Settling in a New Chum

Gervas’ office & mill  on Main Street Que Que , 1939

Settling in a New Chum

After Brian Freyburg recovered from the measles at Barbara’s parental home Herschel in the Cape, he heard that Gervas wanted a learner for his farm at Que Que.  A failed engineering student, he had always hankered for a farm life.   This might be his chance. He applied via Barbara for the job.  Gervas replied, “If you only learn to work, it will be of some use to you.”

Gervas had a heavy work load  and looked forward to an assistant.

Settling in a New Chum

Brian travelled to Que Que by train, which took three nights and three days. He arrived in Bulawayo to change trains to the Salisbury mail. His trunk was in the guard’s van, where heavy luggage travelled. He went to clear immigration but was told that Gervas would have to stand security for him, if he was deported. Gervas refused. After some discussion and phoning they allowed the luggage to be transferred to the Salisbury train and Brian was allowed to travel on.

Gervas met him at Que Que railway station. They drove to the farm where Brian’s first job was to assist a cow with a stuck calf. The cow was tied to a tree stump in the middle of a cattle-kraal. This was his introduction to farming, his arm up to the shoulder in a cow, being thrown around the place as she struggled. They did not get the calf out and Brian did not forget his introduction to farming.

Brian settled in at Gervas’ office complex in Que Que.  There was an office, a mill and a forge in one long building, facing the main Salisbury-Bulawayo road and beyond, the water tanks for the steam trains.  The office had a desk, a table and two chairs.  A small wall safe for petty cash also had a tin for beer money. No one paid cash. If Brian wanted groceries he would give his cook-house servant a note to fetch them from the appropriate shop. The bill would arrive at the end of the month for payment. Account payers were so dilatory that the rates and water bill, which came by the hand of a one armed messenger, carried a 50% discount if paid by the 15th of the month!

Barbara did her utmost to protect Brian, a ‘new chum’, from the tough locals. He had promised his mother he would not drink spirits until he was twenty one, but he drank one beer at the pub every night. Gervas paid him £5 a month all found. Brian persuaded him to double the salary to £10 and he would feed himself. Thereafter he had his dinner at the Que Que Hotel, and, much to Barbara’s envy, bought a ham to carve for his lunch.

Many Thanks to Tim Hughes of Queensland, Australia for the  picture and the excerpts from his unpublished manuscript  Matambega and Son written in the 1980’s.