Trans Karoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GCMEyKFtwk&feature=related
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Woodstock
Name:
Woodstock (formerly known as Papendorp) is a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is located between the docks of Table Bay and the lower slopes of Devil's Peak, about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) east of the city centre of Cape Town. Woodstock is served by Woodstock and Esplanade railway stations, and has the postal code 7925 for street addresses and 7915 for post office box deliveries.
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Woodstock (formerly known as Papendorp) is a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is located between the docks of Table Bay and the lower slopes of Devil's Peak, about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) east of the city centre of Cape Town. Woodstock is served by Woodstock and Esplanade railway stations, and has the postal code 7925 for street addresses and 7915 for post office box deliveries.
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Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Pyramid (H 7)
Name: Pyramid
2.6 Km Railway Station Pyramid South
5.0 Km Railway Station Bon Accord
5.2 Km Service Station Bon Accord Motors
5.2 Km Service Station Grootvlei Garage
5.5 Km Railway Station Vasfontein
https://sites.google.com/site/saplacenames/
2.6 Km Railway Station Pyramid South
5.0 Km Railway Station Bon Accord
5.2 Km Service Station Bon Accord Motors
5.2 Km Service Station Grootvlei Garage
5.5 Km Railway Station Vasfontein
https://sites.google.com/site/saplacenames/
Putsonderwater
Name: Putsonderwater
Photo: http://www.suid-afrikaners.co.za/
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Photo: http://www.suid-afrikaners.co.za/
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Pudimoe (C 10)
Name: Pudimoe
Alternative Name:
Pudimoe
Name Type:
Native
Area / State:
Cape Province
Coordinates & Location Type
Area Type:
Spot feature
Location Type:
Railroad Station
Latitude:
-27.38333
Longitude:
24.71667
Latitude (DMS):
27° 22' 60 S
Longitude (DMS):
24° 43' 0 E
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Alternative Name:
Pudimoe
Name Type:
Native
Area / State:
Cape Province
Coordinates & Location Type
Area Type:
Spot feature
Location Type:
Railroad Station
Latitude:
-27.38333
Longitude:
24.71667
Latitude (DMS):
27° 22' 60 S
Longitude (DMS):
24° 43' 0 E
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Prince Alfred Hamlet (C 15)
Name: Prince Alfred Hamlet
Through the efforts of Johannes Cornelius Goosen, a local farmer, a town named after Queen Victoria's second son developed here. Prince Alfred's Hamlet is the gateway to the Gydo Pass, famous for its scenic views. It is also on the route to the Koue Bokkeveld, Cederberg and Kagga Kamma. It offers an alternative route to Citrusdal.
Prince Alfred's Hamlet
Province: Western Cape
Region: Breede River Valley
Description:
Prince Alfred's Hamlet is situated 10 km north of Ceres. The village was founded in 1861 and named after the second son of Queen Victoria, who had visited South Africa the year before. Mainly deciduous fruit is farmed here. Famous for its scenic views, Prince Alfred's Hamlet is the gateway to the Gydo Pass, an alternative route to Citrusdal. Gydo Pass goes through the Skurweberg to the farming area of the Koue Bokkeveld. The Pass affords wonderful views of the Ceres basin.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay: Cederberg: http://cederbergnames.blogspot.co.za/
Through the efforts of Johannes Cornelius Goosen, a local farmer, a town named after Queen Victoria's second son developed here. Prince Alfred's Hamlet is the gateway to the Gydo Pass, famous for its scenic views. It is also on the route to the Koue Bokkeveld, Cederberg and Kagga Kamma. It offers an alternative route to Citrusdal.
Prince Alfred's Hamlet
Province: Western Cape
Region: Breede River Valley
Description:
Prince Alfred's Hamlet is situated 10 km north of Ceres. The village was founded in 1861 and named after the second son of Queen Victoria, who had visited South Africa the year before. Mainly deciduous fruit is farmed here. Famous for its scenic views, Prince Alfred's Hamlet is the gateway to the Gydo Pass, an alternative route to Citrusdal. Gydo Pass goes through the Skurweberg to the farming area of the Koue Bokkeveld. The Pass affords wonderful views of the Ceres basin.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay: Cederberg: http://cederbergnames.blogspot.co.za/
Prince Albert Road (C 14)
Name: Prince Albert Road
Prince Albert, Western Cape, South Africa, a peaceful village at the foot of the Swartberg Pass
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_Road,_Western_Cape
Prince Albert, Western Cape, South Africa, a peaceful village at the foot of the Swartberg Pass
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_Road,_Western_Cape
Prieska (C 12)
Name: Prieska
Source: http://www.places.co.za/html/prieska.html
Prieska is situated on the south bank of the Orange River at the foot of the Doringberg and it was originally named Prieschap, a Khoisan word meaning "place of the lost she-goat". It is renowned for its semi-precious stones. The Schumann Rock Collection, including semiprecious stones and Khoisan stone implements, can be viewed at the municipal offices.
The area between Prieska and Vioolsdrif is often called the "Rock Garden Route" – where the rare halfmens and succulents of the Lithops family can be found - and the Ria Huysamen Aloe Garden outside town contains a large array of succulents.
Attractions in and nearby Prieska include:
Die Bos Nature Reserve with indigenous trees, shrubs and abundant birdlife, picnic spots, angling and suspended bridges across the Prieska River.
Fort on top of Prieska Koppie, built with tiger’s eye by the British during the Anglo-Boer War
The Memorial Garden in town which contains the graves of British soldiers killed during the Anglo-Boer War.
Prieska Museum
Wonderdraai where a horseshoe-shaped island is formed by the flow of the Orange River and makes it seem as if the river turns to flow uphill.
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Source: http://www.places.co.za/html/prieska.html
Prieska is situated on the south bank of the Orange River at the foot of the Doringberg and it was originally named Prieschap, a Khoisan word meaning "place of the lost she-goat". It is renowned for its semi-precious stones. The Schumann Rock Collection, including semiprecious stones and Khoisan stone implements, can be viewed at the municipal offices.
The area between Prieska and Vioolsdrif is often called the "Rock Garden Route" – where the rare halfmens and succulents of the Lithops family can be found - and the Ria Huysamen Aloe Garden outside town contains a large array of succulents.
Attractions in and nearby Prieska include:
Die Bos Nature Reserve with indigenous trees, shrubs and abundant birdlife, picnic spots, angling and suspended bridges across the Prieska River.
Fort on top of Prieska Koppie, built with tiger’s eye by the British during the Anglo-Boer War
The Memorial Garden in town which contains the graves of British soldiers killed during the Anglo-Boer War.
Prieska Museum
Wonderdraai where a horseshoe-shaped island is formed by the flow of the Orange River and makes it seem as if the river turns to flow uphill.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Pretoria-Noord (G 7)
Name: Pretoria-Noord
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Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Pretoria (G 8)
Name: Pretoria
History
First inhabitants
The Southern Transvaal Ndebele occupied the river valley, which was to become the location of the city of Pretoria, by around 1600. During the difaqane in Natal, another band of refugees arrived in this area under the leadership of Mzilikazi. However, they were forced to abandon their villages in their flight from a regiment of Zulu raiders in 1832.
The first “Boer” homestead in the Pretoria area was probably the home of J.G.S. Bronkhorst, who settled in the Fountains Valley in 1840. More Boer families put down roots around the nearby Elandspoort settlement. In 1854, two years after the Sand River Convention conferred formal independence on the territory north of the Vaal River, the residents of Elandspoort had the village proclaimed the ‘kerkplaas' for central Transvaal. This made it the focal point for nagmaals, baptisms and weddings.
