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Submit an article to Indago - a peer reviewed journal
Submit an article to Indago - a peer reviewed journal
Author

Hendrik Snyders

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ABSTRACT

Despite being an integral part of the country’s sporting identity, the history of competitive archery remains a neglected area of South Africa’s sports history. Following its establishment in the 1860s as an elitist recreational activity characterised by social gatherings and merrymaking, it gradually developed into a well-organised and nationally coordinated sport during the 20th century. En route, it intersected with issues such as race, gender, professionalism, and politics, all of which collectively shaped its South African character. Due to a lack of original archives, none of the affiliated members of Archery South Africa have thus far documented their own illustrious past. This article, using the literature on artefact biographies, reconstructs the history of both South African and Free State archery with the aid of a small number of artefacts in the collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein.

Abstract

Second-hand cultural objects not only possess a very definite biography but also have a multi-layered history. The nature of this history and the cultural artefact’s evolving identity is determined, firstly, by its journey from first into second exchange and beyond, and, secondly, by the institutions, including second-hand or charity shops, individuals or groups who came to own it. Artefacts as well as places where they are exchanged, such as second-hand shops, can each provide a valuable lens to investigate the nature, social function, locational politics and exchange journey of these places and artefacts as a marker of memory.

Bud Mbelle (Credit: Wits University)

Horatio Isaiah Budlwana (Bud) Mbelle was the first Organising Secretary of the South African Coloured Rugby Board and the brother-in-law of Sol Plaatje. Mbelle was born in Burgersdorp, Cape Colony on 24 June 1870. He grew up in the Herschel district in the Eastern Cape and was educated at the Wesleyan Methodist Primary School and the Healdtown Institution, near Fort Beaufort from 1886 to 1888, where he qualified as a teacher.

On 20 July 1963, South Africa played Australia for the first time in a rugby league test.  This history-making test was the fifth game of the Australia – New Zealand Tour of the Rugby League Springboks, the national team of Rugby League South Africa.[1]

The tour results up to that point indicated that the visitors had won exactly half of the games played. While the Springboks, under the captaincy of former rugby union test player Dawie Ackerman, had won comfortably against Northern Division (20-10) and Monaro (41-2), it was tough going against Sydney (5-49) and Queensland (16-32).