Heritage Symposium 2021

After the disappointment of having to cancel the annual symposium last year because ofCOVID-19, The Heritage Association of SouthAfrica is pleased to announce it will be holding its symposium from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17October 2021 in the beautiful and historic town of Swellendam. HASA will be hosted by The Swellendam Heritage Association which has been in existence for 40 years this year. The theme chosen for the symposium is titled: 'Overberg Potjie'; reflecting the various communities coming together.

Swellendam is situated in the Overberg region of the Western Cape Province and is a typical farming community type town. It is the oldest town in South Africa after Cape Town and Stellenbosch and boasts some beautifully maintained historical buildings and tree-linedstreets.

Programme highlights include:

• Town walk and visit to the iconic NG Kerk.
• Mayville House rose garden designed by Gwen Fagan.
• Schoone Oordt, a Georgian house with Victorian cast iron verandah.
• Unveiling of a blue plaque at the historic Oefeningshuis.
• Auld House, once the home of Joseph Barry.
• The VOC’s (DEIC) cattle outpost Rietvallei.
• The old mission village of Zuurbraak.
• the ruins of “Sugar Bridge” a nine spanbridge constructed in 1852.
• Railton and the Bloemfontein huisie.
• The Swellendam Showgrounds, home to the oldest, continuously held agricultural show in the country, if not the world.
• The beautiful and historic Klipperivier just outside Swellendam described by Hans Fransen as “the finest house in the Overberg”.

For more information click here.