Video
GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - There was double the occasion to bring out the champagne on Sunday 20 September when the George Heritage Trust celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Outeniqua Pass - the same day that trust chairperson Willie-John van Niekerk celebrated his 52nd birthday.
Members of the trust gathered at the foot of the historic Montagu Pass where they marked the occasion with a special banner and a glass of champagne in honour of the Outeniqua Pass, which had officially opened 75 years earlier, on 20 Sep-tember 1951.
Van Niekerk said the Outeniqua Pass is more than just a road - it forms part of George's history. "The Outeniqua Pass is a modern engineering achievement that strengthened the community and economy," he said.
He added that the Montagu and Outeniqua passes together tell the story of how transport across the Outeniqua Mountains has developed through the years.
According to trust member Okkie Stander, the anniversary was also an opportunity to remember the people who helped build the pass under difficult circumstances.
The need for a new, more user-friendly route across the Outeniqua Mountains arose as traffic and economic activity between George and the Little Karoo increased. The Montagu Pass, completed in 1847, had served as the main route across the mountains up to then.
According to Stander's research, construction of the Outeniqua Pass began during WWII, and Italian prisoners of war were brought in for the project. The first 52 arrived in George by train on 17 November 1942, followed by another 450 six days later.
Of the 500 or so Italians, only 18 were trained dry stone wall builders. By the time they were repatriated in 1945, about a 10th of the work had been completed. Clifford & Harris subsequently took over the project and completed the pass using the labour of 250 black prisoners.
The new pass was officially opened on 20 September 1951 by the then Minister of Transport, Paul Sauer. According to Stander, about 1 600 people attended the occasion.
VIDEO:
Italian prisoners of war were brought in to help build the pass. Photo: Archives
Celebration time: Henry Paine, Okkie Stander, Willie-John van Niekerk, Joe McGluwa (chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture), Monica Vaccaro and Elsa Graser. Photo: Michelle Pienaar
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
