Aubrey Logan Tributes from the National Trust Executive Council
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Aubrey Hamish Logan on February 26th, 2021, in Zambia.
Aubrey was born in Bulawayo in 1934. His father, Hamish, was farming in Nyamandhlovu but moved to the Shamva area in Mashonaland in 1938. Aubrey was educated at Bindura School and St. George‘s College, and then joined his father on Golden Star Farm in a mixed farming operation. In 1962 Aubrey married Edone Ann Petheram and built a home on The Range, an extension to Golden Star. Later Aubrey’s son Rory, and son-in-law Lawrie Brown, joined him, and with the support of the girls, Caren, Lynn and Zanne, expanded the farming enterprise, adding a considerable acreage of irrigated horticultural crops.
Aubrey was a member of the Porte Valley Farmers’ Association, serving as Chairman for a number of years, and represented Shamva on the Cattle Producers’ Assn. He was a member of the Lower Mazowe/Pote River Board, and was involved in the construction of Masembura and Arcadia dams, and the Lower Mazowe Sugar Project.
Aubrey served as an Elder in St. John’s Church, Shamva. His faith was strong.
A keen horseman, Aubrey played polo for Bindura, and in the early ‘80s established the Shamva Polocrosse Club, providing many of the beginners with mounts.
Being a great believer in the importance of recording history, Aubrey assisted the family in compiling a social history of Shamva entitled “Glimpses of the Past”. Later, when the couple moved to a plot in Juliasdale, he became involved in the Rhodes Museum (Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition), and served on the Committee for eight years, before moving to Harare in 2020 to live closer to the family.
Aubrey is survived by his three children, Caren, Rory and Rosanne and their families, including seven grandchildren and one great grandson. He led an eventful and rewarding life, inspiring others to move on after loss and sadness, and appreciate family and friends, the blessings which are most important in life.
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Under the veil of a happy and welcoming friend, Aubrey was a very knowledgeable gentleman who had exceptional gifts and a sincere compassion towards helping those in need.
Although he suffered longstanding leg disabilities that restricted his movements, he waived these aside in order to conquer incredible achievements in a cool and collected manner.
He always remained totally supportive of his wife’s (Edone Ann) passion for all things Museum related and showed admirable spirit as a teamworker, being a most helpful and steadfast Committee Member. Aubrey’s enormous contribution to the establishment and development of Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition is indeed praiseworthy. He will be sorely missed.
Merle Moore
Aubrey- An amazing man whose wit and ever unique laughter I will fondly miss. Had grown to like his presence at RNHE meetings, his love for Heritage, and his exceptional support for Edone. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Willie Dhlandhlara
I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Aubrey. My thoughts and condolences go to Edone and the all the family.
I had the privilege of meeting Aubrey at the Rhodes Nyanga Historical Museum some 10 years ago. He was a very active member of the Museum Committee. The museum was very close to his heart and his many contributions to the Museum will not be forgotten such as the extension of the museum up into the loft, establishing the Don Grainger room, and wagon shed. He also donated many items to the exhibition, including farm equipment from his farming life.
Aubrey was never happier than when he was restoring equipment and machines back to their former glory. I know that his favourite area at the museum was the wagon shed. At the end of 2019 he generously donated a Portable Steam Engine. It was moved, with great difficulty, from Juliasdale to the museum. The sheer thought of doing such a thing is inspirational, it had to be pulled by a tractor on some of its journey. Aubrey renovated and painted the engine, which was exported from the UK to South Africa in 1903 and pulled by oxen up to the Bindura district of Rhodesia in 1904. The engine proudly sits in the Wagon Shed, next to the Ox Wagon.
I remember fondly one evening when I stayed with Edone and Aubrey, such welcoming hosts at their home in Juliasdale. Aubrey and I sat around a lovely warm log fire drinking red wine and talking so easily on many subjects.
I shall miss Aubrey and his kindness, humour, quiet strength, his positiveness and twinkling blue eyes. May you rest in peace Aubrey, you will be greatly missed by a great deal of people.
