KNYSNA NEWS - Bondi was a pedigree bulldog, given by the people of Lourenco Marques in 1928 to the crew of HMS Verbena, a flower class sloop, and he became the ship’s mascot.
On January 30, 1931 the Verbena visited Knysna, tying up at Thesen's jetty. The ship’s crew planned a variety concert for the local people, so that afternoon a group of sailors marched up to the town hall to decorate it for the evening’s entertainment.
Bondi decided to accompany them, but sadly the long walk in the heat was too much for him and he collapsed and died at 16:00.
Every oyster festival, when the navy ships come in, a ceremony is held at this marker, during which the Sea Cadets tidy up the garden around Bondi’s stone and polish his nameplate.
This year, celebrating Bondi is even more special because there will be a Bondi competition.
The Knysna Historical Society invites all primary school learners to share in this bit of Knysna history by taking part in an art competition.
The competition will be divided into two groups; Grades 1 to 3 and Grades 4 to 7, with a first prize of R200 and a second prize of R100 in each category.
• You will find a statue of Bondi at the Waterfront.
• There is a photo of him sitting with a sailor in a rickshaw in the Maritime Museum in the Old Gaol.
• His stone marker is outside the SANParks office on Thesen’s jetty.
• Bondi's story and additional pictures can be found on Google if you type in Bondi.
Rules of the competition are: write your name, grade and school clearly on the back of your artwork and hand it in at the Millwood Museum in Queen Street in Knysna opposite Dr Barker’s surgery across the road from the municipal offices.
The competition closes on June 27 and the results will be announced at the Bondi ceremony during the oyster festival. The Knysna-Plett Herald will publish the actual date of the ceremony when it becomes available. – Supplied
* For further information phone Mrs L Stainer on 044-382-5287.
'We bring you the latest Knysna, Garden Route news'