The Founding of Pretoria
Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulus in the Battle of Blood River. Andries Pretorius also negotiated the Sand River Convention (1852), in which Britain acknowledged the independence of the Transvaal. Pretoria, at it’s founding year, consisted of about 80 houses and 300 residents.
Pretoria became the capital of the South African Republic (ZAR) on 1 May 1860. The founding of Pretoria as the capital of the South African Republic can be seen as marking the end of the Boers' settlement movements of the Great Trek.
Development of Pretoria as we know it today
Commandant-General Marthinus Wessel Pretorius had bought a large amount of land in the area, which was taken over by the government as they foresaw the development of a large centre. The town proper began to take shape in 1856 as a result of Andries du Toit, a presidential advisor, exchanging of one of his Basutho ponies for the entire area known, today, as Arcadia. He spent the next two years surveying his property with pegs and chains. Stephanus Meintjies developed the area and was honoured by having a nearby hillock named Meinjieskop. This resulted in Pretoria extending from Potgieter Street in the west to Prinsloo Street in the east and from Boom Street in the North to Scheiding Street in the South.
Not long after its establishment it became known as the ‘city of roses' because its climate encouraged the growth of rambler roses, which covered gardens and hedges all around the city. In 1888 J.D. Cilliers, a resident ad avid gardener, imported Jacaranda trees from Rio de Janeiro to plant in his Myrtle Grove garden. These trees flourished and as a result the city is now aptly known as the ‘Jacaranda City', with about 50 000 Jacarandas lining its streets.
The British annexed the Transvaal in April 1877, which resulted in a steady flow of immigrants and migrants. During the Transvaal War of Independence the British withdrew and Paul Kruger took over.
The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange Free State were united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with Cape Town the legislative capital. Between 1860 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of Transvaal, superseding Potchefstroom in that role.
On 14 October 1931, Pretoria achieved official city status. When South Africa became a republic in 1961, Pretoria remained its administrative capital.
Post Apartheid
After the creation of new municipal structures across South Africa in 2000, the name Tshwane was adopted for the Metropolitan Municipality that includes Pretoria and surrounding towns.
Pretoria previously had a rather sinister image as "the capital of Apartheid South Africa". However, Pretoria's political reputation was changed with the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the country's first black President at the Union Buildings in the same city.
In 1994 Peter Holmes Maluleka was elected as transitional mayor of Pretoria, until the first democratic election held later that year, making him the first black mayor of this capital of South Africa. Maluleka later became the chairman of the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan City Council (later Tshwane Metro Council), then was elected Speaker of the Tshwane Metro Council and in 2004 was chosen to be a member of the South African Parliament for the Soshanguve constituency.
Significant Landmarks
Church Square has always been the hub of Pretoria, although it was initially called Market Square. This was where the first church, a mud-walled building, was built. It burnt down in 1882 and was replaced by a much grander structure. Open markets were regularly held in the Square and Albert Broderick, an Englishman christened Albertus Broodryk, by his Afrikaans friends and customers established himself as shopkeeper. He also ran the community's first bar, the ‘Hole-in-the-Wall'.
When Mr. Sammy Marks, a well-known Jewish industrialist and close friend of President Paul Kruger, was allowed to build the town's first synagogue he expressed his pleasure by commissioning the sculptor Anton van Wouw to produce a statue of the president. A plinth was erected in Church Square to receive the bronze figure that had been cast in Rome. Unfortunately the South African War broke out and the statue was held up in the then Lorenzo Marques. This resulted in the statue only being erected in 1854. after several changes of site. Church Square was redesigned as a tramway in 1910, much to the disappointment of many of Pretoria's residents who had tried to convince the civic authorities to create a gracious area of fountains, gardens and Continental-style paving in order to showcase Pretoria as a city.
During the rule of the old dispensation Pretoria was the Administrative capital of South Africa. The modern city has many features that retain a position of importance in, especially, the white history of the country. These include the Union Buildings, designed by Sir Herbert Baker, which still houses government establishments; the old Raadsaal (council chamber) of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek on Church Square and the house where President Paul Kruger lived until his exile in 1900.
Outside the city towers the Voortrekker Monument and the two massive forts, Klapperkop and Schanskop, built by the Boers to protect their capital against the British. Here you can also find the large and imposing buildings of the University of South Africa (UNISA).
Sources: Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretoria]; SA History [http://www.sahistory.org.za]
http://www.pretoria.co.za/city-info/history.html
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
History
First inhabitants
The Southern Transvaal Ndebele occupied the river valley, which was to become the location of the city of Pretoria, by around 1600. During the difaqane in Natal, another band of refugees arrived in this area under the leadership of Mzilikazi. However, they were forced to abandon their villages in their flight from a regiment of Zulu raiders in 1832.
The first “Boer” homestead in the Pretoria area was probably the home of J.G.S. Bronkhorst, who settled in the Fountains Valley in 1840. More Boer families put down roots around the nearby Elandspoort settlement. In 1854, two years after the Sand River Convention conferred formal independence on the territory north of the Vaal River, the residents of Elandspoort had the village proclaimed the ‘kerkplaas' for central Transvaal. This made it the focal point for nagmaals, baptisms and weddings.
The Founding of Pretoria
Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulus in the Battle of Blood River. Andries Pretorius also negotiated the Sand River Convention (1852), in which Britain acknowledged the independence of the Transvaal. Pretoria, at it’s founding year, consisted of about 80 houses and 300 residents.
Pretoria became the capital of the South African Republic (ZAR) on 1 May 1860. The founding of Pretoria as the capital of the South African Republic can be seen as marking the end of the Boers' settlement movements of the Great Trek.
Development of Pretoria as we know it today
Commandant-General Marthinus Wessel Pretorius had bought a large amount of land in the area, which was taken over by the government as they foresaw the development of a large centre. The town proper began to take shape in 1856 as a result of Andries du Toit, a presidential advisor, exchanging of one of his Basutho ponies for the entire area known, today, as Arcadia. He spent the next two years surveying his property with pegs and chains. Stephanus Meintjies developed the area and was honoured by having a nearby hillock named Meinjieskop. This resulted in Pretoria extending from Potgieter Street in the west to Prinsloo Street in the east and from Boom Street in the North to Scheiding Street in the South.
Not long after its establishment it became known as the ‘city of roses' because its climate encouraged the growth of rambler roses, which covered gardens and hedges all around the city. In 1888 J.D. Cilliers, a resident ad avid gardener, imported Jacaranda trees from Rio de Janeiro to plant in his Myrtle Grove garden. These trees flourished and as a result the city is now aptly known as the ‘Jacaranda City', with about 50 000 Jacarandas lining its streets.
The British annexed the Transvaal in April 1877, which resulted in a steady flow of immigrants and migrants. During the Transvaal War of Independence the British withdrew and Paul Kruger took over.
The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange Free State were united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with Cape Town the legislative capital. Between 1860 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of Transvaal, superseding Potchefstroom in that role.
On 14 October 1931, Pretoria achieved official city status. When South Africa became a republic in 1961, Pretoria remained its administrative capital.
Post Apartheid
After the creation of new municipal structures across South Africa in 2000, the name Tshwane was adopted for the Metropolitan Municipality that includes Pretoria and surrounding towns.
