dulcie howes was born in little brak river, a seaside town at the mouth of the little brak river (klein-brakrivier, in afrikaans), from which it takes its name. located only a few miles north of mossel bay, a thriving harbor town established when europeans first landed in southern africa, little brak river was then a british colonial outpost, as the area was part of the cape colony until 1910. howes was the daughter of justice reed howes, who had immigrated to south africa at the end of the second boer war (1899-1902), and muriel alice (lind) howe. he was headmaster of boys high school in oudtshoorn, the "ostrich capital of the world," in the western cape, but after his marriage he moved to cape town, the legislative capital of the colony, where he practised as an advocate.