Published: 2015-05-02 Views: 1542
HOEV: OPNAME VAN BESIENSWAARDIGHEDE Nr 015
HEHA: SURVEY OF HERITAGE SITES No 015
“UITEINDELIK”: WAGNER- SCHOEMANHUIS
GPS data:X 27.51.43 Y –25.46.28
PAD: P 31-1 in noordelike rigting oor nek by Leeuspruit, draai na regs in rigting Oberon, 1km verder is die huis links
HIERDIE GEBOU IS GESLOOP!
Die huis in 2003 vanaf Noord gesien. Na die noordekant het die huis ‘n pragtige uitsig op die Dam. Hier is breë trappe en terrasse asook tennisbane aangelê.
The house in 2003 seen from North. On this side there is a beautiful view to the Dam. Wide steps and terraces were laid out to make the best of this view.
Nadat Genl. Hendrik Schoeman in 1901 deur ‘n ontploffing in sy huis in Pretoria noodlottig verongeluk het en na die einde van die Anglo-Boereoorlog in 1902, het die weduwee en kinders weer na die plaas, Schoemansrust (kyk 082) teruggegaan. Hierdie plaas is nie net deur die Britte afgebrand, maar die mure van die huis is selfs met dinamiet opgeblaas. Die gesin moes dus van voor af alles opbou. Daarby was daar deur die generaal se dambouprojek (048) ‘n swaar skuldlas op die erfplaas.
Die oudste dogter was met ene Riekert getroud. As oudste van die “kinders” is daar eerste na hom opgesien om die boerdery weer aan die gang te kry. Dit het egter nie gewerk nie en die plaas moes op ‘n bankrotskapveiling verkoop word.
Johan Schoeman, die tweede oudste seun, was toe 17 jaar oud en op skool in Pretoria. Met ‘n besigheidsplan wat hy uitgewerk het waarin hy die plaas wou verdeel en vir elk van die kinders ‘n deel toegestaan het terwyl hy self op die watergronde sou boer, het hy na T W Beckett gegaan om £10 000-00 te leen. Beckett het hom nie geken nie maar op grond van Johan se goed voorbereide plan en oortuigende voorstelling die bedrag aan hom geleen sonder enige waarborge. Johan het sy plan in werking gestel en deur harde werk die skuld afbetaal, sy broers en susters ‘n deel gegee en sommiges selfs nog op sy koste laat studeer!
Die besigheidsplan het ook behels dat hy alle grond ten weste van die Krokodilrivier sou verkoop om werkskapitaal te bekom. Sy hoof koper was ene Tom Nefdt wat op Klipdrif (016) saam met sy vrou en dogter, Nettie, gewoon het. Tom Nefdt was sieklik en het maar met sy boerdery ‘n bietjie gesukkel. Johan het dan dikwels in die aande, nadat hy sy werk op die oostekant van die rivier afgehandel het, per perd na die Nefdts gery en daar met raad en daad gehelp. Die jonge dogter was egter ook ‘n aantrekking vir die flukse boertjie anderkant die rivier en gou het ‘n romanse ontstaan wat uiteindelik by ouersvra uitgeloop het. Hier het dit egter geëindig moontlik omdat Tom Nefdt dit as ‘n te maklike manier gesien het om die verkoopte grond weer terug te kry. Die verskoning wat hy aangebied het was dat die dogter nog te jonk was en ‘n geleentheid moes kry om ander jong mans, veral sulkes met ‘n bietjie meer geleerdheid (Johan het maar net tot standerd drie gevorder) te leer ken. Sy is Pretoria-toe gestuur en Johan het verbitterd en met ‘n wrok teenoor almal met “geleerdheid” na sy plaas teruggegaan en verwoed verder geboer.
Nettie is met ‘n dr Wagner getroud wat op ‘n deel van Nefdt se plaas vir hulle die onderhawige huis gebou het. Hy was egter nie ‘n boer en ook Nefdt se seun, Nettie se broer, het op die plaas net verliese gely. Schoeman se boerdery was egter so suksesvol dat hy mettertyd al die grond op die westekant van die Hartbeespoortdam (wat intussen daar gebou is) teruggekoop het. Ten laaste het hy ook in 1952 die deel met die Wagner-huis gekoop en daar gaan woon nadat hy dit “Uiteindelik” hernoem het.
Die huis is ongelukkig om en by 2005 gesloop.
“UITEINDELIK”: WAGNER- SCHOEMAN HOUSE
GPS data: X 27.51.43 Y –25.46.28
ROAD: P31-1 in northern direction over neck at Leeu spruit, turn off right to Oberon, 1km further, the house is at left.
THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED!
In 1901 General Hendrik Schoeman died after a bomb explosion in his home in Pretoria. 1902 saw the end of the Anglo-Boer War and the surviving Boers returned to their farms or what was left after the British army had done their looting and burning. The widow Schoeman returned with her children to Schoemansrust (see 082) at the Crocodile River and found not only the farm ruined and roofs of buildings burnt, but in this case the walls were even blasted with dynamite.
The eldest daughter was married to a certain Riekert who had no luck with his efforts to save the farm from a liquidation sale. Johan Schoeman, the second oldest son, at that time 17 years old, was at school in Pretoria. He worked out a business plan in which all his brothers and sisters would get a share of the farm and he would use the irrigation land to work off the dept. With this plan he went to a Mr. T W Beckett, asking for a loan of £10 000-00. Beckett was so impressed by the insight and initiative of this unknown youngster that he decided to borrow him this enormous amount without any guarantee. Johan set his plan in action and eventually gave every one his or her share and even set money aside to send two of his brothers to university!
Part of his plan was to sell all the farmland west of the river (and later the Hartbeespoortdam) for working capital. His main buyer was a Mr. Tom Nefdt who lived with his wife and daughter, Nettie, on the farm Klipdrift (016). Tom Nefdt suffered from bad health and so Johan, after completing his day task east of the river, often rode on horseback to the Nefts to assist the old man and …..to talk to Nettie. They duly fell in love and one day Johan proposed to her or rather, as it was custom those days, to her parents. Probably the old man saw this as an too easy way to regain all the sold property. In any case he suggested to Johan that Nettie was still too young and should be given the opportunity to meet other young men, possibly more learned ones. Johan had only standard three behind his name. So she was sent to Pretoria where she met a dr. Wagner with whom she was married. They built a house on the Nefdt farm with a breathtaking view over the dam. But neither Wagner nor Nefdt’s son, Nettie’s brother, were successful farmers.
Johan returned to the eastern side and his farming went even better, so much so that he could buy back all the land on the western side till at last he even got the house of the Wagners in 1952. He moved in and renamed the place “Uiteindelik” (“At Last”). Round about 2005 this house has unfortunately been demolished.
Die huis bestaan uit twee dele met ‘n oop ingangsportaal tussenin. Daar was in Schoeman se tyd ook ‘n tweede verdieping met ‘n grasdak. Dit het later afgebrand.
The house was built in two sections with an open entrance court in between. In the time of Schoeman there was a second floor with a thatched roof, which burnt down at a later stage.