Pretoria previously had a rather sinister image as "the capital of Apartheid South Africa". However, Pretoria's political reputation was changed with the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the country's first black President at the Union Buildings in the same city.
In 1994 Peter Holmes Maluleka was elected as transitional mayor of Pretoria, until the first democratic election held later that year, making him the first black mayor of this capital of South Africa. Maluleka later became the chairman of the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan City Council (later Tshwane Metro Council), then was elected Speaker of the Tshwane Metro Council and in 2004 was chosen to be a member of the South African Parliament for the Soshanguve constituency.
Significant Landmarks
Church Square has always been the hub of Pretoria, although it was initially called Market Square. This was where the first church, a mud-walled building, was built. It burnt down in 1882 and was replaced by a much grander structure. Open markets were regularly held in the Square and Albert Broderick, an Englishman christened Albertus Broodryk, by his Afrikaans friends and customers established himself as shopkeeper. He also ran the community's first bar, the ‘Hole-in-the-Wall'.
When Mr. Sammy Marks, a well-known Jewish industrialist and close friend of President Paul Kruger, was allowed to build the town's first synagogue he expressed his pleasure by commissioning the sculptor Anton van Wouw to produce a statue of the president. A plinth was erected in Church Square to receive the bronze figure that had been cast in Rome. Unfortunately the South African War broke out and the statue was held up in the then Lorenzo Marques. This resulted in the statue only being erected in 1854. after several changes of site. Church Square was redesigned as a tramway in 1910, much to the disappointment of many of Pretoria's residents who had tried to convince the civic authorities to create a gracious area of fountains, gardens and Continental-style paving in order to showcase Pretoria as a city.
During the rule of the old dispensation Pretoria was the Administrative capital of South Africa. The modern city has many features that retain a position of importance in, especially, the white history of the country. These include the Union Buildings, designed by Sir Herbert Baker, which still houses government establishments; the old Raadsaal (council chamber) of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek on Church Square and the house where President Paul Kruger lived until his exile in 1900.
Outside the city towers the Voortrekker Monument and the two massive forts, Klapperkop and Schanskop, built by the Boers to protect their capital against the British. Here you can also find the large and imposing buildings of the University of South Africa (UNISA).
Sources: Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretoria]; SA History [http://www.sahistory.org.za]
http://www.pretoria.co.za/city-info/history.html
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President (G 9)
Name: President
India Railway Station (795m)
Germiston Railway Station (849m)
Driehoek Railway Station (1km)
Germiston West Railway Station (1km)
Refinery Railway Station (1km)
Germiston South Railway Station (2km)
Hillview Railway Station (2km)
Germiston Lake Railway Station (2km)
Geldenhuis Railway Station (3km)
Kutalo Railway Station (3km)
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India Railway Station (795m)
Germiston Railway Station (849m)
Driehoek Railway Station (1km)
Germiston West Railway Station (1km)
Refinery Railway Station (1km)
Germiston South Railway Station (2km)
Hillview Railway Station (2km)
Germiston Lake Railway Station (2km)
Geldenhuis Railway Station (3km)
Kutalo Railway Station (3km)
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Poupan (D 12)
Name: Poupan
Poupan - Railway Station, located in Poupan, Northern Cape
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Poupan - Railway Station, located in Poupan, Northern Cape
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Potgietersrus (H 6)
Name: Potgietersrus
Source: Wikipedia
Mokopane or Potgietersrus[1] (officially renamed from Potgietersrus to Mokopane in 2003), is a town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town was established by the Voortrekkers and named Potgietersrus after the Voortrekker leader Piet Potgieter. The name was changed to Mokopane in 2003. It is home to the Northern Ndebele speaking tribes, English, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, and XiTsonga speakers. Five kingdoms in the vicinity of the town are Kekana (Moshate), Langa (Mapela), Gegana (Mshade), Lebelo (Garasvlei) and Langa (Bakenburg). The town was supposed to be called Mngombane as the original name of the King was Mngombane but not Mokopane. There is an interest from the Northern Ndebele (SeNdrebele in the language itself) locals to revive their language, many want to read and write their language. The SeNdrebele language is spoken by over half of the community members in Moshate and Mosesetjane Village
Two hours from Gauteng, the town acts as a getaway destination and as a stop-over for travelers en route to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kruger National Park. The area is typical bushveld with many acacia trees and aloes, which are at their best in June and July.
The Mokopane area is one of South Africa's richest agricultural areas producing wheat, tobacco, cotton, beef, maize, peanuts and citrus. The Zebediela Citrus Estate, 55 km to the southeast, is one of the largest citrus farms in the southern hemisphere. The area is rich in minerals with the mining of platinum, diamonds and granite as chief mineral resources.
Prehistory and history
The historic and archaeologically significant Makapansgat Caves are situated 15 km north of the town. Recovery of Homo habilis habitation has been made at these caves.[2] Remains of Australopithecus africanus have also been found at the caves.[3]
The Arend Dieperink Museum portrays the history of the town, from the ape-man at Makapansgat, bushman drawings and early activities in the area up to the Anglo Boer War and recent times.
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Source: Wikipedia
Mokopane or Potgietersrus[1] (officially renamed from Potgietersrus to Mokopane in 2003), is a town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town was established by the Voortrekkers and named Potgietersrus after the Voortrekker leader Piet Potgieter. The name was changed to Mokopane in 2003. It is home to the Northern Ndebele speaking tribes, English, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, and XiTsonga speakers. Five kingdoms in the vicinity of the town are Kekana (Moshate), Langa (Mapela), Gegana (Mshade), Lebelo (Garasvlei) and Langa (Bakenburg). The town was supposed to be called Mngombane as the original name of the King was Mngombane but not Mokopane. There is an interest from the Northern Ndebele (SeNdrebele in the language itself) locals to revive their language, many want to read and write their language. The SeNdrebele language is spoken by over half of the community members in Moshate and Mosesetjane Village
Two hours from Gauteng, the town acts as a getaway destination and as a stop-over for travelers en route to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kruger National Park. The area is typical bushveld with many acacia trees and aloes, which are at their best in June and July.
The Mokopane area is one of South Africa's richest agricultural areas producing wheat, tobacco, cotton, beef, maize, peanuts and citrus. The Zebediela Citrus Estate, 55 km to the southeast, is one of the largest citrus farms in the southern hemisphere. The area is rich in minerals with the mining of platinum, diamonds and granite as chief mineral resources.
Prehistory and history
The historic and archaeologically significant Makapansgat Caves are situated 15 km north of the town. Recovery of Homo habilis habitation has been made at these caves.[2] Remains of Australopithecus africanus have also been found at the caves.[3]
The Arend Dieperink Museum portrays the history of the town, from the ape-man at Makapansgat, bushman drawings and early activities in the area up to the Anglo Boer War and recent times.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Potfontein (D 12)
Name: Potfontein
Place: De Aar
Potfontein
Type: Hunting Lodge /Self Catering Location: Potfontein Farm
Tel:+ 27 (0)53 631 0092
e-mail: bo-karoodr@intekom.co.za
Description: Farm holidays and hunting
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Place: De Aar
Potfontein
Type: Hunting Lodge /Self Catering Location: Potfontein Farm
Tel:+ 27 (0)53 631 0092
e-mail: bo-karoodr@intekom.co.za
Description: Farm holidays and hunting
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Potchefstroom (E 9)
Name: Potchefstroom
Source: http://www.potchefstroom.co.za/tourism/tourism_heritage.html
Museums
Main Museum
(Gouws street)
The Library-museum complex was opened in 1982. The museum comprises three art halls, a cultural history hall, offices, a reference library and a shop. It is the biggest rural museum in the Transvaal and incorporates three house museums.
