux, S. & A Mare , E. , 1998.Architecture of the Transvaal.Capital of south africas UNISA.Fraser, M. , 1986.Johannesburg Pioneer Journals 1888-1909.Cape Town new wave Riebeeck Society.Giliom ee, H. , 2003.The Afrikaners Biography of a People.Cape Town Tafleburg Publishers Limited.Meiring, H. , 1985.Early Johannesburg Its Buildings and its Peoples.Cape Town Human & A Rousseau.Montgomery, C. , 2013.Heritage Treasures of the South. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.heritageportal.co.za/article/heritage-treasures-south Accessed 15 March 2014 .