It’s not often that a book launch attracts over 300 people, but this is exactly what happened when the coffee table book Betty’s Bay – Between Mountain and Sea was launched at the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden in Betty’s Bay at the end of last year.
This 640-page hard cover book is definitely no ordinary coffee table book – it is a landmark edition that celebrates the soul of a coastal treasure, Betty’s Bay, and is the result of months of collaborative effort and local storytelling that is dedicated to the breathtaking beauty, rich heritage and vibrant community life of Betty’s Bay.
The book not only has beautiful photographs and mesmerizing aerial views, but also includes detailed maps and exquisite botanical illustrations as well as more than 100 contributions from residents across the town.
Betty’s Bay’s remarkable diversity is explored in this book through themes such as local history, geography and governance, indigenous flora and fauna, nature reserves, scenic walks and places of interest. Also included are the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, the historic whaling station and nearby shipwrecks.
The Stony Point penguin colony, the Marine Protected Area, the Art Route and the community voices from across residential areas are of the highlights of the book, which is bilingual with selected sections in Afrikaans.
As can be expected with a book of this magnitude a large editorial team was needed to compile it. The editorial team are: Tim Atwell, Karon Scholefield, Lizel and Skip Krige, Carol Clark and Patrick Bolttler. The layout of the book was done by Stella Stofberg of Heritage Publications and was published by Hemel & See Boeke.
A hot-off-the-press copy of the book was presented to the Betty’s Bay library by Skip Krige. Praise and congratulations for the book streamed in after the very successful launch. Some of the accolades are: “What a mammoth task and it is not only beautiful but a very fine historical record.” (Vicki Thomas). “What a magnificent achievement! The number of archival photographs you have managed to track down is fantastic. The whole book will remain a classic benchmark of Betty’s Bay’s story for all times. It is a precious record.” (John Rourke). “I want to thank you for the enormous contribution you have made to all our lives – and generations to come – by using your skills, inspiration and dedication to realise this project. To call the book a treasure trove is still a bit of an understatement.” (Eleonore van der Horst).
Only 800 copies of the book were printed, of which more than 700 are already sold. The book is available at the bookshop at the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden at R750 per book. The shop can be contacted on 079 657 2385.
