• Outing to Farleigh Forest Station on 28 November 2021. Avoiding the flooding Karatara River on this day, an intrepid group of members wound their way to the Farleigh Forest Station, in the hills above Barrington. Having arrived at Farleigh, Philip Caveney pointed out the rather remote farm allotments granted to a group of woodcutters in 1882, which were not popular. During a tea break, in front of the Forestry offices, a discussion was held concerning the tragic 1920 Elephant hunt by Major PJ Pretorius, which took place in the forests north of Millwood, with further reference to the journal entries of Forester Charlie Rabbets. Lynne Thompson then told the participants about the role the WWII Italian prisoners-of-war, based at Farleigh, played in the lives of the local families of the area and then took us through the offices and the forester’s home to view the wall murals painted by the Italians. On the way back to Knysna we stopped at a viewing point, which looked down on the village of Karatara, to listen to the history of the village. The outing ended with a drive through the village, viewing the buildings built by the Department of Welfare in the 1940’s to uplift the lives of old and invalided woodcutters. Our thanks go to Nellie Grootendorst and Sandra Taljaart of SANParks for their support of this venture.
• Covid-19 restrictions

Due to Covid -19 restrictions no presentations were held during 2021.

• Philip Caveney, The  Imperious Magistrate Maximilian Jackson
• Dave Reynell, The ecology and management of the Knysna/Tsitsikamma indigenous forests
•  AGM and talk by Murray Douglas, The old roads between George and Knysna – A history from 1752 to the 1940’s
• Lorraine Stainer, The forefathers of Knysna
• Belinda Gordon/ Mike de Jongh, The Forgotten Front – Anglo Boer War stories
• Allen Duff, Southern Cape & Karoo – More Historical Odds & Sods from the Klein Karroo to the Southern Cape
• Murray Douglas, Morning outing to the George Railway Museum
• Jenny Wilkinson, The history of the Thesen Islands development
• Philip Caveney, The involvement of Knysna in the 1938 centenary re-enactment of the Great Trek
• Philip Caveney, All day outing to the Deep Walls and Pheasant Hoek Forests
  As a closing historical activity for 2019, members of the Society participated in an outing into the Harkerville and Fisanthoek forestal areas. Stopping first to view the Bracken Hill Falls on the Witels River, which were in full flood after some heavy rains (which also continued during the activity!) we proceeded to the grave of Arnt Thesen, the progenitor of the Thesen family of Knysna. After a short stop to view the grave and an explanation as to why he was buried at Bracken Hill, we departed for the Harkerville Forest Station for tea.

  We then crossed over the N2 and drove to the Fisanthoek (Pheasant Hoek) Woodcutter Settlements, stopping for a brief explanation of how the woodcutters came to be settled here. We then departed for the old Fisanthoek Forestry Station for lunch, after which we drove home along the 1893 Swaneberg forest road, popular amongst the local cyclists.

• Erick Fourie,  A video history of Knysna (Bioscope evening)

• Knut Alexander Carlson, the story of a forester by the Wästfelt Carlson Family Foundation
• Geology of Greater Knysna presented by Professor Morris Viljoen
• Hentie’s Botel and other Hentie Stories an illustrated talk by Martin Hatchuel
• Thomas Bain, the old road to Storms River, a talk by Philip Caveney
• Storms River outing, following the old Tsitsikamma route of Thomas Bain, led by Philip Caveney
• Westford Farm and the life of Edward Bibbey, an illustrated talk by Erick and Louise Fourie
• Historical books of Knysna, a talk by Knysna author Ian Uys
• Boer War Cameo at Willowmore in the Southern Cape, an illustrated talk by Alan Duff.
• Harry Reitz Water Scheme, a talk on this early 1925 scheme in Knysna by Philip Caveney.
• Knysna in film & video, an historical record of Knysna presented by Erick & Louise Fourie.

• Woodcutter Locations in the Southern Cape, an illustrated talk by Philip Caveney
• Forgotten First People –the  Southern Cape Hessequa, a talk by Professor Mike de Jongh
• Bibbey’s Hoek and the Millwood Goldfields  an outing led by Allen Duff and Philip Caveney
• Sea Rescue at Knysna, a talk by Lorraine Stainer and Jerome Simonis (NSRI)
• Thesen Houses of Knysna, an illustrated talk by Philip Caveney
• Family history and some early Knysna Drifters by Dennis & Martha Woolard.
• Virtual tour of Knysna presented by Cathie Garner

• Stone Age Man in Knysna, an illustrated talk by Roger Murray
• Noetzie, an illustrated  talk by Chris Everett
• SANParks – Launch of the Rooted in Time tour at Ysterhoutrugpad.
• Choo-Tjoe, Outeniqua, an illustrated  talk by Allen Duff on the revival of the rail line.
• Seven Passes Road between George & Knysna, an illustrated talk by Murray Douglas

• Knysna Heads talk , a slide show and talk by David Wightman, author of the book Heads and Tales, 50 years: 1945-1995.
• Karatara, history of the village, an illustrated presentation by Philip Caveney.
• Pre-Passes Road, an illustrated presentation by Murray Douglas.
• South Western Railway, an outing to Bracken Hill led by Allen Duff
• Cape foresters 1881 – 1899, de Vasselot and his team, an illustrated talk by Philip Caveney
• Concrete Bridge, a centenary commemoration of the bridge led by Murray Douglas.
• Knysna old town, Government wharf and Belvidere, an outing led by Allen Duff, Lorraine Stainer & Philip Caveney.
• Knysna’s Heritage Homes, an illustrated talk by Philip Caveney

• Knysna River, the saga of crossing this river, by Murray Douglas
• Robert Hart, a character of Knysna, by Philip Caveney
• George Duthie of Brenton and his family – The history of her life at Brenton and the building of the RN Fairmile Motor Launches during WWII, by the late Mary van Eeden (daughter of George and Lucy Duthie)
• Western farming areas of Knysna, an all-day outing to these farming areas including Goukamma, Ruigtevlei, Karatara and Zwart-Rivier (Eastbrook) led by Allen Duff & Philip Caveney

• Rexford House, an outing to this historical home, The Crags
• Belvidere, a talk by the late Lexie Elliott, a veteran of Belvidere
• Ganzvlei Farm, a visit to the home of the late David Metelerkamp, Goukamma.
• John FV Phillips, a talk about his time in the Knysna Forest, by Philip Caveney
• Heritage Day celebrations, 2012. A Heritage Day talk on the founding of the Millwood House Museum by Margaret Parkes
• Bracken Hill, De Poort and Fisanthoek, an all-day outing with talks by Philip Caveney, Margaret Parkes and Lorraine Stainer

• Belvidere Church,  a presentation & tour led by Henry Barrington, Lorraine Stainer and Margaret Parkes.
• Turbine Hotel, a tour led by owner Geoff Engel and architect Mike Louw.
• Friends of the Choo –Tjoe, a presentation by Fraser Howell
• Woodcutter memories,  a Bring & Braai evening and talk by Dalena Wolmarans
• William John Burchell, a presentation by Prof. Stan Caveney.
• Heritage Day celebrations, a Heritage Building walk, Market Hall talk and
• viewing of Council Chambers and Committee Rooms followed by  & Bring & Braai.
• Deep Walls An all-day outing, presentations by Philip Caveney, Dave Reynell (retired forester) and Melaney Barrath SANParks.

Terblanche Family, a talk by Phyllis Terblance.

George Rex, a talk given by the late Vicky Williams.