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COMMENT
November 2015
MODERN MINING
3
G
reat to see that my old friend
Gavin Whitfield, co-author with
Nick Norman of the very success-
ful
Geological Journeys: A Trav-
eller’s Guide to South Africa’s
Rocks and Landforms
, has once again put pen
to paper to produce another indispensable
book for anyone interested in South Africa’s
geology.
His latest work, which was launched
recently at a well-attended function at the ‘War
Museum’ in Johannesburg, is entitled
50 Must-
see Geological Sites in South Africa
. Lavishly
illustrated with nearly a thousand high-qual-
ity photos (and superb maps and diagrams),
it ‘unpacks’ South Africa’s premier geosites,
giving information on each site’s history and
geological significance.
As Gavin himself says, any list of this type
is bound to be somewhat subjective but I think
few would disagree to any significant extent
with his selection, which covers South Africa’s
unique geological record from nearly 3,6 billion
years ago to ‘recent’ times.
Some of the sites featured are – or were –
mines, for example Kimberley’s Big Hole, the
Cullinan diamond mine and the old Eersteling
gold mine. Others – the Sudwala Caves, the
Tswaing Meteorite Crater, the Knysna Heads
and Table Mountain, to name just a few – have
no connection whatsoever to mining. All, how-
ever, are of compelling geological interest and
all are accessible to the public.
This, incidentally, is not a book aimed at
geologists (though they would, I’m sure, find it
of huge interest). The target market is rather the
interested lay person and Gavin points out that
he has kept geological jargon to a minimum.
Having said this, there is an exceptionally good
section at the beginning of the book which is
a quick guide – it’s almost a miracle of com-
pression – to the field of geology, as well as
a glossary of all the geological terms used in
the text.
Gavin, of course, is the ideal person to write
a guide of this type. He has an MSc in Geology
from Rhodes University, is a retired Fellow of
the Geological Society of South Africa, and
– earlier in his career – carried out mineral
exploration in the field in many countries for
a number of mining companies. In recent years
A ‘must-have’ guide to
South Africa’s top geosites
he has focused on the emerging geotourism
sector – he is a qualified national tourist guide
– and can fairly claim to be one of the pioneers
in this field.
To put together
50 Must-see Geological Sites
in South Africa
, he visited every single site
himself over a period of three to four years,
so readers can be assured that the text is fresh
and not simply a distillation of previously pub-
lished material.
The book was introduced at the launch by
Professor Richard Viljoen, who (along with
his twin brother, Professor Morris Viljoen) is
one of South Africa’s best-known geologists.
He said its publication was very timely, given
that South Africa would be
hosting the 35th International
Geological Conference in Cape
Town next year. This is an event
which is expected to attract sev-
eral thousand delegates, many
of whom will be participating in
pre- and post-congress tours.
Getting back to the book,
it’s not the type of publication
that one necessarily reads cover
to cover in one go. Having said
this, I’ve already devoured most
of the entries on mining sites
and particularly enjoyed those
on the Cullinan mine, which has
produced a staggering 120 million
carats of diamonds over its life, and
the old Koperberg copper mine near Springbok
in Namaqualand. Koperberg (‘copper moun-
tain’) can reasonably claim to be South Africa’s
oldest mine, since it was first investigated for
its mineral potential in 1685, when at least
three prospect shafts were put into the moun-
tain. This is the only mining site in the guide
that I haven’t personally visited so it will be top
of my list of things to see when I next visit that
part of the world.
Readers interested in getting a copy of
50
Must-see Geological Sites in South Africa
shouldn’t have to look too hard. It is published
by Struik Nature at a price of R300 and is cur-
rently available in most bookshops. It is a
superb piece of work and I hope it receives the
success it so richly deserves.
Arthur Tassell