Western Province Agricultural Society 150 Year
South Africa, Cape Town · 1981-11-30
Unofficial first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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This cover is postmarked on 30-11-1981 in Cape Town, close to the anniversary of the Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society's founding meeting on 29 November 1831 under the chairmanship of Michael van Breda. It marks 150 years of the Western Province Agricultural Society, successor to that original body, and carries a standard 5c Protea definitive stamp rather than a special commemorative issue. The Society's 150th Anniversary Show earlier that year was opened by Prime Minister P. W. Botha and featured five South African National Championships in the livestock section.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet is built around a deep blue panel with "150 YEARS 1831-1981" in bold white and gold lettering above the Western Province Agricultural Society crest, a gold shield showing a sheaf of wheat and a mechanical wrench motif representing the fusion of farming and industry. "Western Province Agricultural Society" and its Afrikaans equivalent, "Westelike Provinsie Landbougenootskap", appear beneath the crest in matching white script. The stamp affixed is a standard 5c Protea definitive rather than a purpose made commemorative, since this cover marks a private society's anniversary rather than a new stamp issue. Two matching Cape Town postmarks carry the Society's own emblem, a stylised sheaf of wheat gripped by a hand, alongside the founding and anniversary years. This is a private commemorative cover produced to mark the 150th anniversary of an agricultural organisation, using postal cancellation as the means of dating the occasion rather than a bespoke stamp design.
Information Card
WESTERN PROVINCE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY — 150 YEARS OF PROGRESS On 29 November 1831 the Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society held its inaugural meeting in Cape Town under the chairmanship of Michael van Breda. Through several decades this society not only prospered, but also enjoyed official approval and the goodwill and support of the public. At a time when departments of agriculture were unknown, this society stimulated progress through events such as ploughing contests and tests of new implements and also by awarding prizes for the improvement of wool and other produce. Above all, it acted as spokesman for the farming community. The Society suffered a series of setbacks, of which the outbreak of the Phylloxera vastatrix blight in the vineyards of the Western Cape was the most serious. However, the work of the Cape Agricultural Society, as it was known, was sustained by the purposeful co-operation between the business sector and the farming community and today the Western Province Agricultural Society is the proud successor to this worthy predecessor. The first Cape Show was held on the Green Point Common in 1831 and in later years The Paddock at the top of Government Avenue became its venue. Through the kind assistance of Cecil John Rhodes a portion of the Oude Molen estate at Rosebank was donated to the Society in 1893. The first show at this site, which was to become the home of the Western Province Agricultural Society for many years, was declared open by Sir Henry Loch, the then Governor of the Cape Colony, on Thursday, 1 March 1894. An outstanding feature of this show was the thoroughbred horses, especially those from the Melck and Kotzé stud-farms near Malmesbury. The Percheron and Hackney draught-horses also received a great deal of attention. In later years the eight-in-hand mule-waggons made their appearance and a home industries section, with Mrs Charles Herold of Rondebosch as first convener, was added. By 1952 the Rosebank grounds had become too small to house the expanding activities of the show. Eventually a portion of The Range near Goodwood was made available to the Society by the Government at a nominal price. From the small beginnings on the Green Point Common in 1831 the Cape Show has grown into a display window for the farming community of the whole of the Western Province, where the producer can not only compare his product with that of his fellow-farmer, but can also show the