Totius House Museum
(cnr. Molen- en Esselen street)
The Totius Museum is a typical example of a town house built during the Edwardian period. When the Theological School of the Reformed Church had to be moved from Burgersdorp to Potchefstroom, a ground plan almost identical to the plan of the rector's home in Burgersdorp, was used in Potchefstroom. The house was completed in 1905 and was occupied by prof. Cachet until prof. D.J. du Toit ( totius) succeeded him ass principal af the Theological School in 1911.
Besides being a academic, Totius was also well-known Afrikaans Bible tranlator, poet and cultural leader. The entire content of the house originated from the Du Toit family. Admission to theis house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
President Pretorius Museum
(Van der Hoff avenue)
The President Pretorius Museum was the resident of Martinus Wessel Pretorius (1819 - 1901)., first president of the South African Republic and founder of Pretoria. He built this old Cape-style dwelling with its coach-house, stable and smithy in 1868.
The homestead with its tranquil farmyard recalls an urban Boer culture, which has long since dissappeared.
In 1973 the town council of Potchefstroom purchased the property. After restoration the complex was declared a national monument. Admission to this house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
Goetz / Fleischack Museum
(cnr. Gouws- en Potgieter street)
The Goetz / Fleischack Museum was one of the first townhouses erected around the New Market Square (Nieuwe Marktplein) ca. 1860. This house is a Karoo-style dwelling with shutters, ceiling and inner doors made of yellow-wood and peach-stone-floors in the pantry and kitchen. The walled-in complex includes a stable and a coach-shed. The dwelling originally belonged to A.M. Goetz, magistate during the First War of Independance (1880 -1881). After 1902 his daugther and her husband, A.R. Fleischack, founder of one of the oldest existing firms of attorneys in Potchefstroom, occupied the house. The house was declared a national monument in 1984 and was opened as a museum in 1985. Admission to this house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
Nasional Monuments
British Fort and Cementary (1880/81)
(R29 Klerksdorp)
Dutch Reformed Church (1859-1866)
(Church street)
The first congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church (Hervormende Kerk) was founded in 1842 and the firsst church was situated on the north-eastern corner of the church square. The second (present) church, the oldest existing church in the Transvaal, was consecrated in 1866.
Raw hide thongs were used to determine the measurements of the church. At the outset pews and lighting were non-existent and church-goers had to supply their own seats and lanterns. A corrugated iron roof replaced the original thatched roof in 1893. A wooden floor and ceiling were installed and a steeple was erected.
The building was strengthened in 1952 and a bronze statue of Rev. Dirk van der Hoff (first minister of the congregation) was erected at the main entrance. The sculptur was Coert Steynberg.
The building was declared a national monument in 1965. In 1912, 70 years after the foundiing of the first congregation, the original bell-tower was fitted with a bell manufactured in the Netherlands.
Ou Kruithuis (1883)
(Wolmarands Street)
Administration Building (1906)
(Agricultural College)
Selborn Hall (1909)
(Agricultural College)
Eikelaan (1910)
(Agricultural College to Dam, via Kock, Kruger, Tom and (Van Riebeeck Street)
MW Pretorius House and Buildings (1868)
(Van der Hoff avenue)
Dutch Reformed Church:
Teological School (1905)
Rectors residence (1905)
Preparatory School (1907)
Hostel building (1905)
(Molen street)
Officer's residence, British Cantonment (1902)
(Witrand Care- and Rehabilitation center)
Voortrekkerfort (1842)
(Elandsfontein Farm, Fochville district)
Main Building (1931)
PU for CHE
Heimat Hall (1927)
Pu for CHE
Totius House
(Kruger Street)
The Totius Museum is a typical example of a town house built during the Edwardian period. When the Theological School of the Reformed Church had to be moved from Burgersdorp to Potchefstroom, a ground plan almost identical to the plan of the rector's home in Burgersdorp, was used in Potchefstroom. The house was completed in 1905 and was occupied by prof. Cachet until prof. D.J. du Toit ( totius) succeeded him ass principal af the Theological School in 1911.
Besides being a academic, Totius was also well-known Afrikaans Bible tranlator, poet and cultural leader. The entire content of the house originated from the Du Toit family. Admission to theis house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
WD Pretorius House and Buildings (1853)
(cnr. Church and Jeugd street)
Landdrost- Post- en Telegraph Office(1896)
(Greyling street)
St Mary's Anglican Church (1891)
(Auto lane)
The corner-stone of the first St. Mary's Anglican Church Building was laid by M.W. Pretoriusin 1867. In 1891 the present church building was erected. The church has beautiful stained-glass windows. Part of the carpet used in Westminster Abbey during the coranation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, was presented to the church because it is the oldest Anglican church building in the Transvaal. The carpet hangs as a mural in the church. In its centenary year in 1991, the church was declared a national monument.
Police Office (1937)
(Greyling Street)
Old Post Office Building (1910)
(Greyling Street)
Lombard Street 74 (1905)
Lombard Street 76 (1905)
Stadshuis (1909)
(Church Street)
Carnegie library (1914)
(Church Street)
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Source: http://www.potchefstroom.co.za/tourism/tourism_heritage.html
Museums
Main Museum
(Gouws street)
The Library-museum complex was opened in 1982. The museum comprises three art halls, a cultural history hall, offices, a reference library and a shop. It is the biggest rural museum in the Transvaal and incorporates three house museums.
Totius House Museum
(cnr. Molen- en Esselen street)
The Totius Museum is a typical example of a town house built during the Edwardian period. When the Theological School of the Reformed Church had to be moved from Burgersdorp to Potchefstroom, a ground plan almost identical to the plan of the rector's home in Burgersdorp, was used in Potchefstroom. The house was completed in 1905 and was occupied by prof. Cachet until prof. D.J. du Toit ( totius) succeeded him ass principal af the Theological School in 1911.
Besides being a academic, Totius was also well-known Afrikaans Bible tranlator, poet and cultural leader. The entire content of the house originated from the Du Toit family. Admission to theis house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
President Pretorius Museum
(Van der Hoff avenue)
The President Pretorius Museum was the resident of Martinus Wessel Pretorius (1819 - 1901)., first president of the South African Republic and founder of Pretoria. He built this old Cape-style dwelling with its coach-house, stable and smithy in 1868.
The homestead with its tranquil farmyard recalls an urban Boer culture, which has long since dissappeared.
In 1973 the town council of Potchefstroom purchased the property. After restoration the complex was declared a national monument. Admission to this house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
Goetz / Fleischack Museum
(cnr. Gouws- en Potgieter street)
The Goetz / Fleischack Museum was one of the first townhouses erected around the New Market Square (Nieuwe Marktplein) ca. 1860. This house is a Karoo-style dwelling with shutters, ceiling and inner doors made of yellow-wood and peach-stone-floors in the pantry and kitchen. The walled-in complex includes a stable and a coach-shed. The dwelling originally belonged to A.M. Goetz, magistate during the First War of Independance (1880 -1881). After 1902 his daugther and her husband, A.R. Fleischack, founder of one of the oldest existing firms of attorneys in Potchefstroom, occupied the house. The house was declared a national monument in 1984 and was opened as a museum in 1985. Admission to this house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
Nasional Monuments
British Fort and Cementary (1880/81)
(R29 Klerksdorp)
Dutch Reformed Church (1859-1866)
(Church street)
The first congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church (Hervormende Kerk) was founded in 1842 and the firsst church was situated on the north-eastern corner of the church square. The second (present) church, the oldest existing church in the Transvaal, was consecrated in 1866.
