(Passed away in mid-February 2016)
Difficult for many newer generations and in the current negative commodity environment to grasp, is that modern South Africa was built largely on gold. More often than not its contribution to economic growth was more than 65%.
The industry hit a crescendo in the 1960s; went into serious decline from the1980s onwards; and today is only a fraction of what it was then. In fact, domestic gold production is already 87% down on 1980 levels. Resources are expected to be exhausted during the next 30 years at current production.
One would have thought against that setting the gold mining industry would have been a major attraction to Boys High school-leavers in the sixties, but intriguingly that wasn’t the case.
Four exceptions of the Class of 1960, however, were Richie Lamb and Anthony Field of Solomon House, Allan Stilwell of School House, and Jack White a day-boy. All engineers, they engaged in the richest and deepest mines in the world and made major contributions.
Though Tom Main of School House studied commerce at Natal University, he ended up as President of the Chamber of Mines. In fact, he was the natural successor to earlier luminaries such as Hermann Eckstein, Lionel Phillips, George Farrar and Percy Fitzpatrick.
Sadly, we reported recently of Richie Lamb’s death. And in February his close friend and house mate Anthony Field passed away in Johannesburg. Which brings us to the essence of this tribute.
Born in Pretoria in 1942, Anthony became a life-long friend of John White (renamed ‘Jack’ by Larry Robertson) who worked at Venterspost Gold Mine before pursuing other engineering and scientific pursuits.
Said Jack: “Our parents were friends and we were paraded together in our prams by our mothers, so indeed I knew Ant for a long time. He used to joke that he had known me longer than he had known his brother, Peter (also later of Solomon House)”.
Both Anthony and Jack were enrolled at Sunnyside School and at a certain point the Field family moved to Canada. In aviation, Anthony’s father was posted there before being appointed Manager of the former Jan Smuts Airport. This resulted in the Field boys acquiring Canadian accents, but these moderated when they completed their primary schooling in Kempton Park. Anthony and Jack met up again at PBHS.
At Boys High and particularly in Solomon House, Anthony was very well-liked, recalled Brian Taverner, another of his close peers. A tall, thin and quiet guy, and though inoffensive, he was always game for excitement.
” On the mischievous side he sometimes engaged in ‘stealing’ fruit from the homes adjoining the school and on one occasion was seriously traumatized when cornered and walloped by a gardener.
” On another occasion in the dark of night when he was illegally on the phone in the Staff Common Room to his girlfriend, Mr Roger Petty walked past and sensed something untoward. Having been the School’s 100 metre champion in his day, he immediately set up a chase, but Ant outsmarted him by slipping into an obscure spot. Shortly after, Ant emerged from one of quads whistling and as if nothing had happened”.
Brian’s younger brother, Tony, recalled Anthony having been an excellent skid (bicycle) rider down S-Bend below Rissik House following the rains. That was until he hit a pine tree and badly gouged his leg.
” Skid-riding was illegal and although Ant was seriously injured, he never revealed it to the Housemaster, Mr Willy Brooks, or assistant housemasters Terence Ashton, Tos du Toit and Larry Robertson. Forty years later I reminded him of it, he pulled up his trousers, and proudly exhibited the scar”.
A good sportsman, Anthony was fondly remembered by his Solomon House mates as having been a valiant winner of Inter-House matches. In one critical cricketing situation he was sent in as ‘night watchman’ and in little time bludgeoned the house to victory. Not different to Chris Morris’ recent performances against England!
In a rugby match, he was given one mission only – ‘don’t worry about getting the ball; your only role is to mark the School’s star wing (a day boy) and take him down every time he takes possession of the ball’. Anthony did that mercilessly and Solomon won comfortably.
Anthony continued to enjoy sport after school; switched from rugby to cricket in the mid-sixties; and aimed to play into his nineties. He was also a keen golfer, boat and car enthusiast, and loved the bush.
“I gained the impression from him that the primary purpose of his outdooractivities was always to work up a thirst”, remarked his wife Tina (vonMaltitz).
He married Tina in 1967 and they had three children and four grandchildren. The eldest Nadine, lives in Houston; John lives in Perth; and Robyn has remained in South Africa.
In Anthony’s mining career, the focus was initially on leading West Rand gold and uranium mines Western Reefs and Western Deep Levels. Thereafter to the continent’s leading diamond mines, namely Consolidated Gold Mines (CDM) in the former SWA; Finsch mine in the Northern Cape; Orapa and Jwaneng diamond mines in Botswana; Aredor Diamond Mine in Guinea; Ghana Consolidated Mines in Ghana; and finally Williamson Diamond Mine in Tanzania.
Said Grenville Camps, also of the 1960 leaving group: “The last time that I met up with Anthony was a luncheon I shared with him and some of our old PBHS pals a few months ago. He was already quite overcome with his illness, but his wit and personality were still there, sharp as ever”.
In tributes to Anthony at his well-attended memorial service in Parkview, Johannesburg, it was said that he was a highly rational personality; had incredible emotional balance; was a good listener; had the ability to comprehend all sides; was exceedingly fair; he keenly sought solutions to people’s problems; and this even included a persistent willingness to assist distressed motorists on the side of the road.
In fact, he had the ability to engage with people from all walks of life, and no less important, knew when and how to stop the world, laugh and have fun.
Leon Kok