Rinie Stead

STEAD, Rinie. (1914-2010) Journalist, theatre archivist and theatre historian. Born Rinie Rens in *, studied at the University of Stellenbosch ?*) and became a journalist for Die Burger in 193*, moving to Die Oosterlig in 1937, to become editor of the women’s page, but also journalist, translator, reviewer and de facto editor of the arts page. Married Arthur Stead in 19** and later moved to the The Hague, where she and her family lived and her husband an attaché. They returned in 1964 to settle in Pretoria and she became a journalist at, and later the editor of, the Afrikaans scientific and cultural journal Lantern. In 1973, after her retirement, she joined P.P.B. Breytenbach at the HSRC and soon took over from him as curator and head of the National Documentation Centre for the Performing Arts at the Human Sciences Research Council in Pretoria, where she helped to establish the large archives. Over the years wrote many articles on cultural matters, including an (unpublished) history the National Theatre Organisation (NTO) – of which an abbreviated version was published later. Retired in 1979, when Temple Hauptfleisch took over as head of the Centre.

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Op 1 Maart 1914 in Malawi gebore op ‘n klein Nederduits – Gereformeerde sendingstasie, dogter van Eerw. P.A. Rens en Magdaleen de la Rouviére. Vanaf 7-jarige ouderdom na skoolkoshuise in Suid-Afrika gestuur. Matrikuleer aan die Hoërskool De Villiersgraaf op Villiersdorp. Studeer aan Universiteit van Stellenbosch met ‘n beurs en studentelening. Behaal BA-graad in 1934.

Begin joernalistieke loopbaan as redaksielid van “De Burger” in Kaapstad. In 1937 na Port Elizabeth verplaas as deel van ‘n klein baanbrekerspan om ‘n nuwe Afrikaanse koerant, “Die Oosterlig” te begin. Na huwelik met Arthur Stead in 1942, as vryskutjoernalis in Port Elizabeth, Oos-Londen, Durban, en Pretoria gewerk. Het vanaf 1947 gereelde uitsaaiwerk vir die SAUK gedoen. “Vroue Rubriek” die eerste daaglikse, nasionale radioprogram vir vrouens is deur haar van stapel gestuur, ge-organiseer en aangebied. Neem deel aan die heel eerste inter-stedelike, nasionale vasvraprogramme, eers in Durban, daarna in Pretoria.

Verhuis in 1953 na Pretoria. Verantwoordelik vir die vertaling van “The Prisoner of Zenda” in Afrikaans. Na ‘n paar jaar se deeltydse werk vir die kulturele tydskrif, “Lantern”, as permanente redakteur aangestel vir 8 jaar. Terwyl hoof van teaternavorsing by die Raad vir Geestes Wetenskaplike Navorsing, het sy 10 jaar daaraan gespandeer om die gesaghebbende reeks oor die teater in SA saam te stel en te skryf. In 1980 afgetree maar voortgegaan om gereelde lesings, radio praatjies en artikels, veral oor die teater in SA, te lewer.

Sterf op 22 September 2010. Sy laat ‘n broer, 3 seuns, 6 kleinkinders, 8 agter-kleinkinders en een agter-agter-kleindogter na.

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