The Chronicle 2022

being a young, enthusiastic principal in Welkom to a maturing Headmaster in Kingsway, KwaZulu-Natal, and then becoming Principal of the renowned Maritzburg College, the Headmaster at Durban High School and later Rector of the prestigious Michaelhouse in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. He was also a lecturer at his alma mater, Natal University. He is a recipient of the Honourable Citizen Award for Service to Education and The Rotary Vocational Service Award . In 2011 Dr Forde was honoured with the President’s Order of the Baobab (Bronze) Award , in recognition of his excellent and unparalleled work in the fields of education and leadership building.

eThekwini Education Trust (DTET) to alleviate the inferior quality education available to many black people in this country. Dr Forde became a trustee in 2017 and, since then, has offered his time, energy and experience in developing the work and scope of the DTET. Most recently this has been with the Caversham Learning Institute, an Early Childhood Development teacher training organization. Aside from his many years in service to the community through Scouting, Education and ongoing leadership training, Dr Forde has authored a number of books on Leadership, and has enjoyed being an ardent sports fanatic, a private pilot and a yachtsman. Dudley Forde is one of nature’s gentlemen and a worthy recipient of the St Michael Award.

Some years ago, Rotarians in Durban established the Durban

PETER PICKFORD (TATHAM, 1975)

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oday we are honouring Peter Pickford, an Old Boy of 1975 who, along with his wife, Beverly, has been acclaimed in the field of photo-journalism and is recognised, internationally, as one of the most prominent photographers and authors in the realm of wildlife. Put simply, Peter has brought the world of nature to many people and his work has been recognised by presidents, royalty and others as quite exceptional. Peter’s love for the great outdoors was developed at Michaelhouse where he utilised the opportunities presented by “free bounds” and spent many hours over weekends, in particular, exploring the countryside around Michaelhouse. Visits to the Drakensberg and Botswana, and trips to the Natal Parks Board, cemented that love and, after an odyssey of several years after leaving school, Peter came, along with his wife, Beverly, to publish his first book, Wilderness Dawning, in 1987 at the tender age of 30. Together with Beverly, ten further books have followed: • African Birds of Prey was published in 1989 and 85 000 copies have been sold to date • Himba – Nomads of Nambia followed in 1990 and four editions have been published since then • West Coast – A Circle of Seasons which was chosen by President Nelson Mandela as an official gift to visiting dignitaries during his inaugural year • Fly-Fishing in Southern Africa • The Miracle Rivers, the Okavango and the Chobe of Botswana which led to Peter’s being described as a dedicated and inspirational African by President Khama of Botswana • The Longest Cast celebrates fly fishing destinations around the world

• Forever Africa after which Peter and Beverly were described by President Thabo Mbeki as being “the authentic voice of Africa” • African Safari – Into the Great Game Reserves • Wildland – A Journey into the Earth’s Last Wilds • To the Edges of the Earth – A Journey into Wild Land published in 2020 was his first written work As described above, accolades have been heaped on Peter by eminent people; these include His Royal Highness Prince Philip who, in his capacity as Chairman of the World Wildlife Fund, nominated Peter as one of the top ten wildlife photographers in the world. Peter has won the Agfa Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, the Kodak Black and White Photographer of the Year Award and has on many occasions been commended in the BBC Photographer of the Year Awards. Copies of his books have been sold around the world and the work of Peter and his wife, Beverly, has been translated into nine languages. Peter has three fundamental convictions: firstly he believes in positive endorsement as a tool towards public engagement in conservation. The world is flooded with bad news in which, frequently, environmental disasters are highlighted. In Peter’s view, these tend to drive the general public away from their natural affection for their land and, thus, they have a negative association. Through his work, Peter seeks actively to reverse this trend by highlighting the wonder of our natural world and revealing its magnificence in a manner that enchants people. Secondly, Peter believes that it is only when a piece of land becomes precious in the hearts of people that it is truly protected. He has therefore concentrated on producing work in which he, himself, is for the most part absent so that the full power of the privilege of standing in the surrounds of a natural situation can be felt by everyone. His work entails the production of images of power that allows people to interpret

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