Earnie Carelse

My acquaintance with Earnie and Sue began in 1990, before the formation of the Cape Falconry Club (CFC). The inaugural meeting of the CFC was held at Earnie's residence, and he was subsequently elected as the club's first Secretary/Treasurer.

Earnie's career saw him as a forest manager at Hawequas under the Department of Forestry, a role that transitioned to a management position at CapeNature after the two departments merged. Ultimately, he stepped down from his CFC involvement to avoid potential conflicts of interest arising from his position at CapeNature.

One Friday morning, Earnie phoned me to accompany him to Beaufort West, as there were two black eagle chicks to be collected. Late afternoon, after work, he picked me up, and we were off. We drove the whole night, only arriving at midnight at the collection point, only to discover the black eagle chicks were black-shouldered kite chicks. This is what happened in the days of less technology. 

I remember Earnie as a reserved individual with a subtle sense of humor, a man of his word whose "yes" truly meant "yes" and his "no," "no." In his earlier years, he was a dedicated knifemaker, and Sue was an exceptional scrimshaw artist.

His life then took him to the Karoo, where he bought the Rietfontein farm in the Fraserburg/Williston area and farmed sheep and ostriches. Later, due to health concerns, he sold the farm and retired in Mossel Bay. Our friendship endured until his passing in 2020