Did You Know?
The Pakstoor (Wolskuur) van Barry & Nephews is a historical wool storehouse located at Port Beaufort in the Western Cape, directly associated with the trading firm Barry and Nephews. The building dates from the mid-19th century, specifically linked to the period around 1848 when the steamship Kadie was used by the company. The Barry family, led by Joseph Barry, established a major mercantile enterprise in the Breede River valley and Malmesbury area, with Port Beaufort serving as their key harbour for exporting wool and other agricultural produce. The Kadie was one of the small steamers that navigated the treacherous mouth of the Breede River to ferry goods between the port and larger vessels anchored offshore, as the river bar was notoriously difficult to cross. The wolskuur (wool-shed or store) was used to store and prepare wool bales before loading onto such ships for export to Britain, which was the primary market for Cape wool at the time. The building is a rare surviving example of the infrastructure that supported the early Cape wool trade, which became a cornerstone of the regional economy in the 1840s. Port Beaufort itself was a small but active harbour, and the Barry enterprise played a central role in its development, though the port declined later in the 19th century as rail transport took over. The site is now recognised as part of the historical heritage of the Hessequa area, reflecting the commercial and maritime history of the period.
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