Page 9 - Landscape SA 105

HERITAGE MONTH FEATURE

Historic landscape: Tweedside, the home of James Logan,
creator of Matjiesfontein, Western Cape
Bruce Eitzen, Landscape Architect
And what is landscape heritage? Is that the core of European landscape planning
an historic park or monument, a botanical and policy. A South African Landscape
garden, a mountain range or a cultural Convention is similarly required. • To promote the concept of landscape
village, a farming region like the Overberg in Southern Africa in its own right as
or a coastal zone? He recently made brief presentations
to the Association of Professional a natural, cultural and/or designed
phenomenon;
All of these are part of our landscape Heritage Practitioners and ILASA Cape • To record and map our landscapes’
heritage and all levels of landscape from to introduce the concept, but further natural and cultural character, noting
the big picture of regional landscapes presentations will need to take place. He regions and places, people and
like the Namib Desert, the Karoo, the will also present it to other organisations
Drakensburg–Maluti Mountains, even the as well as government, in order to bring organisations, practices and features of
landscape interest and value.
names in their various languages, are part in professionals from these two sectors
of that landscape heritage. Landscape and to develop an African-based model A steering committee has already been
features like mountains, rivers, coasts, for the continent. established and early meetings are
forests, fynbos, grassland, waterfalls,
gorges, sand dunes, wetlands and others At the above presentation, the following underway, but there is scope for more
participation from within the planning
are our landscape heritage – regardless key messages were given: community as a wide range of skills and
of whether they occur in the landscape, knowledge is required to bring its many
seascape or airscape. Overview of LHSA key projects to fruition at a national,
regional, provincial and local level. LSA
Landscape is not just what landscape The creation of an organisation for the
architects design. It encompasses conservation, promotion and appreciation Anyone interested in becoming involved
everything from the vast natural of Southern African landscapes – natural, in LHSA is welcome to contact Bruce Eitzen
landscapes and features to the cultural cultural, designed or developed. on 021-782-8890 or 082-222-2113.
landscapes of traditional African
settlements, historic and contemporary Goals of LHSA Email: neworld@telkomsa.net
urban areas, townships, farming districts,
private gardens, parks and public open • To develop an organisation devoted to
spaces, sports arenas, mines, lakes and the furtherance and understanding of Text and photos supplied by
dams, coasts, cliffs, golf courses and the natural and cultural landscape of Bruce Eitzen
retirement settlements. Southern Africa;
Obviously, the vast scope of the landscape
requires a comprehensive approach to its Agricultural landscape: The scenic mountains and farms of the Overberg,
planning and management, which to date Western Cape
is scattered amongst so many different
authorities and controls, and is being
steadily eroded by human land use and
exploitation. There is an urgent need to
inventorise, classify and map our greatest
national heritage asset of all, the landscape.

Eitzen believes that South Africa can
and should adopt the approach of the
Landscape Charter, also known as the
Florence Convention of 2012, which took
place on the 40th anniversary of the
World Heritage Convention of UNESCO
(United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation). Today, the
European Landscape Convention is at

Landscape SA • Issue 105 2021 7