Raw hide thongs were used to determine the measurements of the church. At the outset pews and lighting were non-existent and church-goers had to supply their own seats and lanterns. A corrugated iron roof replaced the original thatched roof in 1893. A wooden floor and ceiling were installed and a steeple was erected.
The building was strengthened in 1952 and a bronze statue of Rev. Dirk van der Hoff (first minister of the congregation) was erected at the main entrance. The sculptur was Coert Steynberg.
The building was declared a national monument in 1965. In 1912, 70 years after the foundiing of the first congregation, the original bell-tower was fitted with a bell manufactured in the Netherlands.
Ou Kruithuis (1883)
(Wolmarands Street)
Administration Building (1906)
(Agricultural College)
Selborn Hall (1909)
(Agricultural College)
Eikelaan (1910)
(Agricultural College to Dam, via Kock, Kruger, Tom and (Van Riebeeck Street)
MW Pretorius House and Buildings (1868)
(Van der Hoff avenue)
Dutch Reformed Church:
Teological School (1905)
Rectors residence (1905)
Preparatory School (1907)
Hostel building (1905)
(Molen street)
Officer's residence, British Cantonment (1902)
(Witrand Care- and Rehabilitation center)
Voortrekkerfort (1842)
(Elandsfontein Farm, Fochville district)
Main Building (1931)
PU for CHE
Heimat Hall (1927)
Pu for CHE
Totius House
(Kruger Street)
The Totius Museum is a typical example of a town house built during the Edwardian period. When the Theological School of the Reformed Church had to be moved from Burgersdorp to Potchefstroom, a ground plan almost identical to the plan of the rector's home in Burgersdorp, was used in Potchefstroom. The house was completed in 1905 and was occupied by prof. Cachet until prof. D.J. du Toit ( totius) succeeded him ass principal af the Theological School in 1911.
Besides being a academic, Totius was also well-known Afrikaans Bible tranlator, poet and cultural leader. The entire content of the house originated from the Du Toit family. Admission to theis house museum is free and guided tours are offered.
WD Pretorius House and Buildings (1853)
(cnr. Church and Jeugd street)
Landdrost- Post- en Telegraph Office(1896)
(Greyling street)
St Mary's Anglican Church (1891)
(Auto lane)
The corner-stone of the first St. Mary's Anglican Church Building was laid by M.W. Pretoriusin 1867. In 1891 the present church building was erected. The church has beautiful stained-glass windows. Part of the carpet used in Westminster Abbey during the coranation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, was presented to the church because it is the oldest Anglican church building in the Transvaal. The carpet hangs as a mural in the church. In its centenary year in 1991, the church was declared a national monument.
Police Office (1937)
(Greyling Street)
Old Post Office Building (1910)
(Greyling Street)
Lombard Street 74 (1905)
Lombard Street 76 (1905)
Stadshuis (1909)
(Church Street)
Carnegie library (1914)
(Church Street)
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Postmasburg (C 11)
Name: Postmasburg
Proclaimed a town on 6 June 1892 and named after the Rev J Postma, a Reformed Church founding member whose congregation sought a centre of worship. The town is complemented by a dam surrounded by lush, green vegetation and sparkling fountains.
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Proclaimed a town on 6 June 1892 and named after the Rev J Postma, a Reformed Church founding member whose congregation sought a centre of worship. The town is complemented by a dam surrounded by lush, green vegetation and sparkling fountains.
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Port Shepstone (K 15)
Name: Port Shepstone
Source: http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com/port-shepstone.html
Port Shepstone - KwaZulu Natal South Africa
Port Shepstone is the largest town on the tropical KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in South Africa. It was founded in 1867 when marble deposits were discovered on both river banks near the mouth of the Mzimkulu River. The Port Shepstone harbour was immediately built at the opening of the river mouth for marine trade. The first coaster entered the harbour on the 8 May 1880 and inaugurated regular trade between Durban and Port Shepstone. The main exports for many years after that were marble slabs, sugar and lime.
The development of Port Shepstone was boosted by the arrival of 200 Norwegian settlers who were brought out to farm the area. On their arrival some of the settlers immediately noticed the potential for seafaring trade and devoted their time and energy into developing the harbour and its facilities. By 1893 Port Shepstone was functioning as a full fiscal harbour. However, when the railway from Durban reached Port Shepstone, the harbour was doomed. It fell into disuse and eventually the river silted up again making it impossible to use. Port Shepstone is today the administrative, commercial, distribution and transport center of the South Coast. On the outskirts of the town is a charming church which is the cultural and social focus of the Norwegian settler's descendants. Port Shepstone is a perfect stop for tourists wanting to experience some of the beautiful KwaZulu Natal Coast.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Source: http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com/port-shepstone.html
Port Shepstone - KwaZulu Natal South Africa
Port Shepstone is the largest town on the tropical KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in South Africa. It was founded in 1867 when marble deposits were discovered on both river banks near the mouth of the Mzimkulu River. The Port Shepstone harbour was immediately built at the opening of the river mouth for marine trade. The first coaster entered the harbour on the 8 May 1880 and inaugurated regular trade between Durban and Port Shepstone. The main exports for many years after that were marble slabs, sugar and lime.
The development of Port Shepstone was boosted by the arrival of 200 Norwegian settlers who were brought out to farm the area. On their arrival some of the settlers immediately noticed the potential for seafaring trade and devoted their time and energy into developing the harbour and its facilities. By 1893 Port Shepstone was functioning as a full fiscal harbour. However, when the railway from Durban reached Port Shepstone, the harbour was doomed. It fell into disuse and eventually the river silted up again making it impossible to use. Port Shepstone is today the administrative, commercial, distribution and transport center of the South Coast. On the outskirts of the town is a charming church which is the cultural and social focus of the Norwegian settler's descendants. Port Shepstone is a perfect stop for tourists wanting to experience some of the beautiful KwaZulu Natal Coast.
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Porterville
Name: Porterville
Famous as the home of the rare Disa Uniflora, Porterville is the only place in South Africa where these extraordinary flowers bloom, the rarest being the sulphur yellow Disa.
Visit Porterville
Who to contact
Contact Person: Nathalie Wagenstroom
Tel: +27 22 9313732
Fax : +27 22 9313732
info@portervilletourism.co.za
Address: Cnr of Voortrekker & Mark street
Porterville
6810
A 140 km drive north from Cape Town lands you in Porterville,a picturesque town on the slopes of the beautiful Olifants River Mountains. Established in 1863 after its founder Frederick John Owen subdivided his farm Pomona into plots, the town was named after a popular Attorney General of the Cape, William Porter.
Its main attraction, Waterval (Waterfall) Holiday Farm is located at the foot of the Olifants River Mountains, 5 Kilometers from Porterville. The naturally beautiful holiday farm offers visitors 22 Waterfalls, Hiking Trails, Mountain Bike Routes, Horse Rides, Picnic & / Camping Facilities, Barbeque Facilities and beautiful natural swimming pools.
