Rupert Hurly was born on 21 Dec 1922 and died in 2006. He attended St Joseph’s Marist College in Rondebosch, matriculating at the age of 15. He obtained his B.Sc. in Land Surveying at the University of Cape Town in 1942, at the age of 19. He served with the Cape Field Artillery for 3 years during World War II, in North Africa and in Italy. Apart from his interest in his own profession of land surveying and the history of land surveying in South Africa, he had several other interests. He was a keen and knowledgeable amateur astronomer and a member of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, who awarded him Honorary Membership in 1999 in recognition of his special service to astronomy (or to the Society). He was President of this Society in 1978 and 1979. He was involved in provincial and local politics in the Cape. He served as City Councillor for Rondebosch from 1978 to 1995 and sat on the Cape Provincial Council from 1977 to 1985. He was one of the founding members of the Progressive Party. He was awarded honorary life membership of the Institute of Professional Land Surveyors. He was on the board of directors of the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Company, publisher of The Southern Cross, from 1979 to 2001. He was married to Kathleen (née Dowsley) and had four children.