Our Man in the Great White North

From Great North Road

By: John and Ray Braconnier

My father first went to Rhodesia in 1950 to join family living in Salisbury. My great-grandfather owned a house in Pioneer St, Salisbury, and my father remembers the old bar there. My family came up from Kimberly, S.A. in 1910.

My grandmother remembers coming up from S.A. to Salisbury by ox-wagon. My grandfather owned a butchery on Pioneer St. and also acted as a veternerian in the Salisbury district. (Last name of Blumeris). My father came over on the Athlone Castle to Cape Town in 1950 and travelled overland by rail through Bechuanaland (Botswana). Back then it was a 4 day trip to Bulawayo, and then on to Salisbury.

He joined the B.S.A.P. -- trained in Salisbury and was posted to Bulawayo and then to Salisbury. Later he went in mining. Some of the towns we lived in -- Chakari, (where I was born at Dalny Mine) at that time (1954) the mine had 2 years life. It's still operating today! My father was also in partnership as a prospector with Fothergill Southey (who made and lost several fortunes).

From Chakari we went to Filabusi in Matebeleland to the old Fred Mine, where my father coordinated the shutdown of the mine (1958-1959). The mine manager was John Charles Barker (ex-naval officer). It was is 1959 that we moved up to NR -- to Luanshya (Roan Antelope Copper Mine). In 1962 we moved to Chingola, until Oct. 1966.

Then a big jump -- to Uranium City, Saskatchewan, Canada. We returned to SR in 1969-1971 to Gatooma. My father worked as a mines inspector in the Gatooma-Hartley district. We returned to Canada in 1971.

My grandmother was one of 12 children; 9 girls and 3 boys. Most settled in the Salisbury area, living on farms. My father's cousin was married to Arthur Douay, nephew of Lord Llewellyn, last governor of SR. Put that in your pipe and smoke it! They still live in SR.

My father was working in Zaire from 1984-1987 and visited Chingola Mine and spent time in Kitwe. The old Copperbelters were still surviving and producing fruit, butter, eggs -- all the basics -- whiskey outside of the normal marketing system. A friend of my father, Bob Shiels, still owns a farm between Kitwe and Chingola. Castle Lager beer still the best (despite the odd cockroach!).

The daughter of Chirpula Stevenson still operates a gourmet restaurant in Kitwe -- food is still the best.

Lala pansi....