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News - Date: 23 January 2012
One of the Soutpansberg’s perhaps not-so- well-known residents passed away a fortnight ago. She was, however, a person with an extremely interesting history, who also made a huge contribution in fields such as the exploration of southern African rock art.
Cathelijne Eastwood (née Cnoops) was born in Musina on 1 December 1946. Her parents came from Holland and also had quite an illustrious history. Both were involved in the Dutch resistance during World War II and spent some time in Nazi concentration camps.
After the war, they settled in South Africa where Cathelijne’s dad worked as a borehole drilling contractor. The family lived out on the Bluegumspoort road where Harnham House is currently situated.
Cat, as she was more commonly known, was the eldest of six children, four boys and two girls. When she was still very young, she was diagnosed with polio, something for which there was no cure at that stage. The family returned to Holland for a few years for her to be treated.
When the Cnoops family returned to South Africa in the mid-1950’s, they settled in Musina where her dad, Tony, worked as an accountant at the copper mine in Musina. Because of his training during the war as a paratrooper, he was an excellent horseback rider. In his spare time he gave riding lessons to the local community.
In the late 1950s, the family were tipped off that, because of the political situation in the country at that stage, they were in danger of being arrested. The Cnoops family had to leave South Africa at short notice and return to Holland.
The young Cathelijne finished her schooling and also completed a degree in fine arts in Holland. She then worked for the Dutch government and trained people to work in foreign countries. This was mostly as part of various relief programmes in Africa. For a large part of her professional career, she was stationed in Zambia and the Ivory Coast. She also worked as a liaison officer for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Volunteer programme.
Cathelijne returned to South Africa 21 years ago, primarily to visit some old friends. One of the friends was Eddie Eastwood from Louis Trichardt. This visit ended in a more permanent arrangement and the two stayed together until Ed’s death in 2008. She also assisted Ed with his research into rock art and was co-author of the highly acclaimed book, Capturing the Spoor. This book examines the virtually unknown rock art of the central Limpopo basin.
Cathelijne and Ed founded Paleo-Art Field Services in 1991, and their research became known and respected throughout the world. They received international acknowledgement for their groundbreaking research and consequent theories about rock art and also published dozens of scientific papers in numerous renowned, internationally published journals.
Cat kept herself busy with her nursery over the past years and had an immense knowledge of culinary herbs.
She is survived by her four brothers and sister. Her one brother, Bob, is a well-known South African artist/photographer. The other brothers, Frans, Emile, Wienand and her sister, Cecile, reside in the Netherlands.
Anton van Zyl has been with the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror since 1990. He graduated from the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg) and obtained a BA Communications degree. He is a founder member of the Association of Independent Publishers.
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