South African Dental Association Gauteng South Branch

I qualified on 5 November 1951. At Dental School I had the menial task of looking after the class funds so that Solly could supply us with tea/coffee in the Common Room---and so my interest in the welfare of my colleagues began!

In March 1952 I attended the S. Tvl. Branch AGM---and was elected on to the Branch Committee—which I finally had to quit when I relocated to Sydney 55 years later. I do not suppose that record will be easily shattered. I presented a Gavel to the Branch for the President’s use during meetings and hope that it is still being used at our meetings.

The Branch Committee was a tremendously strong one then: Lionel Blum; Barnett Braude; John v.d.S de Villiers; Abe Kessel; Fred Hossack; Gordon Fraser; George Forsyth—and that was a great way to learn about dental politics and, of course, the PPS.

The Secretary was Charles Kohler who was also doing that job for the PPS. [Abe Kessel was the first Chairman of the PPS with George Forsyth as his deputy] Gordon Fraser actually was PPS Member No.1. He was also the founder and first director of the Coronation Dental Infirmary at 81 von Brandis Street.

For many years the Branch Committee met in the CDI Board Room and used the Clinic as their HQ. There was always keen competition for a seat on the committee. After the CDI we met in the offices jointly occupied by the Branch and the PPS in Medical Arts Building on the corner of Troye and Jeppe streets; Cavendish Chambers; Rand Central in Jeppe Street . At a meeting there we resolved to support the DASA’s idea of purchasing the late Dr Liang’s house in Princess of Wales Terrace on the recommendation of the then Mayor of Johannesburg, Mr Ross-Spencer, whose father was one of the early dentists in Johannesburg. He knew that the terrace would soon be rebuilt into one of the main East-West arterial roads between Jan Smuts Avenue and Houghton Drive. When we moved in to our new home, Sam was already employed there as a very young gardener---and he stayed with the Association for many years. Lin Domenico joined the DASA staff at that time and lived with her husband, many dogs and, in time, two daughters, in a flat at the back of the house. She had previously worked for Harold Fridjohn in the editorial offices of the Rand Daily Mail.

Other DASA secretaries were: a Mr Meintjes ( who had an addiction to brandy); and John Nuttall who joined us from the Wells Organisation who assisted in fund-raising for the RED Fund. John was an ex-Methodist Minister and after the DASA he spent many years as an assistant secretary at the Pharmaceutical Society.

It may be of interest to colleagues to know that we employed two other males at that time: Solly and Ben. One morning they both failed to arrive at work----they had injured themselves while making a bomb for the ANC at their Soweto home—we never heard from them again so one wonders what happened to them after their spell on Robben Island? One would have imagined that they would have contacted us on their release and I presume that they must be employed by the ANC in some capacity.

In 1961 I had the honour of being the Branch President and inaugurated the idea of inviting all colleagues to my home in Benoni for an informal cocktail party—Alas this form of fellowship was not continued by my successors although an annual reception for the members was continued for some years.

Contributed by Dr Helmut Heydt