consumer what he is capable of in this important facet of community life. The year 1981 is of great importance in the history of the Western Province Agricultural Society. The 150th Anniversary Show, which was officially opened by the Prime Minister, the Hon. P. W. Botha, on 25 March, will be remembered for, among other things, the five South African National Championships and several regional championships contested in the livestock section. The Home Industries section also made a memorable contribution with various special exhibits. It is the continuing aim of the Society to promote agriculture — an essential industry in South Africa — by holding agricultural shows, with their undoubted value in maintaining high farming standards. AURORA/3/81/1047 **Afrikaans card:** WESTELIKE PROVINSIE-LANDBOUGENOOTSKAP — 150 JAAR VAN VOORUITGANG Op 29 November 1831 is die eerste vergadering van die Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society onder voorsitterskap van Michael van Breda in Kaapstad gehou. Deur etlike dekades het hierdie genootskap nie alleen vooruitgegaan nie maar ook amptelike erkenning en die welwillendheid en ondersteuning van die publiek geniet. Op 'n tydstip toe 'n staatsdepartement van landbou nog onbekend was, het dié genootskap vooruitgang gestimuleer met geleenthede soos ploegwedstryde en toetse vir nuwe implemente en ook deur pryse vir die verbetering van wol en ander produkte toe te ken. Bowenal het die Genootskap as spreekbuis van die boeregemeenskap opgetree. Die Genootskap het 'n reeks terugslae beleef waarvan die Phylloxera vastatrix-plaag wat in die wingerde van die Wes-Kaap uitgebreek het die ernstigste was. Die werk van die Cape Agricultural Society, soos dit bekend gestaan het, is egter deur die doelgerigte samewerking tussen die sakewêreld en die landbougemeenskap in stand gehou en vandag is die Westelike Provinsie-landbougenootskap die trotse opvolger van hierdie waardige voorganger. Die eerste Kaapse Skou is in 1831 op die Groenpunt-meent gehou en later is The Paddock aan die bopunt van Goewermentslaan as skouterrein gebruik. Deur die vriendelike steun van Cecil John Rhodes is 'n gedeelte van die Oude Molen-landgoed by Rosebank in 1893 aan die Genootskap geskenk. Die eerste skou op hierdie terrein, wat baie jare lank die tuiste van die Westelike Provinsie-landbougenootskap sou wees, is op Donderdag, 1 Maart 1894, deur sir Henry Loch, destydse goewerneur van die Kaapkolonie, geopen. Volbloedperde, veral dié van die Melck- en Kotzé-stoetery naby Malmesbury, was 'n besondere kenmerk van hierdie skou. Die Percheron- en Hackney-trekperde het ook heelwat aandag gekry. Later het die agtmuilwaens hul verskyning gemaak en 'n huisvlyt-afdeling, met mev. Charles Herold van Rondebosch as die eerste saamroepster het bygekom. Teen 1952 het die Rosebank-terrein te klein geword om die groeiende werksaamhede van die skou te huisves. Uiteindelik het die Regering 'n gedeelte van die skietbaan (The Range) naby Goodwood teen 'n nominale bedrag vir die Genootskap beskikbaar gestel. Van die klein begin op die Groenpunt-meent in 1831 het die Kaapse Skou gegroei tot 'n toonvenster vir die landbougemeenskap van die hele Westelike Provinsie, waar die produsent nie net sy produk met dié van sy mede-boere kan vergelyk nie, maar ook aan die verbruiker kan toon wat hy op hierdie belangrike terrein van die gemeenskapslewe vermag. Die jaar 1981 is van groot belang in die geskiedenis van die Westelike Provinsie-landbougenootskap. Die 150e-herdenking-skou wat op 25 Maart amptelik deur die Eerste Minister, Sy Edele P. W. Botha geopen is, sal onder meer onthou word vir die vyf Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Kampioenskappe en verskeie streekkampioenskappe wat in die afdeling vir lewende hawe beslis is. Die Huisvlyt-afdeling het ook met etlike spesiale uitstallings 'n onvergeetlike bydrae gelewer. Dit is die volgehoue strewe van die Genootskap om die landbou — wat 'n noodsaaklike bedryf in Suid-Afrika is — te bevorder deur die aanbieding van landboukoue, wat 'n onbetwisbare bydrae tot die handhawing van 'n hoë boerderystandaard lewer.
Theme: Science & Technology
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Estimated value: ~US$0.1
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 223 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
