Ornithogalum grandiflorum
Photo by Jim Holmes
Wilhelm Stefanus Barnard (Barnie) was born on 20 November 1935, at Calitzdorp.
He studied Geography and History at Stellenbosch University (BA 1956,
MA, cum laude,1959 - Thesis: Political-geographical Aspects of South West Africa) and obtained a D.Phil. in 1964. Thesis: Regional patterns in South West Africa.
1960: Lecturer in Geography, Stellenbosch University; 1966: Senior Lecturer;
1971: Professor of Geography, retirement at the end of 1995
1996: Temporary Lecturer in Geography and Environmental Study, Stellenbosch
University
Since 1997: Research Fellow, Stellenbosch University
He married Ingeborg Aleida Hettasch in 1961. Children: Eleanor, Christiaan
Rudolf and Carl Stefanus (born 1971, he died in 1995)
W.S. Barnard died on 29 August 2010, while on a walk.
Academic interests: History of Geography, geographical thought, political geography, arid regions,
Namibia
Overseas experience:
Visited Australia in 1966 (July - December) with an Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Grant; the Federal Republic of Germany in 1978 (May - July) on the invitation of
the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); Switzerland and Federal Republic of Germany in 1994 (May - June) with a Stellenbosch University Grant; visit Germany, UK and Ireland (July 1995) with a Centre for Science Development Grant; attend IGU conference in The Hague (August 1996) with Stellenbosch University Grant; visit Bundesarchiv, Berlin (Germany) (July 1996) with Human Sciences Council Senior Research Grant
Memberships:
Member, South African Geographical Society, 1959-1994; Member of Council,
South African Geographical Society, 1972-1985; President, South African
Geographical Society, 1979; Life Member, Society for
Geography, 1964-1994; Full Member, South African Academy for Arts and
Sciences, elected 1984; Member, Simon Van der Stel Foundation, since
1988; Member, Society of South African Geographers, since 1995
Hobbies: Hiking, travelling, reading Favourite quote: Dare to
reason! (Immanuel Kant)
Award: Stals Prize for Geography 1990
Contributions to books:
"The geographical background". Chapter 2 in: SP Cilliers (ed): The Western Cape: A Socio-economic Investigation, Kosmo Publishers, 1964
"The earth's crust and landforms: A related whole". In: IG Nicol (ed), Geography and the School. Society for Geography Special Publication 4, 1980
"The Border War: After 19 years." In WS Barnard (ed), Compass on South West Africa/Namibia. Society for Geography, Special Publication 5, 1985
"Diverging geography and the radical contribution: A review". In: J Mouton & D
Joubert (eds), Knowledge and Method in the Human Sciences, Pretoria, HSRC, 1989
"Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands" Chapter 6 in GME Leistner, P Esterhuysen
& R Cornwell (eds), Namibia 1990: An Africa Institute Survey, Africa Institute, 1990
"From obscurity to resurrection: The lower Orange River as international
boundary". In: WA Galusser (ed), Political Boundaries and Co-existence, Berne: Peter Lang, 1994
"Encountering Adamastor: South African founding geographers and their regional
geographies". Chapter 19 in a volume of readings edited by A Buttimer, S Brunn
& U Wardenga, Text and Image: The Social Construction of Regional Knowledge's, Leipzig Germany: Institute for Regional Geography, 1999)
www.StellenboschWriters.com © Rosemarie Breuer