The Story of Barlow

The historic homestead of ehlatini

EHLATINI’S STORY IS CLOSELY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL INDUSTRIALISTS, *CHARLES SYDNEY “PUNCH” BARLOW (1905–1979)*.

THE SON OF MAJOR ERNEST “BILLY” BARLOW, PUNCH JOINED THE FAMILY BUSINESS AND PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN TRANSFORMING IT INTO THE INDUSTRIAL GROUP THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME *BARLOWORLD*. IN 1927, HE HELPED SECURE THE CATERPILLAR DEALERSHIP FOR SOUTH AFRICA, BEGINNING A RELATIONSHIP THAT WOULD BECOME CENTRAL TO THE GROWTH OF THE BARLOW BUSINESS. BEYOND INDUSTRY, PUNCH WAS A PASSIONATE SPORTSMAN, FARMER AND CONSERVATIONIST, WITH A PARTICULAR APPRECIATION FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S NATURAL HERITAGE.

IT WAS THIS CONNECTION TO THE LAND THAT DREW HIM TO THE KWAZULU-NATAL MIDLANDS. EHLATINI WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT FOR PUNCH BARLOW IN THE KARKLOOF FOREST, ITS REMARKABLE STONE-AND-THATCH MANOR POSITIONED ON A PLATEAU AMONGST THE INDIGENOUS TREES. HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS DESCRIBE IT AS ONE OF THE FINEST HOUSES IN NATAL AND NOTE, UNUSUALLY FOR ITS TIME, THAT THE SURROUNDING TREES WERE LEFT STANDING RATHER THAN CLEARED SIMPLY TO CREATE A VIEW.

LOCAL HISTORY HOLDS THAT ITALIAN PRISONERS OF WAR, BROUGHT TO SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, WERE INVOLVED IN CONSTRUCTING THE MANOR DURING THE 1940S. SKILLED ITALIAN POWS WERE EMPLOYED ON FARMS AND BUILDING PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, AND AT EHLATINI THEY ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE WORKED WITH STONE GATHERED FROM THE PROPERTY ITSELF. WHILE THE IDENTITIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL CRAFTSMEN HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONFIRMED, THEIR WORKMANSHIP REMAINS AN ENDURING PART OF THE HOUSE.

PUNCH BARLOW LATER BECAME CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH NEARBY BOSCH HOEK, WHICH HE ACQUIRED IN 1951 AND TRANSFORMED INTO A MODEL MIDLANDS FARM. THERE HE INTRODUCED MODERN FARMING METHODS, DEVELOPED TROUT DAMS AND TOOK PARTICULAR CARE TO PRESERVE THE INDIGENOUS YELLOWWOOD TREES, REFLECTING THE SAME RESPECT FOR THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE THAT REMAINS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF EHLATINI TODAY.

TODAY, EHLATINI CARRIES THESE LAYERS OF HISTORY QUIETLY WITHIN ITS STONE WALLS: THE VISION OF PUNCH BARLOW, THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THOSE BELIEVED TO HAVE BUILT IT, AND THE ANCIENT KARKLOOF FOREST THAT HAS SURROUNDED THE HOUSE FOR GENERATIONS.