Please join us at Formosa Garden Village at 18:00 on Thursday 20th March when local resident Dave Sykes will tell us about Matjesfontein 304 – and his association with the Read family of Keurbooms. Doors open at 17:30.

Dave’s first visit to Keurboomstrand was back in 1952 when he first visited the Arch Rock campsite with his family.

That started a life long attachment to the area.

When Dave married his wife Lorna in 1978 they chose to spend their honeymoon at The Keurboomstrand Hotel and subsequently retired to Plett in 2019.

“Uncle John” Grey Read was a close friend of his parents and Dave felt it was time to tell his story.

In 1862 The Read family purchased the farm Matjesfontein on the east side of the Keurbooms river from the Jerling family. They eventually owned all the land from the Keurbooms River to Arch Rock. They later extended their property interests inland towards the Crags. The farmhouse on Woodlands farm, now called Kurland was built by the Reads in 1886.

John Gray Read’s mother and her husband founded Reads Hotel in 1916.

It became famous for the warm personal welcome given to guests by the Reads and for its unrivalled meals of plain cooking with home grown vegetables.

It later became known as Hotel Frederick and then The Keurbooms Hotel.

Today The Plettenberg Manor retirement village stands on the site.

The former hotel has been restored and refurbished and functions as the estates’s clubhouse.

John Gray Read and his mother – founder of Reads Hotel.

PLEASE NOTE THAT A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING PLACE PRIOR TO DAVE’S TALK. (SEE BELOW)

BOOK ON QUICKET

IN OTHER NEWS
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

After extensive consultations, it has been decided that our existing constitution serves its purpose.

This means that we will no longer be holding a SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING prior to our talk on 20th March.

Should our ambitious projects gain momentum, an entirely separate entity would be formed.

A full update and all relevant information will be presented at our Annual General Meeting on Friday 14th November 2025

PLEASE NOTE That our talks and meetings are open to all. Our newsletter is widely circulated to everyone on our mailing list regardless of membership status. However, only those who have paid their annual subscription will qualify to vote on the adoption of a new constitution.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE: R300 per person

Our membership fee goes towards maintaining and expanding our website, paying for our blue plaque programme, securing our venues and covering the costs of publicity. In addition, we charge entrance fees to events which cover venue hire and catering.

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info@pletthistory.org
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If anyone has a topic they would like to share please contact
Len Swimmer: 082 452 1799
Email: info@pletthistory.org