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Cora and Ivor Jardine
As a token of
apprecia-tion to Atlassers who have contributed consi-derably and consistently to the
Project, I have decided to give you a personal profile to them. I hope you will find them
interesting. We will start with Cora and Ivor Jardine. Cora has done all the drawings for
the Cape Peninsula Field Guide with great enthu-siasm and dedication. I am sure that you
will agree that her work is clear and accurate, capturing the charac-teristics necessary
for the identification of the proteas. We thank her for all her time and look forward to
seeing it in print shortly!
Heather Webber
Ivor Jardine has collected a considerable amount of data for the Protea Atlas Project, as well as finding a new species. He has currently sent in 1719 Sight Record Sheets. You know the quote - "Behind every successful man there is a successful woman" - so read on and see who has been Ivor's best friend, companion and support over the years.
Cora grew up on a farm nestled under the Drakensberg mountains in East Griqualand, now known as southern KwaZulu-Natal. This perfect setting enthused her interest in mountains and nature. At the early age of four she was already showing her independence and determination: she skilfully taught herself to use her mother's sewing machine. She went on many mountain walks, sketching the beautiful scenery around her.
Ivor was born in Cape Town and spent his teens, while schooling at Bishops, on the farm Applegarth, situated at the new Sir Lowry's and the historical Gantouw passes. This is where his keen interest in mountain climbing and indigenous flora began.
Cora attended Rhodes University and read English, Theology and Art. After completing her BA, she studied for her Teacher's Diploma at the Grahamstown Teachers Training college. Her early years in the working world were spent at Highbury Preparatory School in KwaZulu-Natal, then at Golden Grove Primary School, followed by teaching art at Westerford High School in Rondebosch.
Cora and Ivor met as both were youth leaders of their respective Churches. It was inevitable that Ivor would not let a good catch like Cora go astray and so their common interests in the outdoors, mission work, and their enthusiasm in making the most of every available opportunity led to their marriage in January 1964.
The first 14 years of their marriage was spent doing mission work - an exciting and enjoyable period of their lives. They worked in mission stations near the Angolan/Namibian border and Transkei. Ivor, apart from being the hospital medical Superintendent, was involved in organising health services, supervising the building of clinics, and so forth. Cora was principal of the primary school in Ovamboland. Because of the great unemployment in the Transkei, Cora was approached to assist the locals in finding jobs. She took it upon herself to teach them dressmaking and machine knitting. She soon had enough pupils to launch an industrial school. Cora also was involved in raising funds for a nutrition-teaching scheme at the hospital.
In his early forty's, Ivor decided to return to his studies and specialised in ophthalmology whilst working at Groote Schuur Hospital. After qualifying, Ivor opened his own practice, in which he is still involved. Cora meanwhile pursued her own interests, and after a three-year art course started painting. She's done sculptures, portraits, pen-and-wash and etching, but still her deep desire and satisfaction comes from botanical drawings. It was after Nicholas saw her art work that he commissioned Cora to draw the proteas for the Cape Peninsula Pocket Field Guide.
Although Cora and Ivor do not have children of their own, they are supportive, empathetic, generous, confidantes to many people - doubtless their family is larger than most, and now includes the Protea Atlassing team.
Cora looking at Mimetes hirtus at the Kleinmond Nature Reserve
Ivor looking at Leucadendron bonum on Gideons Kop
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