THE debate over the name “Winklespruit” and its origins is decades old, as seen in a July 1989 issue of the SUN, where Peace Barret, then one of the oldest residents in the area, provided some clarity.

Also read: News from 25 years ago in the SUN (1996)

Divided among English and Afrikaans speakers, each camp had its own version of how the name originated. Those favouring “Winkelspruit” said the name is a combination of the Afrikaans word for a store/shop, winkel, as well as “spruit”, which is a small stream in the same language. They said the name came about after salvaged goods from a wrecked ship were sold on a makeshift shop on the beach near a small stream that ran in the area, hence the name Winkelspruit.

The other version, however, contends that the names stems from “winkle” which comes from the periwinkle that was once plentiful in the area, and “spruit” (pronounced “sproot”), which dictionaries from the late 1890s said was derived from Dutch.

According to Barret, the “Winkle-sproot” version is the accurate one, as there are official records that support it. The article went on to say she had lived in Winklespruit with her parents since the area was a sparsely populated fishing village.

Local author Carol Lane also addresses the origins of the name in her book, A Meander Down Memory Lane – Echoes of the Past in Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal.

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