A short history of “Braco” and “Twin Falls” farm
Our great, great grandfather, Walter Thomas Shaw, settled in the Karkloof area in the mid 1800s, and married Elizabeth Gower. They established the farm “Shawswood” from the untouched wild lands, stretching from the current Karkloof Canopy Tours all the way through to Mbona mountain.
They had six children: 4 boys and 2 girls. Walter divided his extensive farm into 4 farms for his 4 boys. These 4 farms became known as Colbourn, Elderslie, Shawswood and Braco. Our great grandfather, Campbell Shaw (1876-1958) was the youngest son. In 1905 he moved with his young bride, Camilla Smythe (1884-1965) of Strathern, one of 14 children, into the house “Braco”. It is interesting to note that of all this original Shawswood farmland, Braco is the last farm still owned and run by the original Shaw family members.
Campbell and Camilla had 8 children – please see photo above of the family sitting in front of the Braco farmhouse. Our great uncle, Colin, inherited the farm “Braco”, and his 2 youngest brothers, Ellem and Chimes, were given a section. They battled to generate an adequate income, due to this part of the farms natural bush and very steep terrain and therefore sold off this beautiful portion – which is now known as “Twin Falls”.
Photo of our grandfather Reverend Canon Victor Shaw (centre) with his two younger brothers, Chimes and Ellem, in Northern Africa during WW2.
In 2015 when a previous owner’s house built on “Twin Falls” burnt down, Willian Shaw, who inherited “Braco” from our great uncle Col, decided to buy “Twin Falls” back and integrate it back into “Braco” – which is now it’s original size and boundary from the 1850’s.
Chimes and Ellem in the Braco garden
In an attempt to start generating an income from “Twin Falls” he had the ruined shell designed to make the cottages ‘Ellem’ and ‘Chimes’. Lines are not straight; windows and doors saved from the ruin have been sanded down and refurbished. The interior we have endeavoured to keep as natural as possible in keeping with the setting.
Braco Shaw men from left to right: Reverend Victor, Ellis (Ellem), Desmond (Chimes), Colin (Col), and crouching is William. Photo taken in the Braco garden with Mount Gilboa and Grey Mares Tail waterfall in the background (c. 1980s)
Because of the Twin Falls Farm property’s limited agricultural value, due to the natural bush and very steep terrain, it has preserved its pristine natural beauty and untouched elements. It is a peaceful corner of the rare KwaZulu-Natal midlands mist-belt grassland and forest biome. It is a South African Natural Heritage Site with rolling green hills, wild natural bush, beautiful indigenous fauna and flora, and hidden life-giving streams – including two magnificent twin falls deep in the forest.
