After MacDougall – From Tick Bird to Guinea Fowl by J. H. R. (Ritz) Eastwood, published in 1996 by Triangle Ltd in Zimbabwe, is a rare and personal memoir documenting the early development of the Rhodesian Lowveld sugar industrythrough the eyes of one of its pioneering settlers. This softcover edition, originally produced for private circulation, spans approximately 68 pages and offers readers a first‑hand account of life as a “pioneer sugar planter” between 1954 and 1964, capturing both the challenges and the triumphs of establishing a new agricultural enterprise in remote and demanding conditions.
In After MacDougall – From Tick Bird to Guinea Fowl, Eastwood blends anecdote with local history to reflect on his experiences in the Lowveld, a region where sugar cane cultivation and rural settlement were in their infancy. His recollections touch on the practical realities of clearing bushland, building homesteads and engaging with fellow planters in an era before mechanised farming was widespread. The evocative title, referencing indigenous birdlife such as the tick bird and guinea fowl, hints at the author’s intimate connection with the environment he describes, bringing the landscape and its wildlife to life alongside the narrative of agricultural endeavour.
This volume also serves as a social history of a distinct period in Zimbabwean agriculture, offering insights into the everyday rhythms, hardships and camaraderie of early sugar planters. Although modest in length, After MacDougall – From Tick Bird to Guinea Fowl captures a sense of time and place rarely preserved in formal histories, making it especially appealing to collectors of Rhodesiana, regional histories and memoirs of rural enterprise. Its personal nature and focus on lived experience make it a compelling addition for readers interested in the human stories behind economic development in Southern Africa.
Condition – Near Fine Minor shelf wear and slight discoloration of cover.
