Diary

Regular contributor Arthur Gammage has a question about an elusive mural which may have been in Eagle Building at one stage. He wrote:

Hello Allan
I have completed an article on the work of John Churchill Simpson, architect and artist, which I have submitted to the KZN Architecture Journal, possibly for publication next year.
According to artefacts.co.za, Simpson while working for Geoffrey le Sueur, completed a decorative mural in 1968 for the SA Eagle building, which also contains Murchie’s Passage. This is said to have been a turning point in his career, whereafter he devoted himself to drawing and painting, becoming known especially for his paintings for the Adams Bookshop calendars.
However this mural remains elusive, no evidence thereof in or on the building, where G. le Sueur and partners had offices on the 23rd floor by 1972. A building plan search also found no reference to the feature.
So once again I look to your readers for any leads.
Regards
Arthur Gammage

Please contact me at the address on the contact page if you can help.

John Austin-Williams has written in with a query about his dad Bob Mara. He wrote:

My dad, Robert “Bob” Mara, was involved with the shark nets in Durban in the early 1960s. He ran the Durban Shark Meshing boat Sea Hound.

His brother, Joe Mara, wrote A FISHERMAN’S TALE: Fifty Years of Angling Along the Natal Coast Edited by Dave Rorke published by Angler Publications May 1986. 92 Pages. I am just hoping to find out more about the subject and if anyone is still alive that Remembers Bob Mara (he died in July 1967 aged 54) and his brother Joe Mara. (not sure when Joe died).

Any help/leads will be appreciated please.

 

Martin Prange of the City Architect’s Department hopes some kind reader can help. He writes:

Was wondering if you could possibly shed some light on the two field cannons that are located outside of the City hall on the Church Street side.
We have a project looking at the city hall surrounds and we noted the two cannons are in need of some restoration – the challenge at the moment is to find out which department owns them and whether they have any funding for a restoration as the one is missing a wheel and the other a wheel is starting to break up.
If you have any info – I would appreciate some feedback

Ian Hart has written in to ask for our help. He writes:

“I am researching the activities of a Swedish man, Charles O. Johnson, who became one half of the firm Irvin & Johnson, Cape Town. Johnson started whaling from the Durban/Natal area in 1912, and soon after took an interest in The Shepstone Whaling & Fishing Co. which was apparently started by a group of Norwegians from Port Shepstone. I am trying to find out where the Shepstone company’s whaling station was located and hope you can help. There is one report that Johnson started at The Bluff, Durban, but may have moved on to Port Shepstone.”