Dagbreek
painting by Hérine Fourie

Bunyan Booyens was born on 14 January 1916 in Nelsrivier near Oudtshoorn.
He studied history at Stellenbosch University, where he obtained the degrees of BA, MA and Dphil. (supervisor: P. J. van der Merwe) and a teacher's certificate (1937).
He started as the only teacher in a local school but went on to serve as head of schools in George, Robertson and Oudtshoorn. In 1960, Bun Booyens became personal assistant of the rector of University of Stellenbosch and editor of Matieland. He then lectured at the Department of History before joining the Department of Afrikaans Cultural History at Stellenbosch University in 1968. He was its first head until his retirement in 1981. In 1967 he installed the post-gradual course in Museum Sciences.
Bun Booyens was head of Eendrag student hostel for 14 years.
He was Chair of the Genootskap vir Afrikaanse Volkskunde and member of the education committee of the Minister of National Education. He also served the University Sports committee and Rugby Club.

Stellenbosch 1866 - 1966: Honderd jaar Höer Onderwys, Nasionale Boekhandel, 1966
Professor H. B. Thom (Ed: DJ Kotzé (Chair), Bun Booyens (vice-chair), JJ Oosthuysen (secr), GPJ Trümpelmann, PJ Lombard, 1969), University of Stellenbosch, 1969
Dagbreek 1921 -1971(co-editor: Koos Oosthuizen), University of Stellenbosch, 1971
Solomon Caesar Malan, akwarelle, Compiled by the Department of Afrikaanse Kultuur en Volkskunde (Text by Bun Booyens and Otto Schröder), Human & Rousseau, 1971