A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

THE

GRAIN AND OILSEED INDUSTRY

OF SOUTH AFRICA – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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like the Hopefield and Donkerhoek Halls were constructed. An airfield was built, as

well as ablution facilities at the caravan park. A cattle complex followed in 1978.

As far as refreshments were concerned, no one other than the Harvest Day Committee

was allowed to bring any refreshments to the grounds. A strong volunteer group was

therefore essential. The slaughtering of sheep and cattle and the processing of the

meat was a huge activity in the week before the Harvest Day. During the Harvest Day

volunteers were employed to braai the meat and prepare the salads. These volunteers

were made up of producer members, members of their families, as well as people

from the community.

WHAT IS HIDING UNDER

THE BLACK CLOTH?

IN THE BEGINNING

THERE WERE PROBLEMS

AS MANY OF THE

MANUFACTURERS DID

NOT WANT TO BE PART

OF THE HARVEST DAY.

HANNES VAN WYK

REMEMBERS ONE OF THE

TRACTOR COMPANIES

WHO OBSTINATELY

REFUSED TO TAKE PART

IN THE HARVEST DAY. THE

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

THEN TOOK ONE OF THAT

COMPANY’S TRACTORS

AND PARKED IT IN THE

MIDDLE OF THE GROUNDS,

COVERING IT WITH A PIECE

OF BLACK CLOTH. THIS

NATURALLY ATTRACTED

A LOT OF ATTENTION. IT

WAS APPARENTLY THE

LAST TIME THAT THIS

COMPANY WAS NOT PART

OF THE HARVEST DAY.

Since 1974 a ladies’ programme was presented. This included speakers, demon-

strations and a fashion show.

Dennis von Abo, Harvest Day Director 1976 - 1987

Thanks to a marketing career in the mechanisation industry Mr Dennis von Abo was

instrumental in establishing a sound base for exhibitors of tools and implements at

the Harvest Day. Under his management the Harvest Day developed from its humble

beginnings in 1974 to a fully-fledged agricultural show.

In 1977 the first foreign participation in tractor and implement demonstrations was

recorded when a manufacturer from the former Rhodesia took part. Demonstrations

were held on four sites, which enabled Harvest Day goers to visit the full series of

demonstrations at set times.

The 1982 Harvest Day can be regarded as a milestone year, as various completed

permanent buildings on the grounds were used for the first time, among which the

NAMPO/Shell information centre. The Harvest Day offices were housed there, as

well as a lounge and pub area for important guests. According to Dennis, he could

negotiate with Mr Church van Niekerk from Shell to obtain Cape Dutch yellowwood

tables and riempie chairs, as well as a built-in solid wood bar counter as a donation.

Other completed buildings that were completed in 1982 were:

• NAMPO Museum (sponsored by Mobil)

• Malcomess Building

• Ford Training Centre

• Bayer SA Building

• Vetsak Building

• International Harvester Building

• Natuurgroei Building

• Spartan Cages Building

• Rietvlei Hall (later converted into the Club 200 Restaurant and currently the

Grain SA Members’ Hall)

As far as demonstrations were concerned, the first day was dedicated to stationary

exhibitions. On the second and third days a large-scale demonstration of imple-

ments took place, with the stationary exhibits still there for inspection. Since

1983 the demonstrations were presented in different categories to enable the

HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT ALL WORK AND NO PLAY…

•

Die Landman

(predecessor of the

SA Graan/Grain

magazine) of April

1974 reported as follows: There is red-hot entertainment in the evenings.

This includes a variety concert, a cabaret and a Harvest Day Ball.

• Hannes van Wyk told

Mielies/Maize

in April 1989 that after the earliest

Harvest Days came to an end the dancing continued in a tent until dawn

and there was so much merrymaking that even the tent nearly bit the

dust in the process.

Mr Dennis von Abo