Sharon Waterworth
Aubrey was always a delight to spend time with and I always came away from the Logan’s with a smile from the wonderful tales he told me of his farming days. He loved his horses and polo crosse days and we spent many a happy hour recounting things and equine events in our lives. I shall miss his wonderful sense of humor.
Pixie Hallowes
A very sad loss to the Nyanga and surrounding community, Aubrey will be sadly missed by the National Trust of Zimbabwe and we will always remember his steadfast contribution and support to the Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition through his commitment alongside his wife, Edone, to whom my most heartfelt sympathies go.
Lin Goncalves
We are all at a loss after the passing of Aubrey recently, personally and at The National Trust of Zimbabwe.
Aubrey was an absolute gentleman in every sense of the word, he befriended all who he met and he worked tirelessly with Edone on NTZ affairs, helping shape the Rhodes Nyanga National Trust Historical Exhibition into the wonderful museum facility that exists today. The exhibits include the small bed he slept in as a youngster up to some of his large refurbished farm machinery on display today.
We experienced the Logan family hospitality at their lovely home near Montclair on more than one occasion. Aubrey was always happy to host friends at their home and he made you feel completely at home there.
Unfortunately, we only knew Aubrey for too few years, but we are all the richer for knowing him and privileged to have worked with him on NTZ affairs.
We shall cherish the memories of Aubrey and all that he achieved in his lifetime and sincerely appreciate his passion, commitment and services to his wider community.
David Scott
Of all the remarkable people I have met and got to know over ten years of living in Juliasdale, there is no one person I came to admire and respect more than Aubrey Logan.
Ever the welcoming and generous host, Aubrey displayed a selfless and unpretentious wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge of so many things – in particular, elderly machines, from a simple Cape cart to a swanky 1970s’ Chevrolet coupé, along with bygone farming days in this country – and so we clicked, as we did with a laughing love of old-school hymns in church.
There was always a whiff of the workshop under Aubrey’s fingernails: he was truly a never-defeated mechanical magician. While others wandered off to admire Edone Ann’s lovely garden, I would sit disciple-like, mesmerised by Aubrey’s accounts of rebuilding an ancient Galion grader engine, or trying to find the missing part of a cream separator. To me, he was a humbling, bottomless well whose waters he so willingly shared – embarrassingly often diluting our brandies beside a log fire. What a man!
But it is in a National-Trust-of-Zimbabwe context that we most devoutly salute this wonderful man right now. As we know, it was Edone Ann’s vision and drive to fulfill her own father’s determination to see the long dreamed-of Rhodes Museum through to a vibrant, lasting existence. Yet behind that astonishing throne of accomplishment was a silent, rarely-noticed, essential force: Aubrey.
Today and forever, as we run our eyes over a hand-painted steam-engine, an ox-wagon, a now obsolete horse-drawn harrow, a paraffin fridge or simply the replaced rungs of a memorial bench, we are – knowingly or not – recognising Aubrey’s love for, and patient devotion to, the Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition: the only dedicated museum of its kind in Zimbabwe.
Neither the National Trust of Zimbabwe, nor any of us, will fail to remember Aubrey Logan’ legacy.
Guy Cary
A much valued friend to us and indeed to the Trust. His sense of proportion was an inspiration, not to mention an unbounded source of anecdotes of yesteryear. Withal, a great sense of humour as well.
A gentleman whom we shall not forget. Our sincerest condolences to Edone and the Family.
John and Charles Hyslop
Aubrey certainly did lead a full and wonderful life. He was such a warm man. I will always be grateful for his and Edone’s hospitality at their cottage in Nyanga and will cherish the memories. I felt so at ease around Aubrey. He made one feel so naturally at ease and I fondly remember his affectionate and easy going manner and how he supported Edone in her work. Most especially I’ll remember having breakfast with them and the laughter and tea on the porch. I didn’t know Aubrey well but it felt somehow that I’d known him for a long time.
Dr Jonathan Zilberg
USE NUMBER: 0775 907 595