Page 29 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 8_2022

Travel
Out & About

Where else can you find
a rich slice of our history,

along with a hiking trail,

caravan park, picnic spots,

a charming tea house,

as well as bird walks
and Supper Talks, all in

one place, within close

proximity to home? Just
40 minutes from here, in

the Village of Irene, you

will find the SMUTS HOUSE

MUSEUM.
The Royal Family at Smuts House in 1947 hat a wonderful way

to spend a day! There
is the historic house
Witself which is full
of letters, photographs, citations,
medals, books, maps and mementoes
from three wars. There are also the
arboretum to explore, scenic walks
to take, some interesting graves to
intrigue, birds to spot, and Ouma
Isie’s Tea Garden where one can sit
beside a pomegranate tree and enjoy
their signature treat of cream scones!

THE HISTORY OF SMUTS HOUSE
Smuts House is one of the oldest
buildings in the area, having
been erected as a dwelling on the
farm Doornkloof in 1909. It was
a prefabricated structure made
in England and shipped to India
as a Mess Hall for the Army there.
It was subsequently dismantled
and shipped to Middelburg in
South Africa where General Smuts
purchased it. It was then railed to
Pretoria and delivered to the farm by
ox-wagon.
This humble home – freezing in
winter, boiling in summer – was to be
the family home until 1954. General
Smuts entertained many world
leaders there, including the British
Royal Family during their 1947 tour
of South Africa. It is interesting how
this unpretentious building strikingly
illustrates Smuts’s indifference to
luxury and ease of living.
The Museum was home to Smuts
and his family for over 40 years. It is

26 DPL issue 8 2022
8 DPL issue 5 2022 DPL issue 8 2022 27