This dissertation examines heritage as a social construct by way of critically accessing the precursors, proponents and processes of the Tulbagh restoration. This research is focused on understanding the reasons why and how, after the earthquake of 1969, Church Street was reinstated to its 'historic' 18/19th century appearance. This reconstructive restoration is unpacked within its South African socio-political, 20th-century situation to examine the motivations of the proponents behind the restoration as well as their conservation philosophies that underpinned the stylistic reconstruction of Tulbagh back to what was regarded as its Cape Dutch 'best'. The study comprises of an examination of both the theoretical development and practical application of reconstructions. Research traces the development of conservation in South Africa, first under the Union government and then under the Afrikaner Nationalist government to understand how Afrikaner Nationalism was superseded by the creation of a white South African identity. Pierre Nora's theories around memory and identity are explored and applied in order to contextualise the Tulbagh case study in a theoretical framework to highlight similarities and differences. The proponents of the Tulbagh restoration consisted of a wide and varied selection of the South African conservation fraternity and included the National Society, the Cape Institute of Architects, historian Dr Mary Cook, the Simon van der Stel Foundation, Anton Rupert and his Historic Homes Company, Gawie and Gwen Fagan and Dr Hans Fransen, as well as the National Monuments Commission/Council. These same role players came together in the decade before the earthquake to formalise their association, conservation resolve and philosophies. The findings of the study suggest that although united with a common vision, philosophy and determination, these conservation advocates all had their own agenda and differing motivations for their involvement in Tulbagh's restoration. Motivations ranged from straightforward conservation concern and a response to the threat of cultural devastation on one hand to ideological nation-building ideals and Afrikaner nationalism on the other. Although politics impacted early on and all three levels of government funded the bulk of the restoration costs, the diversity of the proponents suggests that this project was more complex than being motivated primarily by nationalism.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-110). / Kolmanskop Ghost Town is situated within the Sperrgebiet National Park on the South-West Coast of Namibia. The diamond-mining town was established in 1908 and abandoned in 1956. Kolmanskop's status as a tourist attraction has been readily established and it is regarded as an important economic resource by the nearby community of Lüderitz. The key question of this research project is whether the site is also able to fulfil the criteria of an industrial heritage resource? The principal method employed is that of values-based conservation. The study relies principally on the survey of a broad range of individuals and stakeholders in order to establish present values as they pertain to Kolmanskop.

Includes bibliographical references. / This dissertation examines the heritage significance of Rust-en-Vrede as a structure with little surviving building fabric from its earliest years, but a rich history of four diverse uses since circa 1808. It is located in Durbanville to the north of Cape Town, an area which has changed over the years from farmland to suburban/urban fabric. The building is styled with a combination of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architectural elements. The building is not “pure” or mono-stylistic from an architectural point of view. However, its significance is found in its layers of associated meanings. This paper seeks to understand the shifting notions regarding authenticity in conservation. It identifies how a dominant prevailing idea of authenticity was challenged in heritage debates, particularly since the Nara Conference on Authenticity (1994). My intention is to confirm a hypothesis that a building with multiple layers of meaning can be perceived by many to have sufficient heritage significance to satisfy the assertion that it has heritage value. This heritage value can reside in the design, material and workmanship of such a building, with context providing a lesser, but also not insignificant contribution. As Stovel has pointed out, authenticity does not automatically on its own provide the best marker of heritage value.1 Rather, authenticity can be unpacked and qualified in a particular instance to arrive at a composite, nuanced understanding of value that looks beyond the “completeness” of a building.

