Recipients of the 2021 Simon van der Stel awards

Dr. Judy Maguire (far left) presenting the Simon van der Stel medal to Dr. Antonia Malan (second from left). Ian Pretorius (second from right) presenting the Simon van der Stel medal to John Rennie (far right). 

The Simon van der Stel awards are the country’s premier heritage awards for conservation work and have been in existence since 1969. The awards acknowledge outstanding conservation efforts across South Africa as judged by the Council of HASA. The awards are shortlisted from nominations received from HASA associates and the general public.

Coinciding with the annual Heritage Symposium, the recipients of the 2021 Simon van der Stel awards were announced at a dinner held in Swellendam last month.

The Simon van der Stel gold medals were presented to Dr Antonia Malan and Mr John Rennie and a certificate of merit was presented in absentia to Ms Sarah Welham.

Dr Antonia Malan (Simon van der Stel Medal)

Dr Malan is a Research Associate in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She graduated from UCT in 1976 with majors in anthropology and archaeology and returned to discover historical archaeology in 1985, completing a PhD in 1993 (‘Households of the Cape, 1750 to 1850: Inventories and the Archaeological Record’).

Her research focus has been household inventories of the 18th and 19th century Cape Colony, leading to a deep interest in vernacular architecture and the spatial development of Cape Town and its hinterland.

For 20 years, Dr Malan also championed the Historical Archaeology Research Group based at UCT. Together with Jane Klose, she prepared guides for identifying and analysing ceramics from Cape sites and taught courses to students and the general public. She also directed a significant transcription project capturing archival papers from the VOC period and the first decades of British rule at the Cape, in collaboration with the national archives of the Netherlands.

Dr Malan has given her time unstintingly to various heritage causes. She has served as a trustee of Cape Town Heritage Trust, has chaired the Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa (VASSA), edits the VASSA Journal and between 2016 and 2020 served as Chairperson of the Council of Heritage Western Cape.

Dr. Malan is awarded the Simon van der Stel medal in recognition of her sustained and valuable contribution towards the conservation of heritage, particularly in the Western and Northern Cape and the generous personal time she has volunteered to the furtherance of this cause over many years. She has always proved to be accessible and helpful to all who had heritage-related problems and her work in support of heritage as a volunteer committee member, editor, organiser, field worker, and advisor has done much to record, publicise and preserve the vulnerable and little known historical archaeology and rural architecture of these provinces. Her work has extended well beyond the requirements of her professional calling, particularly in enthusing and educating a wider non-professional community.

John Rennie (Simon van der Stel Medal)

After graduation in 1966, John Rennie started his career at the offices of Gawie Fagan where he stayed for 4 years. He then joined the firm of Revel Fox. In 1973 – 74 John interrupted his time at Revel Fox and moved to York in the United Kingdom with his family to attend full-time postgraduate courses. He is the first South African to gain the University of York Conservation Studies Diploma.

In 1982 John founded his own firm. He was also involved in different partnerships over the years and ended his career at his firm Rennie Scurr Adendorff.

The first major conservation project that steered John into the world of conservation architecture, was the Tuynhuys project.

John was a senior lecturer at UCT’s School of Architecture until the early 1990’s when his practice demanded his full devotion.

Notable conservation projects that John worked on include:

• Vernacular farmsteads such as Ode Schuur (Nuy), Ronderberg (Darling), Stettyn (Worcester) and Kanetvlei (Hex River)
• Cape Town Central Library in the Drill Hall & Conservation Report for Cape Town City Hall
• Cathedral of St Michael & St George in Grahamstown/Makhanda
• Centre for the Book
• Vergelegen
• Ruth Prowse Art School, Woodstock
• St Marks’ Church, District Six
• Granite Lodge, Harrington Street, Cape Town
• His own late Victorian house in Gardens, Cape Town

Significantly, in 1978 John compiled the 1978 Cape Institute of Architects Buildings of Central Cape Town survey volumes as well as the Old Wynberg Village Catalogue of Buildings.

Rennie Scurr Adendorff continues the ethos established by John Rennie specialising in the field of conservation of historical buildings and precincts. The practice has been awarded 9 Institute of Architecture Awards and many of their projects have been published.

Gawie Fagan said that John has a strict sense of responsibility and a continual strive for perfection.

In addition to continually building up a body of solid work, a large part of John’s legacy is achieved through the transfer of knowledge via the many young practitioners that worked in his firm.

Among others, John is past Chairman of the Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa and past board member of the Cape Town Heritage Trust. For some years he was also a member of the Simon van der Stel Foundation.

For his outstanding contribution to the conservation, protection and restoration of heritage buildings and for furthering of knowledge in the field of heritage studies and conservation, John is presented with a Simon van der Stel Medal.

Sarah Welham (Certificate of Merit)

Sarah Welham founded the Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries project as an offshoot of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation in 2017. The project received recognition and enjoys the support of the City of Johannesburg Department of Parks, Zoo and Cemeteries.

The objective of the Friends is to facilitate, promote and engage in the restoration of a range of old Johannesburg cemeteries such as Braamfontein and Brixton. Often families have died out or migrated and graves are neglected. Under the leadership of Sarah Welham, a group of volunteer enthusiasts form work parties to clean graves, raise and restore fallen tombstones, and garden clearing overgrown ivy to reveal the details of a family or individual plot.

The work team has now grown to 50 people and the number of engaged people increases each month.

This project has been in operation for four years.

The work of Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries links to the genealogical research conducted by Sarah Welham at the Resource Centre of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation. Sarah maintains a database of family genealogical information and has gathered a collection of photographs of significant Johannesburg graves of the city’s great and good.

Her work has recently attracted the attention and support of the Johannesburg City Ombudsman. Sarah and her team have also drawn the City’s attention to the plight of vagrants and homeless people who live among the graves in the cemeteries and efforts are afoot to address these social issues.

Sarah’s initiative and work ethic has been a model and inspiration for many.

For her valuable contribution to the conservation, protection and restoration of heritage buildings, objects and sites in Johannesburg, Sarah is awarded a Certificate of Merit.