129.Cypress Villa

15th April 2025

Updated 30/04/2025

If you walk down Joubert Street you will notice this new sign

The plaque is a welcome indication that the current owners have done some research into the history of their home. In the background on the wall are photos remembering some of the history of the people who were connected to the property.

Cypress Villa at 35 Joubert Street shown above was one of the early homes in Montagu.

Mr. Nathan and Mrs. Aletta Millin standing in front of their home Cypress Villa.

The origins of the the name Cypress Villa have not as yet been discovered but this cypress tree is to be found in the backyard of the property and possibly has a link to the name of the house.

Cypress trees in South Africa, specifically Italian cypress, can live for a very long time, often exceeding 100 years. Some specimens may even reach 300 years or more, and exceptionally long-lived cypress trees can live for over 1,000 years. Bald cypress, a different species, can live for even longer, with some exceeding 1,200 years.

Source: Google

Aletta and Nathan were both laid to rest in the Jewish Cemetery in Buitenkant Street Montagu

Jewish cemetery Montagu. The cemetery is also planted with a number of cypress trees

Nathan and Aletta had two children Arnold and Esther. A post card from Esther to Arnold who was living at Cypress Villa. Note the date 1912.

Esther at her wedding to Max Belonsky who owned the Aero Hotel in Ashton

Aero Hotel Ashton

Arnold Millin

Socializing at Cypress Villa

Back Pietie le Roux and Mavis Alexander (First Miss South Africa). Front Bessie le Roux and Arnold Millin seated in the back garden of Cypress Villa.

L/R: Mavis, Arnold, Bessie, Pietie and unknown other (Probably a sister of Bessie who was from the Joubert family who lived at La Rochelle) on the front stoep of Cypress Villa.

A get together at Cypress Villa. Extreme left of picture is hostess Annie Millin (wife of Arnold Millin). Cannot positively identify other guests.

Annie Millin on holiday

Back left: S.C. Coetzee (Dolly) Back right: K. le Roux.
Front left: Rina Du Toit (Annie’s sister) Front right: Annie Millin. Annie and Arnold did not have any children. Picture taken in Durban on 28/05/1972

Visual material: Montagu Museum

Annie en Rina

From the book Vroue van Montagu written by Yvonne Bussell

My susters- die ruikers- en kransmakers

Dis nou my twee susters en ek verlang na hulle. Hulle was baie bekende inwoners van Montagu en later jare die twee oudstes in die familie. Annie is op 94-jarige ouderdom in Huis Uitvlucht oorlede.

Annie was getroud met Arnold Millin. Daardie jare het hy ’n motorhawe in Badstraat gehad en later ’n plaas, maar hulle het nooit kinders gehad nie. Rina trou toe met Jan du Toit van Bredasdorp. Hy was ’n hele paar jaar gedurende die oorlogsjare in die leer. Annie wou net vir Rina by haar hê, want sy was baie erg oor kinders en toe die kinders moes skool toe gaan was dit die aangewese ding.

Na die oorlog het Jan in die Kaap gewerk en elke naweek heen en weer gery. Maar die beste is dat hulle twee sulke verskillende geaardhede gehad het. Rina was versot op tuinmaak. Jy het haar maar altyd daar in die drie groot erwe gekry met die ou groot strooihoed op. En haar liefde vir blomme was so groot dat sy vir elke begrafnis die mooiste kranse gemaak het. Annie moes net die mooi linte aansit. Soms wanneer ek daar gekom het, het daar 20 tot 30 kranse uitgepak gelȇ, almal op bestelling. Annie se stokperdjie was weer om bababaadjies te brei. Sy het die fynste wol gebruik en die pragtigste baadjies met sokkies daarby gebrei.

Annie weer, het die kos gemaak en was baie trots op haar huis met al die antieke meubels. Sy was ook baie lief vir mooi aantrek en het nooit ’n plathakskoen gedra nie. Dit moes net die hoogste hakke wees, maar bygesȇ, sy het werklik mooi bene gehad.

Later jare het Annie alleen gewoon in die huis waar Blackie tans woon op die hoek van Piet Retief en Du Toitstraat.

Ek sal altyd onthou hoe Rina elke Vrydag drie mooi rangskikkings in ons huis gemaak het, so ook op die dorp. A jy die vertrek binnekom, vang jou oog eerste die pragtige pot blomme. So moes sy altyd help by funksies, skoue en troues.

Ek dink dis omdat ek altyd so ’n bewonderaar van haar kunswerke was, dat ek ook haar talent geerf het om 60 jaar ja deel te kon neem aan blomskoue en nog steeds.

Cypress Villa also has a connection to the Montagu museum. Both Blackie Badenhorst (past museum curator) and her son Emile (past museum manager) lived at Cypress Villa. The house also left a legacy which was discovered in the attic by Emile’s wife. She found a box of interesting people photographs which she donated to the Montagu museum. When the current owners (2025) moved into the house they also found additional photographs in the attic which they had framed and mounted on their stoep.

Want to know more about the Millin family click on the link below