Page 363 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

SOUTH OF THE OR ANGE  361

to its western bank, and passes
an old water mill that was built
in 1860 by the owner of the
original farm, Uitkyk. The first
water wheel was made of wood,
but was later replaced with the
existing steel wheel.
The peaceful village has
attracted much artistic talent,
including one of South Africa’s
leading play wrights, Athol
Fugard, who achieved world
acclaim for his thought-
provoking plays such as Master
Harold and the Boys (see p252).
The backyard of the Owl House is populated with many strange figures
E The Owl House
4 Nieu Bethesda fertile valley in the arid terrain River St. Open 9am–5pm daily.
reminded him of the Pool of Tel 049 841 1603. &
Road map C4. 50 km (31 miles) Bethesda (John 5:2), and so he ∑ theowlhouse.co.za
N of Graaff-Reinet. * 1,550.
n Martin St, 049 841 1642. named the town after it. The Owl House is considered
∑ nieu-bethesda.com In 1875 he acquired a farm in one of South Africa’s top 50
the valley and by 1905 the heritage sites. Its garden is
The turn-off to this village lies church (now in Parsonage cluttered with an intriguing
on the N9, 27 km (17 miles) Street) was completed. It cost assembly of concrete statues:
north of Graaff-Reinet. From £5,600 to build, but at the time owls, sheep, camels, people,
there, a good dirt road traverses of its consecration two- sphinxes and religious
the Voor Sneeuberg (“in front thirds of the amount was symbols, created over
of snow mountain”) and leads still outstanding. To raise more than 30 years by
to Nieu Bethesda. funds, arable church land Helen Martins and her
The Kompasberg (Compass was divided into plots assistant, Koos Malgas.
Peak), at 2,502 m (8,131 ft), is and sold at a public The walls, doors and
the highest point in the Sneeu- auction. The debt was ceilings of the house are
berg range. It received its finally settled in 1929. decorated with finely
name in 1778 when Cape Today, Martin Street, ground coloured glass.
Governor Baron van Plettenberg, the quaint main road, is Mirrors reflect the light
accom panied by Colonel Jacob lined with pear trees, Owl statue from candles and lamps.
Gordon, visited the mountain and many of the Her work, unusual in its
and noted that the surround ing bordering properties are framed quantity and range of subject,
countryside could be surveyed by quince hedges. Irri gated has been classified as “Outsider
from its summit. fields and golden poplar trees Art” (art that falls outside the
Nieu Bethesda was founded complement and soften the artistic mainstream as a result
by Reverend Charles Murray, rugged Karoo mountains, which of isolation or insanity) and
minister of the Dutch Reformed create a bold contrast. Pienaar “Naive” (an expression of
Church in Graaff-Reinet. The Street crosses over the Gat River innocence and fantasy).

Helen Martins (1897–1976)
Born in Nieu Bethesda on 23 December 1897, Helen
left home to study at a teachers’ training college in
Graaff-Reinet, and later married a young diplomat.
The relationship did not last. Neither did a second
marriage, and Helen returned home to nurse
her irascible, elderly father. After his death, the
naturally retiring woman retreated increasingly
into her own fantasy world, and began to populate
her garden with bizarre figures, an expression
of her personal, mythical universe. In later years
her eyesight began to fail due to having worked
with ground glass over a long period of time.
In August 1976, aged 78, she committed suicide
by drinking a lethal dose of caustic soda.
As an artist she remains an enigma. The bedroom with its “wallpaper” of ground glass

360-361_EW_South_Africa.indd 361 25/05/17 2:48 pm