HOW WE GOT THE NAME--The story of the Walker family
The following account first appeared in two editions of the Walkerville News in 1984. June Van Vuuren interviewed Mrs Muriel Walker, then aged 85 and widow of the late Mr Arthur Walker Senior, on their farm adjoining Apple Orchards.
Arthur Walker came out from Britain in 1901 at the age of 15 with the Rough Riders (scouts) group of the Imperial Yeomanry (volunteer cavalry force), looking after their horses on the long sea journey to the Cape. On arrival he was allowed to go into action with them as a frontline scout. He was subsequently badly wounded in the left arm and leg in action. Despite the severe wounds he rode his horse back to the base camp and whilst receiving emergency medical treatment, was able to report what he had seen before the Boer forces spotted him.
For his brave action he was awarded a good conduct medal and was given a disability pension of one pound eleven shillings and five pence per month for life which was later increased to three pounds nine shillings and seven pence. At the end of the war he was allowed to remain in this country and he became a property salesman operating from Cape Town and later upcountry.
In his new civilian job he again proved his mettle and was most successful. Some of the properties he bought, probably farms at that time, are now well-known suburbs, e.g. Pretoria Gardens, Bon Accord, Claremont, Mountain View, Fairlands, Lyndhurst and Birnam.
In 1918 he acquired about 25 square miles to the south of Johannesburg. A portion of the area had previously been a dairy farm belonging to the Butler family, who had decided to sell as the lady of the house fornd the life very lonely.
Arthur Walker felt that the area would be ideal for apples and eventually planted half a million fruit trees. Among the varieties he planted were Rome Beauty and Ohenimuri. The trees were planted in the area known today as Homestead Apple Orchards and Walker's Fruit Farms. In the area known today as Golfview, pears were planted. Ohenimuri apples predominated in the area which is now the golf course.
Some years after the establishment of the orchards, the editor of the Rand Show Annual for 1931 was to give these details:
"This property was purchased by the Company some twelve years ago and comprised the freehold farm of Faroasfontein no. 214, comprising 3, 367 morgen. In the years that have elapsed the Company laid out on the former barren, windswept veld the largest apple orchard in the Union, comprising over four miles of trees, and have also developed......."
Arthur Walker's apples were soon being exported overseas. A packhouse and cold storage was built where the apples were sorted, graded and packed prior to being railed from Grasmere station on their long trip overseas. The packhouse and cold storage still stand today on the home farm.
In 1924 Arthur married Muriel and in 1925 the young Mr and Mrs Walker took up residence in their new home, on what was the largest apple farm in South Africa.
The success of the Walker family continued and because there was no demand for the third grade apples, it was decided to start the local manufacture of cider. A cider factory was built and the most modern equipment of the day and the best quality vats for the storage of the cider was imported from Europe. Unfortunately, although the quality of the cider was good, there was little demand, and eventually the factory was closed.
In 1946 the disused factory was purchased by a Mr Blades who lived in Walker's Fruit Farms. With the assistance of friends of his in the area it was converted into a social club after all the machinery and beautiful vats had been sold by public aution. This was also doomed to failure as the support from the local population was insufficient to cover costs, and the well constructed building was eventually sold back to Mr Walker.
The building stood empty for years until the St Francis Anglican Church was established and a portion of the building was then used as a church. The remainder was utilised for social functions organised by the church committee to raise funds for the building of the present church in Golfview/Walkerville. After the present church was built, the building again stood empty until it was bought by the Baptist church. Today we know it as the Southern Christian Fellowship building.
After the failure of the cider venture more troubles were in store for the Walker Family. The once thriving trees were hit by two successive years of hail storms at Christmas time, and, as the fruit farming losses mounted, it was decided to discontinue large scale fruit growing.
The land was sub-divided into 5 and 10 acre plots, now known as Homestead Apple Orchards, Walker's Fruit Farms and Golfview; and the avenues of trees were planted. In 1934 the Ohenimuri Golf and Country Club was established by Mr Walker. Around this time, he had the opportunity to buy the land north of Golfview which was then sub-divided and called Walkerville. During the fruit growing and cider manufacturing years Mr Walker also had property investments in northern Johannesburg, Pretoria and a farm in Naboomspruit.
About thirty five years ago (now more than fifty years), Ishmael Lehari, who has worked for the family for fifty years, asked Mr and Mrs Walker to assist him in establishing the Walkerville Combined School on the family farm, to provide primary school education for the black children in the area. For the last twenty years, Joyce Walker (Arthur II's wife) has been the official manager of the school which now accomodates 260 children and has five black teachers who are paid by the Department of Education and Training.
Arthur Walker II who was born in 1929, learnt to play golf at Ohenimuri and after winning junior competitions he won many provincial championships, the English Amateur Championship in 1957 and the South African Amateur Championship in 1959. From 1957-1960 he represented South Africa in international matches. He retired from tournament golf when his father died in 1961 to run the family business. He then devoted most of his spare time for the next twelve years to golf administration. During this period he served for two years as president of the Southern Transvaaal Golf Association and as captain and the president of the Royal Johanesburg Golf Club, of which he is now a life member.
Arthur Walker III was born in 1953 and is presently a pilot in the South African Air Force with the rank of Captain. Many of our readers will remember that in July 1982 he was awarded the Honoris Crux and Bar for his outstanding deeds of bravery whilst in extreme danger. He is due to receive the Southern Cross Medal soon for exceptionally meritourious service and devotion to duty.
Arthur Walker II also has two daughters: Brenda Joyce aged 28, B.Com. LL.B, who is a qualified attorney, notary and conveyancer, and Linda, 19, who is currently a second year B.Com (accountancy) student at Pietermaritzburg University.
Mrs Muriel Walker, now aged 86, Arthur II and his wife Joyce still occupy about 150 acres, bordered on two sides by the Ohenimuri Golf Course and virtually in the centre of the area known today as Walkerville.
If anyone is able to supply an update to this story it would be most welcome.