This study is specifically concerned with the impact of cultural tourism on the valorisation of two African fortifications; Castelo São Jorge da Mina (Elmina Castle) in Elmina, Ghana and Casteel de Goede Hoop (Castle of Good Hope) in Cape Town, South Africa. The commodification of national and world heritage, primarily within the context of cultural tourism, is the process by which tangible and intangible heritage are transformed into cultural commodities to be bought, sold and profited from in the heritage and tourism industry. The perception, however, that these commodified heritage sites are contaminated, and less authentic, is based on an outmoded discourse. The South African government has placed a fair amount of focus on redressing highly emotive colonial or dissonant heritage sites with the intent of correcting misinterpreted Eurocentric histories or present non-represented pre-colonial history. The study is structured around addressing the issue of commodification and its impact on the understanding and interpretation of heritage both as an emotive commodity and as a means of providing economic benefit to a community. The literature review locates the research in Marx's theories on commodities together with Urry's tourist gaze. It furthermore includes an analysis on valorisation, with the focus on associative value, in the context of national and world heritage. Fortifications as fortified military architecture in an African context are considered; as is the European influence on African culture and fortifications as colonial structures. Elmina Castle, as a much-researched heritage site, is explored in detail. It includes a legislative analysis; the perspectives and interpretations of the two largest stakeholders groups, the Akan-speaking Fanti population and the African American Diaspora tourists is key to the analysis of the impact of commodification. A detailed history of Europeans on the Gold Coast, the development of Elmina Castle and the impact of trans-Atlantic slavery on the consumption of heritage is studied. The commodification of the Castle of Good Hope is written within the context of the prevailing South African heritage discourse. Much has been written on the commodification of Elmina Castle, while very little has been said about the Castle of Good Hope as a commodity. The prevailing authorised commodification of the Castle of Good Hope necessitated the analysis and comparison of the Castle with the selected comparative case and the study draws comparisons between the powerful emotive significance and contestations attached to Elmina and the contrast that this poses to the Castle of God Hope as a place of heritage significance despite the fact that it has been seen to symbolise the introduction of repressive European influence and control in South Africa. The research supports the notion that cultural tourism and events have impacted on the valorisation of cultural heritage and, in particular, the associative and emotive values. However, the cultural significance of the two African fortifications as important heritage sites are not at risk.

This study focuses on three projects by Gabriel Fagan, one of South Africa’s most respected and awarded architects, namely The Dias Museum in Mossel Bay, the SA Breweries Visitor’s Centre in Newlands and the University of Cape Town’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. These projects are all essentially contemporary interventions in historic fabric and each contains easily identifiable and iconic new portions – the sail-like roof of the Dias Museum, the glass lift shaft at SAB and the circular glazed pavilion at UCT’s Medical School.

This dissertation examines how cultural significance has changed through the reuse (conversion) of an existing religious building to perform a new religious function. The conversion of the former Johannesburg West Nederduitsche Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church) to become the Masjid-ul-Islam is used as a vehicle for this study. The history of the Afrikaner and South African Muslim communities and their architecture is explored as well as the history of the changes to the building. The post-colonial concept of hybridity is used to understand the new identity of the building. This new identity determined as being hybrid. Concepts of memory and its use in the construction of identity are further examined with the former church being understood as a site of memory. Through the personal perceptions of significance expressed by both the mosque and church communities the change in significance is explored. It is determined that the building is the site of hybrid memory, with multiple layers of significance which have created a sense of continuity for both communities creating a sense of place and continuity in the post- Apartheid city. The building has come to be a symbol of the changes that have occurred in post-Apartheid South Africa through its layering of history, sense of inclusivity and regeneration.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-92). / This study investigates the appropriateness of conservation controls in low-income communities. The imposition of development controls is a limitation on the private rights of individuals in the interest of the public good. This is essential in order to preserve heritage resources for future generations. However, questions arise around this practice when such limitations have a direct negative effect on the daily struggle for survival that many people face. Many poor people cannot bear the cost associated with maintenance and restoration of old buildings, and this puts many heritage resources at risk. Actors within bureaucracies also have their own goals to achieve, and this also influences the way that heritage is managed in low-income areas. The central research question of this study is: Are conservation controls in lowincome communities appropriate? This question was explored within the context of Mamre, a historical mission station approximately 50 km north of Cape Town. Firstly, several descriptive scenarios around which the research question could be explored were constructed, and this was followed by an investigation of the relevant literature. A contextual analysis of Mamre was also completed in order to gain an understanding of the character and functioning of the village. The case study then focused on two incidents where heritage-related building applications were made. Several instances where values conflict emerged from the study, and these enabled the researcher to draw some conclusions on conservation in low-income communities. The study found that the concept of significance is not well understood by officials, and its application differs widely. It was also clear that the law is often applied in a well-intended but incorrect, and in fact at times illegal, manner. This study also found that mechanisms of financial support should be available in certain cases. In order to ensure effective conservation of heritage resources, the correct legal mechanisms and strong policy must be in place. This must be based on a thorough assessment of significance and it is essential that this is done with a good understanding of the context.

