ABANDONED PLACES: Where did DNC’s greens go to?
The mine ceased production activities in 2000. At present, the area of the mine property is being rehabilitated and is being managed by the local municipality.
The Courier has started a series called Abandoned Places – a nostalgic look back into landmarks in the area which, sadly, have fallen into neglect through either a simple ‘don’t care attitude’ or were sacrificed on the altar of so-called development.
These landmarks were once inhabited by hardworking locals who helped carve Northern KZN into what it once was. If you have any memories of any of the places highlighted in this feature please feel free to send your comments to dundee.courier@caxton.co.za and share your memories with readers.
This week we look at the Durnacol Bowling Club.
Once the smooth, silk-like greens reverberated to the sound of bowling woods hitting against each other as the bowlers sought to be ‘closest to the kitty’.
Durnacol was the home of many especially immigrants from the United Kingdom who worked at the mine and who enjoyed bowls and the other social activities offered by this once thriving mine.
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[uses_iframe src=”https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m26!1m12!1m3!1d112616.35060549085!2d30.05549135663801!3d-28.108077637762293!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m11!3e0!4m5!1s0x1ef1f9925a98ec31%3A0xe4c8550a4c61feed!2sDundee!3m2!1d-28.164979199999998!2d30.2343141!4m3!3m2!1d-28.051342499999997!2d30.018697999999997!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sza!4v1530694056750″ width=”600″ height=”450″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border:0″ allowfullscreen]The mine mainly produced coking coal for the shipping industries, but later the coal was used in the smelting of iron. At the height of its activity, some 5 000 people worked at the mine. The mine ceased production activities in 2000. At present, the area of the mine property is being rehabilitated and is being managed by the local municipality. Many of the mining company’s houses have been sold to individual owners who have restored them.
Today, although a sign on the old Bowling Club clubhouse reads Durnacol Community Forum, the greens of the bowling club are no longer. These are overgrown, the fence rusty and the driveway into the club looks very shabby. One wonders where the bowlers of this once busy club are now.
