Descendants of the Drift at exclusive book launch
Paging through the book brought back many memories for the families, in some cases stirring emotional responses ranging from tears to laughter.
Descendants of the original farming families from the Muldersdrift district were recently invited to a private launch of the book entitled The History of Mulder’s Drift 1850–2015.
The event was held at the well-known Misty Hills Hotel which is owned by Adelle and Rob Forsyth, both keen historians.
The book records the passage through time of this picturesque farming area that has become the tourism capital of Gauteng and incorporates the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Readers are taken from the early beginnings of bare veld and farming to the modern area it is today, with an international airport, 5-star hotels, a shopping mall and housing estates.
What makes the book special is the inclusion of the families and residents of the time, bringing the spirit of the district to life with the characters who worked and lived there.
Descendants of the original families, who all assisted in providing the author with photographs and information, were invited to a private book launch in the Gin Box at Misty Hills. A cake, donated by a local resident, Carol Gaebler, depicted the passage through time for the area that has just turned 150 years old (older than both Johannesburg and Krugersdorp) and the original Mulder family Bible was on display, causing a stir among the many Mulder family members who had never had the opportunity to see this important part of their family history.
Paging through the book brought back many memories for the families, in some cases stirring emotional responses ranging from tears to laughter. Some folks who grew up in Muldersdrift met again for the first time in over 40 years, and children met distant cousins and family who had lost contact over the years.
Families, including members of the Koekemoers, Mulders and Tuohys and some long-standing members of the community, such as Hans and Carina Beker who have lived in Muldersdrift for over 45 years gathered to reunite and celebrate the publication of the book..
“The book is the first of its kind for Muldersdrift and is a great record of its passage through time. We are honoured to have our family’s history recorded in this way for future generations.” said Wynand Mulder, spokesman for their family.
Charles Koekemoer, whose family is featured throughout, having arrived in the area in the 1840s, said, “We, from the Koekemoer family, are thrilled to see Muldersdrift commemorated in this way – the pictures and information are a great record and the book is a must-have for both our families and anyone who lives or has lived in the district.”
The book is presented as an A4 hard-cover coffee-table book. It covers everything from the claiming and purchasing of land in the 1850s, gold discoveries, and the Boer War to the development that has made Muldersdrift a very sought-after area to live in and visit today.
The book is on sale to the public at various retail outlets in and around Muldersdrift, including the Warehouse Coffee Shop, Spar, Honeydew Books, Laerskool Muldersdrif, Vineyard School and (from 1 December) at Crafters Market in Cradlestone Mall.
For further information on the book, you can contact the author, Shenan Cochrane, on 083 510 4745.
More about Muldersdrift:
Muldersdrift commemorated in print
Bright future for 150-year-old town