The turn of this century has been characterised by a flurry of research activities taking place around the history of Mission stations and missionaries in South Africa (SA). In Venda, in the Limpopo Province of SA, research about the Berlin Missionary Society (BMS) also gained momentum. Most of the researchers working in the area relied mainly on diaries, letters, annual reports, and limited published materials written by the BMS missionaries who worked at various mission stations in the area. These researchers focused on historical, educational, and religious developments, as captured by the Berlin missionaries. Of these historical accounts, the voices of the local communities have been hushed. Most of the stories available in written sources are from the viewpoints of the missionaries. At the same time, the focus of researchers in the heritage conservation fields has been on the physical condition of heritage properties, where the intention was to arrest deterioration of material. While there is a change in thinking in the heritage field to take into consideration the involvement of relevant stakeholders, the focus is still on the challenges related to the physical condition of heritage properties. Researchers in the heritage field have come to realise that conservation cannot unify or advance with any real innovation or vision if there is a continuation to concentrate the bulk of conservation discourse on issues of physical condition. This study addresses the issue of community participation in research by responding to the following question: What is the impact of community attitudes and perspectives towards Georgenholtz Mission Station (GHMS) as a heritage resource? Various community groupings were given the responsibility of airing their views regarding the Mission station as a heritage resource. In doing so, they were able to identify and articulate the values they associate with the mission station. Without an understanding of these values, practitioners, managers, and communities would be unable to act in respect of the gradual but rapid deterioration of the same heritage resource. Because of these values, communities were able to recommend what actions would be to the benefit of all of them. The research question of this study is answered through one-on-one oral interviews the researcher conducted with respondents. These respondents are divided into four categories of communities namely the youth, Lutheran Church leadership, Ha-Luvhimbi community leaders and members of families with historic ties with the Berlin Missionary Society. Individual respondents from these community categories were asked to comment upon the history of the Berlin Missionary Society and the development of Georgenholtz Mission Station from 1877 to the present times. They were also asked to broadly identify and explain the heritage significance of Georgenholtz Mission Station. The last question they were asked relates to what communities would like to see happening with Georgenholtz moving forward. The responses that came from these respondents show that Georgenholtz Mission Station has extensive connections to Mission history in rural South Africa which assists in conveying the significance of this Mission station beyond its importance to Ha-Luvhimbi village. Communities could identify various values attached to the Mission station, including amongst others, historical, aesthetic and architectural, social and economic values that should be preserved for the benefit of current and future generations. The results from this study indicate that communities interviewed regard Georgenholtz Mission Station as their heritage resource that should be taken care of and that there are economic benefits that could be derived from the adaptive reuse of the Mission station. The study concludes by outlining recommendations for further and extended research on the subject by other researchers.

Includes bibliographical references. / This study examines the first identification and assignment of heritage values and significance undertaken by the “establishment”, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and the City of Cape Town (CCT) in the Township of Langa in the Cape Province a decade ago. In brief, this is the story of Langa migrant labour hostels reviewed for its meaning as heritage to the diverse communities within Langa, compared with an earlier 2001/2 official evaluation by the state-led heritage management institutions. It is within a broader socio-political, cultural and heritage discourse context that this research project explores what the residents of Langa find significant. This is done with particular reference to the migrant labour hostel schemes since the intention was to establish to what extent conservation and heritage management is an appropriate response in an environment of material, economic and social difficulties; and, if so, to what degree the inhabitants of the hostels’ sense of value correspond to that articulated in the “official statement of significance” of 2004. This study questions the validity of nominating migrant labour hostels as “Grade I” national heritage resources.

Heritage sites, inclusive of cultural landscapes, are understood to derive their significance from perceptions of beauty, sense of place and, when it has been impacted by humans, its genius loci and tangible qualities and the overlay of their intangible associations. In order for a site to be recognized concurrence of an Authorised Heritage Discourse whose content is constructed by academics and professionally trained heritage experts and an Autochthonous Discourse defined and expressed by laypersons, occupying or having an association with the site or sites. When Ida's Valley Cultural Landscape underwent processes of identification and declaration (formal process) as a National Heritage Site in 2008 the assumption was that there was consensus between the two views, the Authorized Heritage Discourse and the Autochthonous Discourse. The hypothesis, then, in the case of Ida's Valley Cultural Landscape which lies just beyond the limits of the town, Stellenbosch, was that there was agreement between the AHD and the AD. The question that arose was whether the two readings of heritage value aligned and whether there really was agreement in terms of the significance of the site and the values it represented. This is found not to be the case. Concerns were raised regarding the manner in which the public participation process was handled, the content of the statement of significance around issues of identification, identity and, consequently, its impact on the idea of value. In addition, the issues of land for development, the locus of land ownership and the subsequent value and universal acceptance were placed under scrutiny and severely criticized by the local public and community groups. The conclusion was that there was no agreement between the two positions. The dissertation describes the exploration of these tensions.