Historical BW – YourBotswana

If you have any pictures you want to share, get in touch and let us know. We can’t guarantee all pictures will be posted, but if they’re great pictures we’ll have no choice.

^{Ian Khama’s Investiture in Serowe, 5 May 1979. Photo by Tom Rennie.}

^{One of the Khama twins at Ian Khama’s Investiture, 5 May 1979. Photo by Tom Rennie.}

^{Sir Seretse Khama speaking at Ian Khama’s Investiture in Serowe, 5 May 1979. Photo by Tom Rennie.}

^{Former Minister Lemme Makgekgenene speaking at Ian Khama’s Investiture, 5 May 1979. Photo by Tom Rennie.}

^{People attending Ian Khama’s Investiture in Serowe, 5 May 1979. Photo by Tom Rennie.}

^{The Department of Agriculture, 1970 – Photo by Tom Rennie}

^{King George VI visit to Francistown, 1947 – Photo by Ernest Midgley}

^{Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in Francistown, 1947 – Photo by Ernest Midgley}

The collection of images below were generously supplied by Ian Brooks, son of Donald Maxwell Brooks. Donald was an Officer in the Police Force during the early 1960s prior to Botswana’s independence. Donald spent time in Maun, Mahalapye and Serowe. You visit our Historic Botswana section (select Our Botswana from the menu and select Historic Botswana) to read articles and learn more about these pictures.

^{Donald Maxwell Brooks, Police Officer (Colonial Services) Maun (1962-66)}

^{Police in Mahalapye preparing for independence.}

^{Foot and Mouth Vaccination Team, 1964.}

^{Riley’s hotel, garage and petrol filling station, Maun (early 1960s).}

^{Maun Police team taken in front of the old Maun Police Station.}

^{A typical police patrol in Ngamiland monitoring hunters and compliance with permits.}

^{Two new recruits for the Police Force. Orphaned lion cubs that were brought to Maun and eventually sent to a zoo.}

^{Orphaned lion cubs (brought to Maun from the Delta) and introduced to the Brooks family before relocation to a zoo.}

^{Sitatunga that were captured for research.}

^{The ‘Old’ Maun Bridge under construction in the early 1960s.}

^{The European gentleman in this photograph is Viv Sampson of the PWD (Public Works Department) who built the ‘Old’ Maun Bridge in the early 1960s.}

^{The completed ‘Old’ Maun Bridge in the early 1960s.}

^{Cave paintings at Tsodilo Hills (1960s)}

^{It was common to see the Bamangwato out hunting very close to Maun. There is a wonderful contrast in lifestyle, with the 3 hunters in the foreground and my mother and myself at the back of the van preparing some UK-style food.}

^{Houses where the police used to stay. These areas were kept immaculately clean, to the extent of sweeping loose sand off the parade ground in front.}

^{The damage to the face caused by a local parasite.}

The collection of images below were generously supplied by Russell Fowler. After an early career in diamond exploration and mining in Africa with De Beers, Russell spent four years in Botswana prospecting for diamonds deep in the bush in the early 1980s. Russell is now back in the UK, but leads charity programmes deep in Botswana with the Bushmen of the Kalahari, Okavango Delta and Tsodilo Hills. Another charity is Naletsana based in Maun, focussed mainly on Khwai Village.

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