The papers contain various materials relating to Reverend Torr's involvement with different organizations. The papers illustrate some of the important issues of social security and basic income grant in South Africa, church assistance with the problems of fighting poverty, unemployment, HIV, social transformation and security, as well as peace campaigns and reconciliation. The collection was donated to Historical Papers by Reverend Douglas Torr in 2007.

The papers contain correspondence, reports, press clippings and printed items on his work as a magistrate in the Eastern Transvaal and Rustenburg, with particular reference to tribal jurisdiction, agriculture and farm labour and the suppression of the rebellion in the Northern Transvaal in 1914. Later papers reflect on his political career as a member of the Dominion Party in parliament 1940-1948 and his service as Director-General of Non-European Army Services 1940-1947. Also included are auto-biographical notes on his childhood and participation in the South African War 1899-1902, and genealogical accounts of 1820 Settler families such as Stubbs, Lanham and Roby.

Abbreviations:

AAC - All Africa Convention.

ANC - African National Congress.

CNETU - Council of Non-European Trade Unions.

ICU - Industrial and Commercial Workers Union.

NIC - Natal Indian Congress.

NRC - Natives Representative Council.

SANNC -South African Native National Council.

The collection consists of copies of transcripts of the Durban Native Commission report, 31 January 1948.

The Joane Pim papers span the years 1939-1974, with the preponderance between the years 1950-1974 when Miss Pim was actively employed by the Anglo-American Corporation, although there are a few items going back as far as 1805.

They contain correspondence, minutes, reports, addresses, lectures, manuscript and typescript notes and notebooks, photographs and photographic albums, press cuttings, slides and plans as well as her book 'Beauty is Honorary'. Her private correspondence is to be regarded as 'Closed Access' for the next 10 years (until 1 January 1985).

The papers should be of great interest to several departments within the University. Her collection of slides illustrating her work in beautifying the gardens of many fine private homes, as well an the mines, would he of particular interest to the Department of Architecture and Town Planning. The botanical specimens and notes would he welcomed by the Department of Botany. Miss Pim's work covered the whole of South Africa and with the growing awareness of the need to preserve the best of the past, her papers are of national interest. Her death is a great loss to environmental consciousness in South Africa and particularly to landscape architecture of which the was a pioneer.

All the papers and printed items are of immense research value and will be preserved and made available to bona fide students and researchers.

The papers of James Howard Pim contain personal documents, letters, memoranda, notebooks, press clippings, photographs, printed items and maps. The printed items have been kept with the papers because they complement the papers and in many cases have annotations in Pim's handwriting.

Subjects of interest include Ireland, the South African War (in particular the Siege of Kimberley), Johannesburg municipal affairs, politics, race relations, native welfare, education, economics, accountancy, art, literature and Quakerism. (For details of subjects see p.32). The term "native" has been used throughout the Inventory to describe the black people of South Africa because in the years when Pim was interested in black welfare, "native" was the legal and acceptable word and is the one he himself used, Through His brother, Sir Alan William Pim (1670- 1958; a distinguished colonial civil servant), Pim became well informed on Indian affairs and on the question of the Protectorates of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland.

J.H. Pim corresponded with many people of note such as Sir Herbert Baker, D.C. Boonzaier, Central Louis Botha, Lord Buxton, L. Curtis, G. Dawson (editor of the Times), Sir Patrick Duncan, R. Fry, G. Goodman, General Hertzog, J.N. Hofmeyr, D.D.T. Jabavu, Sir Godfrey Lagden, T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia), F.S. Malan, Lord Milner, Lady Phillips, C.J. Rhodes, Lord Selborne, Field-Marshal J.C. Smuts, W.E. Stanford, P. Wenning and A.B. Xuma.

This collection consists of papers, correspondence and newspaper clips of Rev. John Mackenzie, a Missionary and Deputy Commissioner, Bechuanaland of the London Missionary Society (L.M.S.).

The Brooke letters, No. 4050 IV in the Oppenheimer Library, were written by Robert Brooke, Governor of St. Helena, to Earl Macartney, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope.

The letters show that Brooke felt feelings of warm friendship for Earl Macartney, to whom he acknowledged a debt of gratitude for the interest he had shown in his affairs.

As governors of neighbouring territories both men had problems in common and were able to assist each other. When Macartney was very short of specie at the Cape, Brooke was able to raise a private loan of 2500 to help him out of his difficulties.

Amongst the subjects discussed in the letters were the taking and future government of the Cape, the plan to attack Spanish South America, the progress of the war against the French, the convoying of East India Company ships and the seizure of neutral ships which are trading illegally.