Climatic conditions vary from dry, hot summers with powerful cross winds, making it the ideal location for paragliding enthusiasts, to severe winters, with snow on the mountain peaks and storms rolling in from the Atlantic coast in the west.
Dramatic rock formations, fauna & flora in the Groot Winterhoek Nature Reserve (en route to the Dasklip Pass) on the outskirts of Porterville, offer hiking trails to places called "DIE TRONK" & "DIE HEL" and features one of the largest, natural rock pools in South Africa. This is in sharp contrast to the gently undulating plains of wheat below and the abundance of waterfalls.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Famous as the home of the rare Disa Uniflora, Porterville is the only place in South Africa where these extraordinary flowers bloom, the rarest being the sulphur yellow Disa.
Visit Porterville
Who to contact
Contact Person: Nathalie Wagenstroom
Tel: +27 22 9313732
Fax : +27 22 9313732
info@portervilletourism.co.za
Address: Cnr of Voortrekker & Mark street
Porterville
6810
A 140 km drive north from Cape Town lands you in Porterville,a picturesque town on the slopes of the beautiful Olifants River Mountains. Established in 1863 after its founder Frederick John Owen subdivided his farm Pomona into plots, the town was named after a popular Attorney General of the Cape, William Porter.
Its main attraction, Waterval (Waterfall) Holiday Farm is located at the foot of the Olifants River Mountains, 5 Kilometers from Porterville. The naturally beautiful holiday farm offers visitors 22 Waterfalls, Hiking Trails, Mountain Bike Routes, Horse Rides, Picnic & / Camping Facilities, Barbeque Facilities and beautiful natural swimming pools.
Climatic conditions vary from dry, hot summers with powerful cross winds, making it the ideal location for paragliding enthusiasts, to severe winters, with snow on the mountain peaks and storms rolling in from the Atlantic coast in the west.
Dramatic rock formations, fauna & flora in the Groot Winterhoek Nature Reserve (en route to the Dasklip Pass) on the outskirts of Porterville, offer hiking trails to places called "DIE TRONK" & "DIE HEL" and features one of the largest, natural rock pools in South Africa. This is in sharp contrast to the gently undulating plains of wheat below and the abundance of waterfalls.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Port Elizabeth (G 16)
Name: Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth (Xhosa: Ebhayi; colloquial The Bay[4] or Afrikaans: Die Baai) is one of the largest cities in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, 770 km (478 mi) east of Cape Town. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. It is also referred to as Africa's Watersport Capital.
Port Elizabeth was founded as a town in 1820 to house British settlers as a way of strengthening the border region between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa. It now forms part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality which has a population of over 1.3 million.
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Port Elizabeth (Xhosa: Ebhayi; colloquial The Bay[4] or Afrikaans: Die Baai) is one of the largest cities in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, 770 km (478 mi) east of Cape Town. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. It is also referred to as Africa's Watersport Capital.
Port Elizabeth was founded as a town in 1820 to house British settlers as a way of strengthening the border region between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa. It now forms part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality which has a population of over 1.3 million.
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Port Dumford (M 11)
Name: Port Duford
port Durnford - just up the beach from Mutunzini.
The shortest route by road is about 15km. At a guess, I would think at least 5to7 km along the beach.
Radiometric date for the Port Dumford peat and development of...
researchspace.csir.co.za/dspace/retrieve/1450/oschadleus_1_1996.pdf
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port Durnford - just up the beach from Mutunzini.
The shortest route by road is about 15km. At a guess, I would think at least 5to7 km along the beach.
Radiometric date for the Port Dumford peat and development of...
researchspace.csir.co.za/dspace/retrieve/1450/oschadleus_1_1996.pdf
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Port Alfred (H 15)
Name: Port Alfred
Port Alfred is a small town with a population of under 21 000[citation needed] in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated on the eastern seaboard of the country at the mouth of the Kowie River, almost exactly half-way between the larger cities of Port Elizabeth and East London and 30 km West of Cannon Rocks.
One of its most distinctive features is a marina with a number of luxurious houses facing on to the canals. Associated with the marina is a small boat harbour, providing mooring for a variety of vessels from luxury yachts and other pleasure craft, to sporting and commercial deep-sea fishing vessels. The city enjoys a mild climate and award winning beaches, Kelly's beach has Blue Flag beach status, meaning it is one of the top beaches in South Africa. It is growing rapidly due to a high number of retirees and holiday makers building houses there.[citation needed]
Port Alfred is home to Southern Africa's largest air school, 43 Air School[citation needed] In addition, Port Alfred is home to Stenden South Africa, a subsidiary campus of Stenden University in the Netherlands. This campus attracts large numbers of international students to South Africa every year. The famous little village of Bathurst is fifteen km outside Port Alfred and is also becoming a very popular place to live. The area is green, picturesque and is home to South Africa's oldest inn, the Pig and Wistle.
Port Alfred has many activities for visitors including fishing, Scuba diving, canoeing, water skiing and tubing. Other sporting activities include golf (Port Alfred boasts one of the seven "royal" courses in the country), canoeing, horse trails and surfing, with Port Alfred being regarded by many as one of the best-kept surfing secrets in the country. The town is one of the last few places along the ever increasing coastline. It is unspoilt by overpopulation and commercialism, naturally beautiful and a relaxing place to be.[citation needed]
Port Alfred is home to the Kowie Striders fun run. The event is held on the 26th December annually and is enjoyed by holiday makers from far and wide. Both the 5 km and 8 km routes are well supported and all entrants get a souvenir Kowie Striders glass. The event is characterised by the announcer who welcomes finishers to the line with the catch phrase, "And the crowd goes wild at the Kowie".
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Port Alfred is a small town with a population of under 21 000[citation needed] in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated on the eastern seaboard of the country at the mouth of the Kowie River, almost exactly half-way between the larger cities of Port Elizabeth and East London and 30 km West of Cannon Rocks.
One of its most distinctive features is a marina with a number of luxurious houses facing on to the canals. Associated with the marina is a small boat harbour, providing mooring for a variety of vessels from luxury yachts and other pleasure craft, to sporting and commercial deep-sea fishing vessels. The city enjoys a mild climate and award winning beaches, Kelly's beach has Blue Flag beach status, meaning it is one of the top beaches in South Africa. It is growing rapidly due to a high number of retirees and holiday makers building houses there.[citation needed]
Port Alfred is home to Southern Africa's largest air school, 43 Air School[citation needed] In addition, Port Alfred is home to Stenden South Africa, a subsidiary campus of Stenden University in the Netherlands. This campus attracts large numbers of international students to South Africa every year. The famous little village of Bathurst is fifteen km outside Port Alfred and is also becoming a very popular place to live. The area is green, picturesque and is home to South Africa's oldest inn, the Pig and Wistle.
Port Alfred has many activities for visitors including fishing, Scuba diving, canoeing, water skiing and tubing. Other sporting activities include golf (Port Alfred boasts one of the seven "royal" courses in the country), canoeing, horse trails and surfing, with Port Alfred being regarded by many as one of the best-kept surfing secrets in the country. The town is one of the last few places along the ever increasing coastline. It is unspoilt by overpopulation and commercialism, naturally beautiful and a relaxing place to be.[citation needed]
Port Alfred is home to the Kowie Striders fun run. The event is held on the 26th December annually and is enjoyed by holiday makers from far and wide. Both the 5 km and 8 km routes are well supported and all entrants get a souvenir Kowie Striders glass. The event is characterised by the announcer who welcomes finishers to the line with the catch phrase, "And the crowd goes wild at the Kowie".
