The 2023 Chronicle

of leaks from passing shipping or shipwrecks. The birds are then fed with sardines and reintroduced into the sea, their natural habitat. Charles also worked at the MTN Science Centre where thousands of children from all walks of life began to learn about science and the important role it plays in our lives. This led to his travelling to Grahamstown annually for the National Science Festival, where almost 90,000 children would visit each year over a 10-day period. Charles engaged in setting up exhibitions and teaching the children in practical ways about science through, for example, the annual Soap Box Derby.

Practical physics lessons were learned with regard to acceleration, momentum and inertia through the experience of driving go-carts. This was another area in which Charles has made an impact on South Africans. In May 2023 Charles celebrated membership of the committee of the Michaelhouse Old Boys’ Club for 46 consecutive years. As will be evident, he is a dedicated Old Boy whose impact on society, particularly through activities around firefighting, bird conservation and creating new opportunities for young people in the world of science have made him highly respected and a worthy recipient of the St Michael Award.

CHRIS MCBRIDE

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here are few Old Boys who have been as dedicated as Chris McBride to wildlife conservation on the continent of Africa and attracted as much international acclaim asChris. His time at Michaelhouse afforded him the opportunity to engage with the countryside around the school, and developed in him a desire to study the wealth of birdlife as well as buck such as oribi and reedbuck and a variety of snakes. This early interest in the great outdoors led ultimately to a Master’s degree in wildlife management and natural resources at the University of California in Humboldt, and he developed a particular interest in the study of lion. Over four decades, Chris has grown to become a world authority on lion and has had the joy of working alongside his equally dedicated wife, Charlotte, in a professional capacity right up to this day. Chris is the author of four books and a number of papers which reflect his knowledge of the King of the Beasts. His first book, The White Lions of Timbavati , published in 1977, was based on a unique study of what was then a private game reserve bordering the Kruger National Park and which was co-owned by his father. This brought international attention to the existence of leucistic lions and was the result of years of close study of lion and their habits. Most of this was done on foot in the bush armed with a rifle and well away from the comfort of a warm bed. The book has subsequently been translated into eight languages, underlining the worldwide impact of Chris McBride. His second book, Liontide , was based on his work in the mystical Savuti channel area of Botswana. Chris combined raw scientific

data with a personal vision and understanding of the natural world to produce a captivating narrative. Working with Charlotte, Chris has photographed lion hunting at night with special equipment, and several of his works carry the thrill of the night time chase, a unique development in wildlife study. Business Day in reviewing his work described it as an “invaluable insight into lion behaviour, crammed with information and a book that will have pride of place on the shelf of any naturalist, whether amateur or professional”. A further work of his, Age and Size Categories of Lion Prey in the Chobe National Park , Botswana provided yet more ground- breaking insights into the habits of lion and their hunting predilections. Through his keen knowledge of lion and through his photography of them in their natural habitat, Chris has been able to enthuse generations of people about lion and to develop an equally keen interest in them in his own subject. Chris and Charlotte have been magnanimous in providing guests with intimate experiences of nature in Africa, principally at McBride’s Camp beside the Kafue River in the Kafue National Park in Zambia. He is an experienced guide and, even in his 80s, opens up a new world for people as they set out with him on foot into the bush. They may encounter hippo and elephant, but his principal focus will be on recording and photographing the habits of the King of the Beasts. In doing so, Chris and Charlotte have enhanced the lives of a number of people from all corners of the world, and it is most fitting that he should have conferred upon him the St Michael Award.

PETER OSCROFT

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he was head of East and Senior Prefect and played for the first rugby and cricket teams. His love of the outdoors led to him chairing the Natural History Society and the Yacht Club.

eter Oscroft is a man who has exhibited the values which Michaelhouse seeks to instil in its community – integrity, humility, compassion, courage and service.

After leaving school, Peter enrolled for a degree in civil engineering

He had an exemplary career at Michaelhouse during which time

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