Don’t miss this fascinating talk about one of PLETT’s earliest forefathers. FRANÇOIS RENIER DUMINY’s exploration of this area ultimately led to the construction of both “The Old Rectory” and “The Timber Store” (known locally as “The Timbershed “).
The Old Rectory is therefore a most appropriate venue for our talk. Seating is limited in this exclusive setting. In order to finalise her “Harvest Table” menu Chef Ashleigh needs final numbers as soon as possible. Bookings will be closed on 19th July 2024. DON’T DELAY – BOOK TODAY!
There are plans afoot for an ambitious restoration project which would give a new lease of life to The Timber Store. Brief mention of this will be made on 26th July 2024. A special meeting will be held later this year to present this project to our members and request some changes to our constitution.
Date: Friday 26th July, 2024
Time: 05:30 PM to 08:30 PM
Venue: The Old Rectory, Meeding Street, Plettenberg Bay
Event type: Informative talk with refreshments
Tickets (adults): R300 – BUY ONLINE or at Barneys Kiosk
Enquiries: +27 (82) 452 1799
Please join us to hear Rodney Grosskopff tell us about François Renier Duminy – French mariner, navigator, cartographer, farmer, South African pioneer – and the ancestor of the Duminy family in South Africa.
Duminy was born in France. He first went to sea at the age of 9 with the French East India Company and spent his life sailing the seas and developing his outstanding skills as a navigator and cartographer. Later he worked for the Dutch East India Company.
Rodney will tell us of the time Duminy spent in the Cape – during which he travelled extensively and mapped the coastline.
He had a deep involvement in the earliest days of Plettenberg Bay and was instrumental in encouraging the very first visit by Baron Joachim van Plettenberg to the area in 1778.
Baron van Plettenberg hoped our Bay would become a timber export port and approved the construction of the Timber Shed by Johan Jacob Jerling – which still stands across the road from The Old Rectory.
Indeed the Old Rectory is believed to have originally housed employees of the Dutch East India Company who supervised the storing of timber in the Timber Shed.
The first load of timber left the bay on board Duminy’s ship “De Meermin” in August 1788.
These are all names familiar to Plettenberg Bay. Peter Duminy, a direct descendant – was treasurer and an active member of The Van Plettenberg Historical Society committee for many years. His sister and her husband still live in the area.
The Jerling family also still live in Plettenberg Bay. We are delighted that in addition to assisting “Keep Plett Clean” with the maintenance and preservation of The Timber Shed, direct descendant Dion Jerling is a member of our Executive Committee.
Our thanks to David Scott and his team from “Keep Plett Clean” for their ongoing support
The Old Rectory is the perfect venue for this event. We look forward to holding our talk there and sampling delicious snacks from Chef Ashleigh’s very popular “Harvest Table”.
