Zakumi Mtsweni
Lovers’ Lane. It is not only a popular avenue at the North-West University Potchefstroom
Campus (NWU-Pukke), it’s a lane that engulfs you in a green haze and encourages new
growth, progression and motivates you to work.
It runs between the administrative building (F1) and the natural sciences buildings. During
summer, students sit here under a leaf umbrella and in the winter in a sun-covered corner
and socialise between classes.
An Avenue with so much history, Maryna Rankin, photo archivist at the NWU-Pukke, says
that Lovers’ lane was first intended to be used for botany research and as decoration.
The Van der Walt rectorship was characterised by a policy of giving character to the campus
and lane. After the comprehensive Hennie Bingle building program; where buildings that
are now seen in the lane as classrooms were built - the terrain appeared untidy and the
Ad-hoc commission then had already decided to focus on cleaning up and renovating the
site.
This aim would be to commensurate with landscape architecture, which would be both
decorative and a means to reconcile the variety of architecture styles. The project was
progressed and the Horticultural Committee was appointed there. Footpaths were paved
and perennial shrubs planted along the lawns. At the end of Prof. Van der Walt's rectorship
the campus was seen as a jewel and the completion of the project, labelled as successful.
The stars of the show are most definitely the oak trees and a question most asked is how
old are the trees?
Magdaleen Gey van Pittius, the administrative assistant at the NWU-Pukke archives and
museum; says that the trees you see in the lane will be 75 years old this year. “Even
though landscaping only received more attention at the beginning of the sixties after the
Horticultural Committee was officially established, they recommended that grass, shrubs
and trees be planted,” Magdaleen said. The trees we see today in lane were planted much
earlier, though.
Gey van Pittius and Evert Kleynhans, NWU-Pukke archivists, say that on 16 October 1943,
the Municipal Council of Potchefstroom (City Clerks and Treasurer) decided to gift various
trees (if they were available) at the park to the university, provided that the cans they came
in were returned in good order otherwise the Horticultural Committee had to pay for them.
The instruction was that these trees were to be planted around the campus as part of
improving the overall aesthetic.
The following trees were gifted: 20 fraxinus; 30 elms; 40 plantain; 6 new oak species
(Planted in Lovers lane specifically); 20 standard privet; 2 sterculia and 54 red gum.
“Mixtures of new oak and red gum were chosen and it is estimated that +- 17 of the trees
were planted in Lovers Lane specifically,” said Evert.
Gey van Pittius further explains that from the photographs available in the archives that
these trees were planted in October 1943, according to the letter from the clerk and
photographs showing the growing trees, they will be 75 years old later this year.
Although the origin of the name ‘Lovers’ lane’ is still unknown, a Lovers’ lane is usually a
place with an extraordinary view, and from the photographs provided; you can decide what
you think of the view.
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