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Martin Goldswain was born in Graaf Reinet on 1 January 1943, son of Dr. Kenneth Goldswain, a General Practitioner and descendant of the 1820 Settler, Jeremiah Goldswain. His mother, Mary Ainslie (descended from the 1820 Settler Dan Hockly) was a nurse who qualified at Somerset Hospital in Cape Town. Martin completed preparatory school at Selborne in East London. In 1956 he enrolled at St Andrew's College in Grahamstown, as a boarder in Espin House, matriculating in 1960. In 1961 he headed off to the University of Cape Town to study BSc. Chemical Engineering. He soon realised that this was not a career for him and decided to change to Architecture - by which time it was too late in the year to switch courses. Martin returned to East London and spent the rest of that year taking art lessons with Jack Lugg and working part-time for architects. National Service intervened when the SA Defence Force called up Martin for nine months training. Martin returned to the University of Cape Town in 1963 and enrolled in the First Year of the Bachelor of Architecture course and duly graduated in 1968. William Prescott 'Bokkie' OSMOND and Barry LANGE offered Martin employment at their practice in East London and he commenced there in 1970. The practice styled as OSMOND & LANGE ARCHITECTS had commenced shortly after the Second World War, transitioning from earlier practices in which Osmond had been involved. The following year Martin participated in the Cape-to-Rio Yacht Race - a bumper year that saw 59 yachts on the starting line. Martin married Sue Baxter in 1972 and was to have five children - four sons and a daughter. By 1972 the name of the practice had been changed to OSMOND LANGE VANDEVERRE and HAARHOFF, acknowledging the recent partnerships made with Willy VANDEVERRE and Dennis HAARHOFF. That same year Martin Goldswain was also made a partner of the practice with the resultant change in name to OSMOND LANGE VANDEVERRE HAARHOFF and GOLDSWAIN. Burger was made a partner and the practice name then changed to the slightly unwieldy OSMOND LANGE VANDEVERRE HAARHOFF GOLDSWAIN and BURGER. In the early 1980's an alliance was formed with Leta MOSIENYANE - an architect from Botswana - and for a short time the practice was changed to OSMOND LANGE MOSIENYANE. This was not a successful alliance and after some friction the practice name changed back to Osmond Lange Architects. Highlights of Martin's career at Osmond Lange was the ongoing work for MBSA at their plant in East London. Weirs Cash + Carry was also to provide an ongoing source of development projects. In 1994, the 1820 Settlers' National Monument in Grahamstown was gutted by fire. The devastation was overwhelming but the clean-up operations commenced two days later with the professional team headed up by Martin Goldswain. The facility was officially re-opened by President Nelson Mandela in 1996. Martin retired from Osmond Lange Architects in 1997 after 27 years in the practice to pursue his own interests in both property and hospitality - owning and managing the Quarry Lake Inn in Selborne in East London, amongst other ventures. (William Martinson, December 2021) List of projects With photographs With notes
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