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Politsi (J 6)
Name: Politsi
Johannesburg to Politsi:
Take the R 21 out of JHB towards Pretoria.
Proceed along this road and take the Pietersburg / Polokwane turn and proceed to Polokwane.
The distance to Polokwane from JHB is about 360 KM. Just before the town of Polokwane there is a sign post to the left. This road (R71) will take you towards Tzaneen and Politsi.
Follow this road to Tzaneen in an Easterly direction and take the R528.
Drive along this road for about 140 KM . You will come to a T Junction.
Turn left towards Politsi and Duiwelskloof onto the R36. Proceed along this road for about 6 km.
Turn left at the Politsi sign. Travel along this road for 1.5 KM.
Northern Timbers is on your left hand side.
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Johannesburg to Politsi:
Take the R 21 out of JHB towards Pretoria.
Proceed along this road and take the Pietersburg / Polokwane turn and proceed to Polokwane.
The distance to Polokwane from JHB is about 360 KM. Just before the town of Polokwane there is a sign post to the left. This road (R71) will take you towards Tzaneen and Politsi.
Follow this road to Tzaneen in an Easterly direction and take the R528.
Drive along this road for about 140 KM . You will come to a T Junction.
Turn left towards Politsi and Duiwelskloof onto the R36. Proceed along this road for about 6 km.
Turn left at the Politsi sign. Travel along this road for 1.5 KM.
Northern Timbers is on your left hand side.
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Point (M 14)
Name: Point
No story and record of the Durban railway and it's locomotives would be complete if the Bluff Railway was ignored. Four years before the building of the Durban - Point railway, a line just 100 yards short of one mile had been constructed and was in operation on the Bluff side of Durban harbour. There was little glamour in this compared to the fanfare and ceremony experienced across the bay in 1860, and today nothing remains of this venture, which had such an important effect on the viability of the port.
The picture, above left, shows a view taken from the Bluff and showing the wooden railway running along the fringe of the bush. The map of the railway, above right, was drawn by PC Sutherland in 1860. Click the pictures to view enlargements. Images courtesy Terry Hutson.
To understand the reasons for the building of this little railway, it is necessary to examine some of the background. The commencement of Durban, as a settlement for whites from the Cape and Europe had its beginnings in 1824, when a party of traders under the leadership of Lieut. Francis G Farewell, RN, with about twenty other adventurers, was given permission by the Governor of the Cape Colony to establish a station at Natal "for the advancement of. trade and civilisation". Prior to this the bay at Port Natal, or Durban as it was to become, had experienced few European visitors since Vasco da Gama's reported visit here in 1497 with his Portuguese. The exceptions were those unfortunate souls who were shipwrecked in the vicinity during the next three and a quarter centuries, and forced to remain in the shelter of the bay of Natal and await rescue or build new ships to make good their escape.
Source: http://www.fad.co.za/Resources/memoirs/hutson.htm
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No story and record of the Durban railway and it's locomotives would be complete if the Bluff Railway was ignored. Four years before the building of the Durban - Point railway, a line just 100 yards short of one mile had been constructed and was in operation on the Bluff side of Durban harbour. There was little glamour in this compared to the fanfare and ceremony experienced across the bay in 1860, and today nothing remains of this venture, which had such an important effect on the viability of the port.
The picture, above left, shows a view taken from the Bluff and showing the wooden railway running along the fringe of the bush. The map of the railway, above right, was drawn by PC Sutherland in 1860. Click the pictures to view enlargements. Images courtesy Terry Hutson.
To understand the reasons for the building of this little railway, it is necessary to examine some of the background. The commencement of Durban, as a settlement for whites from the Cape and Europe had its beginnings in 1824, when a party of traders under the leadership of Lieut. Francis G Farewell, RN, with about twenty other adventurers, was given permission by the Governor of the Cape Colony to establish a station at Natal "for the advancement of. trade and civilisation". Prior to this the bay at Port Natal, or Durban as it was to become, had experienced few European visitors since Vasco da Gama's reported visit here in 1497 with his Portuguese. The exceptions were those unfortunate souls who were shipwrecked in the vicinity during the next three and a quarter centuries, and forced to remain in the shelter of the bay of Natal and await rescue or build new ships to make good their escape.
Source: http://www.fad.co.za/Resources/memoirs/hutson.htm
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Plumtree (F 9)
Name: Plumtree
Plumtree, Zimbabwe is a town in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, close to the border to Botswana. It is the local administrative centre. The railway from Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) to Francistown (Botswana) crosses the border near Plumtree.
The Plumtree School is located here. Plumtree has a casino.
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Plumtree, Zimbabwe is a town in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, close to the border to Botswana. It is the local administrative centre. The railway from Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) to Francistown (Botswana) crosses the border near Plumtree.
The Plumtree School is located here. Plumtree has a casino.
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Plumstead (A 16)
Name: Plumstead
Plumstead is a suburb in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, situated on the western margin of the Cape Flats, within the municipality of the City of Cape Town
[edit] History
Plumstead was first mentioned when, in 1762, a large portion of the land beyond Wynberg and the Constantia Valley was granted to the free burghers Hendrick Jergens and Johan Barrens, who were Dutch settlers. They called the land 'Rust' (Rest) and 'Werk' (Work). Twenty years later the land was granted to Hendrick Bouman Brigeraad. After the decline of the Dutch East India Company, the British occupied the Cape. An Englishman, Henry Batt, arrived in 1807 and bought 'Rust and Werk' and renamed it Plumstead after a district of London. Henry Batt farmed the area for twenty six years, and died in 1833. The farm Plumstead was sub-divided and bought by Messrs. Higgs, Loubscher and Southey. Lately more famous for having Tom Hudson reside there.
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Plumstead is a suburb in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, situated on the western margin of the Cape Flats, within the municipality of the City of Cape Town
[edit] History
Plumstead was first mentioned when, in 1762, a large portion of the land beyond Wynberg and the Constantia Valley was granted to the free burghers Hendrick Jergens and Johan Barrens, who were Dutch settlers. They called the land 'Rust' (Rest) and 'Werk' (Work). Twenty years later the land was granted to Hendrick Bouman Brigeraad. After the decline of the Dutch East India Company, the British occupied the Cape. An Englishman, Henry Batt, arrived in 1807 and bought 'Rust and Werk' and renamed it Plumstead after a district of London. Henry Batt farmed the area for twenty six years, and died in 1833. The farm Plumstead was sub-divided and bought by Messrs. Higgs, Loubscher and Southey. Lately more famous for having Tom Hudson reside there.
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Platrand (H 11)
Name: Platrand
The battle of the Platrand was the only serious Boer attack on the British lines during the siege of Ladysmith. The Platrand is a two and a half mile long ridge that dominated the south side of Ladysmith. It had been occupied by the British from the start of the siege in November 1899 and was seen by many the key to the defences of Ladysmith. Its lose would certainly have made Lieutenant-General Sir George White’s task much harder.
The British recognised the importance of the Platrand and had fortified the hills at each end. At Caesar’s Camp, on the eastern end of the ridge, they had built walls seven feet high. There they had 400 men from the Manchester Regiment, HMS Powerful and the Natal Naval Volunteers, and one 12 pounder gun. Wagon Hill, at the west end of the ridge, was not so strongly fortified, but work was in hand on two gun emplacements. The garrison of Wagon Hill was 600 strong (three companies of the 1st King’s Royal Rifle Corp and the Imperial Light Horse, as well as a detachment from the Royal Engineers). The Natal Naval Volunteers moved a 3 pounder gun onto Wagon Hill the day before the Boer attack, and two naval guns were being moved onto the hill when the attack began. The British commander on the Platrand, Colonel Ian Hamilton, had around 1,000 men to defend the two and a half mile long position.
