Showtime - The Zambia Agricultural Society

I finally purchased a copy of Showtime: A history of the Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia, 1914-1976 by Dick Hobson (1979), which I had been eyeing for some time jealously. A year or two ago a second and updated edition came out, but by the time I realised I wanted it, it was sold out in Lusaka bookshops. The first edition is a handsome hardback though, whereas the second is a hefty paperback.

The book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Agricultural and Commercial Show, in 1976. (Acknowledgement is made of research carried out by Margaret Dodgson.) There is also some general history of settlement in Rhodesia.

The agricultural show has been held in Lusaka for most of its life, in the grounds opposite the present Manda Hill shopping mall. I used to spend a lot of time on the show grounds, as my father started working there in 1967 as one of the founders of of the Lusaka Nutrition Group. Attending the agricultural show was one of the highlights of the year.

Recently I unearthed some film footage from a Focus on Zambia documentary made in the early 70s, including some of a daredevil motorcycle stunt in the main arena. Nostalgic viewing...

Back to the book:

By March 1905 there were 252 Europeans in NE Rhodesia - 69 civil servants, 39 missionaries, 52 traders, 68 farmers, 24 miners and prospectors.

Mining was not working out well, but cattle could be sold at a profit to the south in Salisbury or Bulawayo. Parts of trips would often take place at night to avoid tsetse fly. However, the farmers lacked real knowledge and badly needed to get some experts in. There were inevitably many failed experiments, including in rubber and silk production.

Of the Old Drift we have:

The only pastimes were drinking and gambling and Mopani supplied both. his bar kept open all night if customers wanted it and an American ran a roulette wheel as long as the liquor flowed. In the mornings African servants would sieve the sand covering the floor, hoping to find tickeys and sixpences dropped by the customers.


Having spent most of my youth in Makeni, I had high hopes of this book shedding light on the origins of the name, but it doesn't really. Perhaps it was known by this name when Europeans arrived. We are told that Boyd Cunninghame bought a farm known as Makeni (40,000 acres!) around about 1910 with John Rudd (p37) and when the administrator from Livingstone toured Lusaka in 1914 his group pitched their camp there.

To the names: not all references are listed in the index, so I've added my own. A summary of the actual index follows this list.

For a few people there are nice potted biographies, but mostly these are brief mentions. There are a few photos of some people mentioned here and a great one of Father Carierre's melodica-playing group, The Rising Stars! Remember them?


The 1976 committee and past staff (list at front)

Anderson, AW (Chairman)
Bowen, PD,
Dean, RL (ODS, OBE, Life Hon vice-president)
Dodgson, Mrs M
Edwardes, PD
Golson, CH
Hall, PR (ODS, life hon. vice-president)
Kabunda, EB
Kayamba, JG
Kelley, AJ,
Lenton, AJ
Loggie, AB (immediate past chairman)
Marston, LJ (past chairman)
Miller, PTS (OBE, life hon. vice-president)
Mwansa, SK
Siwale, KC
Veale, RO (Vice-chairman)
Wallace, DG


Some references that were not in the index

Allan, William (entomologist, 1930) p81
Ayrshire area, p37
Arnold, Simonga farm, photo p22

Baragwanath, Orlando p40
Babcock, Miss p76
Barlow ( Dobson & ) p74
Baxter, Sally p57
Beesley, Mr (Livingstone) p74
Benson, Sir Arthur p32
Babcock, Muriel (photo) p28
Babcock, Roxo (photo) p28
Blue Lagoon area p38
Blyth (farm photo Abercorn/Mbala 1905) p20
Blyth, Charles p41
Bredo p84
Brown, Cpt John (biography) p115
Buchanan, Sir James p39
Buchanan, George (& Susmans) p138
Burrel, Elsie (Mrs Cunninghame) p38

Carden, Cpt John (BSA police) p9
Carlton, Noel p47
Chester, Dean p54
Clarke, Mopani (cattle photo) p28, short biography p32
Cleaver, Hugh p42
Cliff (bandmaster, NRP) p76-77
Clothier, Neil
Collier, Dr R. Stanley p95
Cope (Kafue) p67
Coryndon, Robert p95
Cripps, Lionel (Umtali, 1895) p129

Davey, Tom p10
Deacon, T.C. (headmaster Lusaka School 1933) p87
Delaporte, J.W. (Lusaka) p74
Diamond, Vic (Lusaka) p74
Dobson & Barlow p74
Dos Santos (16th C) p45
Du Boisson ("Dubs") p74
Dunbar, Harry p56

