A government gazette issued on 24th February 1928 announced that a 5000 square mile tract of land was to be established as Wankie Game Reserve. (14 600 sq kms)
The area chosen was the result of a poll conducted among the country’s Native Commissioners. Sir Cecil Rodwell, Governor of Southern Rhodesia proclaimed the land.
North of the reserve, a few cattle ranchers occupied the land up to the Deka River. Along the Bulawayo/Wankie railway line (which formed the eastern border) a number of farmers had bought railway blocks of land. In the south east a timber company had a concession for teak and other wood. In the south of the reserve it was bounded by Nature Reserves. In the north was the Tom’s Farm owned by Herbert George Robins.
In 1892 he arrived in the Cape Colony and made his way to the alluvial diamond diggings in Griqualand. In 1893 he made his way to Matabeleland with some of the first wagons following Major Geeldadam’s column during the Matabeleland war.
He was granted a farm on the pioneer road 30mile from Bulawayo. During the Matabele rebellion was served as Captain in the Bulawayo Field Force. In 1808 he was engaged with the Mashonaland Agency as an Assistant to Harvey to report on the coal in the Wankie area.
In 1902 he was with the Tanganyika Concession to prospect in Congo Free State. During 1911 – 1913 he did an exploratory and prospecting expedition on behalf of the Benguella Railway Company in North East Angola. In 1913 his contract expired and he had accumulated a fair amount of money and retired to his scientific instruments on his farm ‘Little Tom’s Spruit’ named after Saddler in the Wankie district. Geise had been negotiating on his behalf on the purchase of the farm since 1910 and it was not until 1912 that Robins had secured ownership. He found the farm too small to run a cattle ranch so applied for the farm next door, ‘Big Toms Spruit’, which he managed to acquire in 1915. He also acquired another farm and finally had 25 000 acres of land. He put a stop to shooting and took active steps to stop poaching on his land, which had been a hunting ground because of the large variety and number of game. He was also a determined defender of the Wankie Game Reserve against local farmers who urged the Government to exterminate the game and open up the country. As the years passed Robins received increasingly numerous requests from people to view the game on his farm and in 1934 fearing ‘Tom’s Farms’ would be sold on his death to become a shooting box, he offered it to the Southern Rhodesian Government on condition that it be maintained for all time as a game sanctuary. The offer was accepted and the farm today known at the Robin’s Camp Sanctuary, which together with the Wankie Reserve – forms the Hwange National Park.
Robins was a fellow of more than half a dozen societies. His eccentric manner, his large white beard and his somewhat pedantic interest in the expensive scientific instruments which he acquired gave rise to exaggerated reports about him. It was said that he was a recluse who had shut himself off from civilization and company, warding off intruders with this pack of Great Danes. He very much enjoyed his telescope and built a tower in which he could use it and had marked on a square frame all the longitude and latitude markings. On the 27th June 1939 he passed away in Wankie Hospital.
The area chosen was the result of a poll conducted among the country’s Native Commissioners. Sir Cecil Rodwell, Governor of Southern Rhodesia proclaimed the land.
North of the reserve, a few cattle ranchers occupied the land up to the Deka River. Along the Bulawayo/Wankie railway line (which formed the eastern border) a number of farmers had bought railway blocks of land. In the south east a timber company had a concession for teak and other wood. In the south of the reserve it was bounded by Nature Reserves. In the north was the Tom’s Farm owned by Herbert George Robins.
Herbert George Robins the eldest son of a merchant was born in Margate, Kent on 18th March 1867. He was educated by a tutor at the Collegiate School, Margate. His first employment was as a joiner in 1882. But he had a yearning to go to sea, which his mother was against, so as a compromise he immigrated to Australia in 1886. During his time there he worked in a timber yard and then as a builder and a short stint with the Queensland Police.
In 1892 he arrived in the Cape Colony and made his way to the alluvial diamond diggings in Griqualand. In 1893 he made his way to Matabeleland with some of the first wagons following Major Geeldadam’s column during the Matabeleland war.
He was granted a farm on the pioneer road 30mile from Bulawayo. During the Matabele rebellion was served as Captain in the Bulawayo Field Force. In 1808 he was engaged with the Mashonaland Agency as an Assistant to Harvey to report on the coal in the Wankie area.
In 1902 he was with the Tanganyika Concession to prospect in Congo Free State. During 1911 – 1913 he did an exploratory and prospecting expedition on behalf of the Benguella Railway Company in North East Angola. In 1913 his contract expired and he had accumulated a fair amount of money and retired to his scientific instruments on his farm ‘Little Tom’s Spruit’ named after Saddler in the Wankie district. Geise had been negotiating on his behalf on the purchase of the farm since 1910 and it was not until 1912 that Robins had secured ownership. He found the farm too small to run a cattle ranch so applied for the farm next door, ‘Big Toms Spruit’, which he managed to acquire in 1915. He also acquired another farm and finally had 25 000 acres of land. He put a stop to shooting and took active steps to stop poaching on his land, which had been a hunting ground because of the large variety and number of game. He was also a determined defender of the Wankie Game Reserve against local farmers who urged the Government to exterminate the game and open up the country. As the years passed Robins received increasingly numerous requests from people to view the game on his farm and in 1934 fearing ‘Tom’s Farms’ would be sold on his death to become a shooting box, he offered it to the Southern Rhodesian Government on condition that it be maintained for all time as a game sanctuary. The offer was accepted and the farm today known at the Robin’s Camp Sanctuary, which together with the Wankie Reserve – forms the Hwange National Park.
Robins was a fellow of more than half a dozen societies. His eccentric manner, his large white beard and his somewhat pedantic interest in the expensive scientific instruments which he acquired gave rise to exaggerated reports about him. It was said that he was a recluse who had shut himself off from civilization and company, warding off intruders with this pack of Great Danes. He very much enjoyed his telescope and built a tower in which he could use it and had marked on a square frame all the longitude and latitude markings. On the 27th June 1939 he passed away in Wankie Hospital.
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