PETTICOAT PIONEER

In 2002 the Kimberley Africana Library published "Petticoat Pioneers", a book by Maureen Rall, celebrating the women who pioneered life on the Diamond Fields and in the early days of Kimberley.

In the chapter on artists, Nellie is featured and with the permission of Mrs Kokkie Duminy of the Kimberley Africana Library, I quote from the article:

Cornelia Carolina du Plooy

Cornelia Carolina du Plooy, known as Nellie, was born in Hopetown on 12 May 1902. Her artistic talents first came to the fore when, as a schoolgirl in the little riverside town of Douglas, she helped her father by drawing blueprints. A pretty village with the Vaal River lying at its feet, Douglas provided much for the artist to commit to paper and canvas and the young girl was able to sketch and paint to her heart's content.

Nellie attended the Douglas High School and subsequently the Kimberley Teachers' College which later became the Diamantveld High School. While teaching at the Newton Primary School, she studied fine arts with Sarah Reid, a graduate of the Slade School of Art in London and Paris.

After her marriage to Mr JR Steenkamp in May 1934, he was transferred to Cape Town and here Nellie's career as an artist blossomed. Four years after arriving in the Mother City, she held the first of eleven one-man exhibitions, followed by ten others held in Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Cradock, Douglas and Kimberley.

Kimberley was fortunate that the couple returned to the city in 1944, for her contribution to arts and culture was enormous. Here she staged one-man exhibitions and exhibited sketches, watercolours, pastels, oils and Batik at numerous group exhibitions. Public buildings also benefited from her talents: she was responsible for the windows in the Diamantveld Dutch Reformed Church (see left) , painted the backdrops at the McGregor Museum in Beaconsfield and the ten panels in the Kimberley City Hall.

She was commissioned to paint the portraits of many prominent figures, including Mrs Maria Malan, the wife of  Prime Minister D.F. Malan, in 1949; Dr J.B. Hertzog, Judge Bok, Judge Hugo, Mayor Jacobus Smit of Kimberley, and various others. She also painted portraits of various family members, and that of President P.W. Botha and one of her grandfather, Genl. PJ de Villiers, which is now in the Military Museum in Bloemfontein     

For the schools this teacher/artist had a special affection and she designed many school badges, including those of Newton Primary School, Diamantveld High School, President Swart Primary School and Adamantia High School.

Mrs Steenkamp, who worked under her maiden name, was one of the founder members of the Kimberley Arts Foundation and was a member of the Board of the William Humphries Art Gallery for 23 years until her resignation in 1984.

On the occasion of her 90th birthday in 1992 she reminisced: "I have been drawing and painting ever since I can remember, but I had to give it up in 1980, when I started having problems with my eyes."

Nellie du Plooy died in Kimberley at the home of her daughter, Marie Liebenberg, on 13th July 1993, two months after her 91st birthday. She was survived by two daughters, a son and three grandchildren.

The Nellie du Plooy Trophy for outstanding art work by a Year Ten student.

In Nellie's memory, her children donated a trophy to the Douglas High School, where she herself was a pupil, for outstanding art work by a Year Ten student. The annual award also includes a cash prize.

A second trophy, the Japie Steenkamp Trophy for entrepreneurial achievement,  memorialises Nellie's husband, who was born in Douglas and also attended the Douglas High School.