Charles Koch memorial plaque

in the courtyard of the Gobabeb station

Dr Charles Koch

inspecting early pitfall traps for Namib dune organisms.

Dr Charles Koch

working in his laboratory at Gobabeb in 1964, now the headquarters Tea Room.

Dr Charles Koch

on a field trip checking pitfall traps in the dunes.

Dr Charles Koch

Breakfast with colleagues

Dr Charles Koch having breakfast with colleagues at Gobabeb 1964

Dr Vivian Fitzsimons

Head of the Transvaal Museum and founder of Gobabeb, holding a golden mole

Dr Vivian Fitzsimons and Dr Charles Koch

Discussing plans of the newly constructed Gobabeb Desert Research Station 1963

Dr Charles Koch

working in his laboratory, now the Gobabeb Tea Room.

Drs Charles Koch and Vivian Fitzsimons

Vivian Fitzsimons was head of the Transvaal Museum

Mrs Charles Koch

Mrs Koch accompanied her husband, Charles, on his research expeditions.

Standing on a vulture nest

gobabeb archive photos 38

Charles Koch and colleagues

Charles Koch and two colleagues search for beetles on the gravel plains near Gobabeb.

Dedication of Eric Luebbert House

now the main headquarters of Gobabeb Namib Research Institute. Mr W Haake installing the plaque.

Erich Luebbert House dedication

Installing the dedication plaque

Official Gobabeb VW bus

A new addition to the Gobabeb vehicle "fleet."

Dedication of Eric Luebbert House

The delegates and staff of the Namib Desert Research Station in 1963.

Attendees at Luebbert House inauguration

Does anyone know who they are? They look important.

Luebbert House today

The Erich Luebbert House is now the headquarters for the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute. An addition to the east wall now includes offices for staff and visiting students.

First reading of meteorological data

Mr Eberhard von Koenen, Gobabeb staff member, takes the first readings from Gobabeb's meterological station.

William (Bill) J Hamilton Jr

An American herpetologist (Cornell University) who was an early international researcher at Gobabeb

Caravan set up

Once the caravan was placed under a shed and fenced off, the research was ready to begin.

Building a fence

The caravan had to be fenced off.

Arrival of Gobabeb caravan

Gobabeb was originally a caravan towed up from the Transvaal, and served as a residence for Dr and Mrs Koch

Transvaal Museum Gobabeb caravan

Research at Gobabeb began out of a caravan belonging to the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria.

Mrs Charles Koch

Mrs Rene Koch in the Namib, outside the caravan that was the Kochs' home during their expeditions to Gobabeb.

Liz McClain

Liz McClain, presenting a poster on wax production of desert beetles. 1984.

Liz McClain

Liz McClain (middle) was one of Gobabeb's prolific early scientists. She is pictured here at the launch of her book, Leonard the Land Rover, at the Swakopmund Museum in 1984. With her is her co-author Ginny Brain (left, now Watson) and the book's artist, Christine Marais (right).

Leonard the Landrover cover

Mary Seely appointed as DERU Director

Shortly after her appointment as DERU (Desert Ecological Research Unit, Mary Seely with Mr W J (Willie) Weideman, head of the University Research Division of the South African CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), which played a role in establishing Gobabeb as a permanent research institute.

Dune drive for DERU Steering Committee

DERU Sterring Committee meetings at Gobabeb usually provided an opportunity for a trip into the dunes. This photo was taken in July 1981. Mary Seely is second from right.

Mary Seely and Gideon Louw

Mary Seely and Gideon Louw at the launch of their book Ecology of Desert Organisms, in Swakopmund, July 1982. Gideon Louw was one of the early mainstays of Gobabeb.

Gobabeb's Advisory Committee.

Gobabeb's Advisory Committee for the South African FRD (Foundation for Research DEvelopment), which succeeded the CSIR. This is the 1988 Advisory Committee meeting. Standing left to right: Dave Boyer, Neels Coetzee, Willie Weideman, Mary Seely, Gideon Louw, Duncan Mitchell, Bob Brain. Sitting left to right: Eugene Joubert, Gudrun Schirge and Gerhard Prinsloo.

Gideon Louw and Willie Weideman

Gideon Louw and Willie Weideman of the FRD enjoying sundowners at the 1982 Gobabeb Steering Committtee meeting.

The last FRD Advisory Committee meeting before Namibia's independence

Standing left to right: H Schraeder, Prof C S Crawford, Dr R R Arndt (replacing Gideon Louw as Chair); Willie Weideman, Mary Seely, Prof T Erasmus, Prof P D Tyson. Sitting left to right: A Raedel, C G Coetzee, H Berry, C K Brain.

Early image of weather station

The Gobabeb weather station, located now near the headquarters building.

Gobabeb weather station

A chainlink fence was eventually put up around the weather station.

The weather station today

What the weather station looks like today.

Weather station facing Station and water tower 2

"Water" tower today

The old water tower has been converted to the communications tower.

Wind meter construction

A second stable anemometer was mounted in place on a rock outside Gobabeb headquarters.

Rock wind meter in place

Not the buildings of the station off to the left.

Rock weather station today 2

The weather station on the rock now supports a variety of sophisticated meteorological instruments.

Rock weather station today 1

The rock weather station from a different perspective.

Gobabeb in 1967

A new gate and parking bays (to the left of the original Luebbert House) have been added.

Gobabeb front facade today

The addition on the east wall of Luebbert House has been converted to offices.

Courtyard then

The addition on the east wall of Luebbert House was initially used to park vehciles, in this instance from a rare rain event.

Courtyard today

Additional offices for students have replaced the old parking bay. Note the stone wall, which has been in place since Luebbert House was erected.

Gobabeb in 1967

The new gate.

Addition of the watchtower

A watchtower was added to the west facade of Lubbert house, and the addition of the Tea Room.

Addition of the watch tower

The watchtower was a favorite place for Charles Koch to watch the sunset. The addition also included a new wing added to the west, which now includes the Tea Room.

Watchtower today

This is what the west addition looks like, The watchtower is still a great vantage point to watch the sun rise, or set.