Ellis (brothers from Plymouth) p67
Evans, Bubbles p57
Evans, Mrs Margaret  p81

Fairbairn (NR cricket team), photo, p17
Ferguson (red-hair, from SA, Kafue) p66
Fisher, Dr & Mrs (missionaries) p40
Fleming, Dr Andrew (S.Rhodesia) p95
Fleming, William Gibson & Selina, p39
Fletcher ( & Johnson; Bulawayo) p74

Garlick Mrs (Peggy) Grasmere farm, photo p24, p75
Gaskell p74
Gasson, Mrs (1917, Makeni) p38
Girling, Alan p61
Glyn, Frederic (Baron)
Goleti (servant of de Jong) p14
Gordon, Louis p109
Gordon, Major - short biography - p65
Graham, Mrs p57
Gray, Dolly, photo, p28
Gray, Kitty, photo, p28
Gray, Wyn, wedding photo, p28
Green-Wilkinson, Oliver p39
Grey's farm p42
Grill, Annie p138

Haddon & Sly (Bulawayo) p74
Halcrow, Magnus (1955) p30, 31
Hazard, C.J. administrator from Livingstone p9
Hay, "Tottie" (Bulawayo) p34
Hayman, JM (Indian empire to Rhodesia) p11
Helmore, Revd Holoway (1860) p90
Hermon p74
Hewitt, Alan p39
Higginson ( Rossiter & ) p66
Highfield (Mzaza, 1900) p45
Hobson, P.K. p77
Horner, PK (miner) p35
Howell, (Kafue, 1909) p40

Ingles p71
Jacobs, John (Lobengula's secretary) p138
Jelf, Philip p43
"Jericho" farm p41
Jerominsky (short biography) p135
Johnson & Fletcher (Bulawayo) p74
Jordan, E. Knowles (Namwala, 1906) p93

Kabot's (Bulawayo) p74
King, Ben (Kafue) p74
Kirby (Kafue camp photo) p27
Kirby, Maidie p57

Learmonth, C.L. p36
Le Roux, Piet p86
Lee, Willam (miner) p35
Lewin, C.J. (agriculture secretary 1933) p31
Leyer, Andrew p34
Lindsay, Lizzie (later Woest) p40
Little, Cliff (Bulawayo) p86

Mackintosh, Miss (niece of Coillard) p32
Marais, Mrs p56, p75
Marshall, Hugh p42
McChellen, Mrs p61
McClintock, John ("Honest John", Australian) p133
McKee, David p64
McKee, Peter p64
Meikle brothers (Rhodesia) p9
Michelmore, A.P.C. p84
Middleton, D.G. p129
Miller, PT (Bulawayo, photo) p17, p26
Mills, E.C. (ANZAC) p119
Minberg, Billie (Grasmere farm, photo) p24
Moore, TC (1923) p16
Moore, Leopold p39, 95-6, 109 (previous three chemists died of malaria)
Morris, JAF ("Seamus") p16
Muckleneuk farm, Kalomo (first farm NW Rhodesia, 1903 - Walker) p9
Murray, Cpt Thomas H. p96

Nel, Mrs (Mazabuka) p76
Norton-Griffiths, John p37
Norris, Gerald Chad p85
Oliphant, Effie p74
Orpen, Dr (Salisbury, 1911) p91

Palmer, R.H. (Kalomo, 1906) p93
Papenfus p66
Penny, J.W. (Bechuanaland Border Police <  Australia) p71 (biog)
Pienaar, P. Joubert p66
Price, G. Ward p75
Price, Revd Roger (1860) p90

Rintoul, Isabel p74
Rossiter & Higginson p66
Rudd, Bracken p37
Rudd, John p37, 119

Savory, Guy p76
Shoebottom (Cooper and Nephews co.) p13, p68
Sly ( & Haddon; Bulawayo) p74
Smith "Bongola" (Congo) p138
Smith, Cpt John p29, 30
Smith, Frederick p109
Sonnenberg, Mrs p138
Spring farm (Walker's son Hughie c 1906)
Stent, H.B. (agricultural chemist) p29
Stephenson, Chiripula photo p23
Susman brothers (biography) p137-8

Tambalika p42
Tarry's store p74
Teagle, C.A. p136
Thompson, Moffat p110
Thompson, Oakley p45
Trapnell, p29
Trayner, W. p92
Trayner, William p96
Turnour, Edward (Earl) p39

Vlantis (sisters Calliope, Hester, Cleopatra) p74

Walker (Mazabuka) p77
Walker, Chris (killed by elephant?) p9
Walker's drift p9
Walker, Hugh p9
Walker, Mackie (blacksmith, Choma) p9
Walker, daughter, married ILSLEY, Horace p9
Walton, (Livingstone) p16, p29
Watkins, George (hotel, 1905) p42
Westbeech, George p33
Wilkes, Mrs (photo) p25
Williams, Robert p36
Willis, AA (Kafue secretary) p12
Wood, p12
Woods (vet) p43
Woods, R.E. Broughhall p82
Wulfsohn, Harry p138

Young, Macdonald p129
Zeederberg stage coach (photo) p16

Some names that are in the index!

