Civil Engineering January-February 2022 | Vol 30 No 1

40 January/February 2022 Civil Engineering H i story and her i tage O ver the years, engineers have had to modify Cape Town’s river courses to improve drainage, alleviate flooding, and provide for water supply. Much Water Under Many Bridges , published through SAICE’s History and Heritage Panel, describes the history of the region’s rivers and details the work that has been undertaken in the wake of urbanisation. However, as Cape Town’s history is inevtably bound with water supply, the book is actually an insight into the growth of the city itself. Author Tony Murray has gathered information which had been lying in the files of municipal engineers for years, found de- lightful anecdotes, interviewed several practitioners and detailed information from his own experience. All of this is woven into a story which will fascinate engineers and laymen alike. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony Murray retired after serving 30 years on the Divisional Council of the Cape during which time he was deeply involved in the development of Elsies River, Atlantis, and the Kuils River valley. Since then, finding that the public and, particularly, deci- sion makers have little idea of the role and skills of civil engineers, he has made it his mission to publicise the profession. Through SAICE, Murray developed a course to inform local authority councillors of the duties of municipal engineers, and founded the History and Heritage Panel which brings important work to the eyes of the public. He has previously written a book, Megastructures and Masterminds , which details engineering inspiration in South African projects and sold some 3 000 copies in commercial bookshops. Murray’s vignettes on prominent South African engineers of the 19 th century have appeared from time to time in Civil Engineering magazine and were collated in a booklet called Past Masters . With other members of the History and Heritage Panel he is presently engaged on a book about the history of the Orange River Project, titled Water for a Thirsty Land – the Story of the Orange River Project , which will be published later this year (see more on page 41). For his efforts in popularising the profession he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by SAICE. For more information Tony Murray SAICE History and Heritage Panel asmurray@iafrica.com Visit the SAICE bookstore to order your copy store.saice.org.za/book-store/much-water-under-many-bridges Exploring the history of Cape Town’s water courses By international standards, the rivers of the Cape Metropolitan Area are little more than streams, but they play a vital part in providing drainage to a region which experiences notably wet winters. A new book, titled Much Water Under Many Bridges , examines the engineering history of the catchments, rivers, and drainage systems of the greater Cape Town area. The Longkloof Weir The Elsieskraal River at Pinelands