Adshead. Prof
Anderson, A.W.
Angier, Eric
Appleton, David
Baker, Sir R.
Barker, Meredith
Barnett, Frank
Beckett, Geoffrey
Bentley, A.M.
Beringer, Otto
Birchenough, Sir. H.
Bledisloe, Lord
Blue lagoon ranch
Blyth, Charles
Broomfield, Spencer
Brown, Jack
Burkitt, W.
Carlin, T.C.
Chaplin, Sir D
Clark, Harrison
Clarke, Erica
Clarke, Mopani
Clothier, Niel
Counsell, "Pop"
Critchley, Mrs
Cross, Herbert, Marjorie, Woodrow
Cunninghame, Boyd
Davison, Arthur
Deacon, John
Dean, R.B.
Dean, R.W.
De Jong, J.C.
Dimoline, Major-General W.A.
Doughty, Horacer
Dunn, E.C. (Northern Rhodesia Journal 1964 Vol V p592-4)
Ellison, Gabriel
Evans, Billy
Filmer, Cpt John
Fischer, Jack
Fitzgerald, Lady
Ford, W.P.
Fox, H. Wilson
Fox-Pitt, T.S.L.
Frost, H.D.
Galaun, Abe
Gamwell, Marion & Hope
Gaunt, John
Gibbons, A.H.
Glieman, Orne
Godsell, Sandy
Godson, Cpt Freddy
Goodhart, Herbert L.
Gore-Brown, Sir Stewart
Grenfell, H.
Grey, George
Hailey, Lord
Hall, Percy
Harris, Day
Harvey, Walter
Haslett, Sam
Hasseriis, B.F.C.
Hatchwell, H.J.R.
Hazard, C.J.
Hermon, Major Victor
Hewitt, Alan
Holmes, R.D.
Holmes, R.L.
Hone, Sir Evelyn
Hornby, Guy
Hubbard, Wynant Davis
Huggins, G.M.
Ilsley, Horace
James, C.Gordon
Johnston, H.H.
Jordan, E. Knowles
Kapwepwe, Simon
Kaunda, Dr K.D.K.
Kerby, Dr T.R.
King, Tom p 11-13 and 40
Kirby, E.D.
Krogh, Walter
Lafone, Michael
Landless, Eric
Lane-Poole, E.H.
Learmonth, Cecil L.
Light, Percy
Livingstone, Dr
Llewellin, Lord
Lllewellyn, Sir Harry
Lobb, Gordon
Loggie, A.B. (sr, jr)
Lyell, Dennis
Mclintock, John
McElrath
McFadyean, John
Mackenzie-Kennedy, Sir John
McKinnon, Charles
Macmurgas
Malcolm, Sir
Marrapodi
Marshall, Hugh
Maxwell, Sir James
Maybin, Sir John
Miller, Peter (sr, jr)
Moore, T.C.
Moreton, John & Co Cairo Road, photo
Morton, Percy
Murray, Cpt T.H.
Murray, Charles
Murray-Hughes, R.
Page, Sir Thomas
Pauling, George
Penny, J.W.
Pim. Sir Alan
Potgeiter, J.J.
Puffet, Stan
Rangelely, Henry
Rangeley, Stewart
Rhodes, Cecil J.
Rickett, Charles
Roberts, John
Robertson, Cpt F.B.
Robins, Col
Rodger, Dr Lovell
Rundle, Marjorie
Selby, P.H.
Smith, Ronald and Lionel
Stephenson, Col
Storrs, Sir
Tapson, Guy & Winnifred
Walker, H.F.
Wallace, Sir
Ward, Dr Percy H.
Welensky, Sir Roy
Wienand, Chris
Winterton, Earl
Woest, Ben
Wolverton, Baron
Wood, Rodney
Woolavington, Baron
Young, Major

Prayers and poems

I've been struck by some verses and a prayer in recent days...

And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

T.S.Eliot, Four Quartets, 1943

And on a more positive note than Larkin's This Be The Verse, I thought this prayer was interesting. Whilst expressing a similar idea to 'forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those' (which through repetition we may soon pay little attention to), it also looks back to our upbringing and family:

Lord, forgive us our shortcomings,
as well as those who came before us
And let not our hearts entertain any ill thoughts or feelings against anyone 

Shaykh Michael Mumisa, BBC Radio Prayer for the day, 2010