The Boers intended to attack him with twice that number. 1,000 Transvaal men under Schalk Burger were to attack Caesar’s Camp. De Villiers with 400 Free Staters were to attack Wagon Point. Finally 600 men from Vryheid and Winburg and a unit of Germans were to attack the middle of the ridge, between the two hills. However, not everyone in the Boer camp was convinced that the attack was worthwhile. Many men who were meant to have taken part in the third attack decided not to take part.
The attack went in at 2.30am on 6 January. Under cover of darkness the fighting was chaotic. Hamilton was woken by the noise. Finding a strong Boer attack underway, he used a newly installed telephone to call for reinforcements. Amongst other troops, White sent field artillery that played a crucial part in the daylight fighting.
At daybreak the Boer attack had failed to reach the summit of the ridge, but the Boers held a line along the entire southern side of the hill, and threatened to outflank the British position. Boer guns on neighbouring hills now joined in, and the British position looked vulnerable. However, the field guns sent by White now arrived, and helped stabilize the position.
The fighting went on from early morning till noon without a break. After a short break the Boer attack was resumed. By now British reinforcements had arrived on the hill. The Boers failed to make supporting attacks elsewhere around Ladysmith, allowing White to move troops to the Platrand. The Devonshire Regiment made a particularly significant contribution, clearing a pocket of Boers from the southern side of the ridge with a bayonet charge, in the process loosing a third of their strength. Finally, as darkness fell at the end of the day the remaining Boers retreated down the hill.
British losses were high. 168 men were killed, out of a total of 417 casualties. Five Victoria Crosses were won (two posthumous). Boer losses were probably just has high. Officially they were reported at 64 dead and 119 wounded, but the Rifle Brigade counted 99 Boer dead on their part of the hill. Amongst the Boer dead was De Villiers, shot dead in a close encounter with Hamilton. The failure of the attack on the Platrand demoralised the Boers. It was their last attempt to capture Ladysmith.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J (5 February 2007), Battle of the Platrand, 6 January 1900, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_platrand.html
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The battle of the Platrand was the only serious Boer attack on the British lines during the siege of Ladysmith. The Platrand is a two and a half mile long ridge that dominated the south side of Ladysmith. It had been occupied by the British from the start of the siege in November 1899 and was seen by many the key to the defences of Ladysmith. Its lose would certainly have made Lieutenant-General Sir George White’s task much harder.
The British recognised the importance of the Platrand and had fortified the hills at each end. At Caesar’s Camp, on the eastern end of the ridge, they had built walls seven feet high. There they had 400 men from the Manchester Regiment, HMS Powerful and the Natal Naval Volunteers, and one 12 pounder gun. Wagon Hill, at the west end of the ridge, was not so strongly fortified, but work was in hand on two gun emplacements. The garrison of Wagon Hill was 600 strong (three companies of the 1st King’s Royal Rifle Corp and the Imperial Light Horse, as well as a detachment from the Royal Engineers). The Natal Naval Volunteers moved a 3 pounder gun onto Wagon Hill the day before the Boer attack, and two naval guns were being moved onto the hill when the attack began. The British commander on the Platrand, Colonel Ian Hamilton, had around 1,000 men to defend the two and a half mile long position.
The Boers intended to attack him with twice that number. 1,000 Transvaal men under Schalk Burger were to attack Caesar’s Camp. De Villiers with 400 Free Staters were to attack Wagon Point. Finally 600 men from Vryheid and Winburg and a unit of Germans were to attack the middle of the ridge, between the two hills. However, not everyone in the Boer camp was convinced that the attack was worthwhile. Many men who were meant to have taken part in the third attack decided not to take part.
The attack went in at 2.30am on 6 January. Under cover of darkness the fighting was chaotic. Hamilton was woken by the noise. Finding a strong Boer attack underway, he used a newly installed telephone to call for reinforcements. Amongst other troops, White sent field artillery that played a crucial part in the daylight fighting.
At daybreak the Boer attack had failed to reach the summit of the ridge, but the Boers held a line along the entire southern side of the hill, and threatened to outflank the British position. Boer guns on neighbouring hills now joined in, and the British position looked vulnerable. However, the field guns sent by White now arrived, and helped stabilize the position.
The fighting went on from early morning till noon without a break. After a short break the Boer attack was resumed. By now British reinforcements had arrived on the hill. The Boers failed to make supporting attacks elsewhere around Ladysmith, allowing White to move troops to the Platrand. The Devonshire Regiment made a particularly significant contribution, clearing a pocket of Boers from the southern side of the ridge with a bayonet charge, in the process loosing a third of their strength. Finally, as darkness fell at the end of the day the remaining Boers retreated down the hill.
British losses were high. 168 men were killed, out of a total of 417 casualties. Five Victoria Crosses were won (two posthumous). Boer losses were probably just has high. Officially they were reported at 64 dead and 119 wounded, but the Rifle Brigade counted 99 Boer dead on their part of the hill. Amongst the Boer dead was De Villiers, shot dead in a close encounter with Hamilton. The failure of the attack on the Platrand demoralised the Boers. It was their last attempt to capture Ladysmith.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J (5 February 2007), Battle of the Platrand, 6 January 1900, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_platrand.html
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Plaston (K 8)
Name: Plaston
Mpumalanga, White River Plaston
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Mpumalanga, White River Plaston
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Pinetown (L13)
Name: Pinetown
Pinetown is a small city just inland from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Pinetown is situated 16 km west of Durban at an elevation of 1,000 to 1,300 feet (305 to 395 m). It was established in 1850 around the Wayside Hotel, itself built the year before along the main wagon route between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It was named after the governor of Natal, Sir Benjamin Pine. The British built a concentration camp here during the Second Boer War to house Boer women and children.
Pinetown is now part of the larger eThekwini Municipality and, for voting purposes, falls within the IEC electoral Ward 18. The area from Cowies Hill in the east along Old Main Road/M1 to Westmead ( industral area ) in the west is commonly referred to as the Pinetown area, although Pinetown strictly extends from Caversham Glen to Manors. The structures of the original town can be found at the corner of Old Main/Stapleton roads.
Pinetown Cricket Club, established in 1873, is believed to be the oldest in KwaZulu-Natal and among the oldest still in existence in South Africa. The club, originally located in central Pinetown at the current Civic Centre location, has now moved to Lahee Park. Under the chairmanship of then Pinetown mayor, Vernon Hall, with facilities at their peak, Lahee Park hosted ten first class games between 1974 and 1979. Former internationals Norman Crookes (twice selected for the Springbok squad) and Tertius Bosch represented the club. Current (2010) Dolphins players Khaya Zondo and Cameron Delport call the club home as do KZN "B" cricketers Bruce Kruger and Kyle Buckthorp.
The city has several schools: Pinetown Boys' High School, Pinetown Girls' High School, Benjamin Pine Primary School (R-7), Sarnia Primary School, Highway Christian Abademy, John Wesley School, Pinetown Junior & Senior Primary School, Browns School, St Benedict College, Lyndhurst Primary, New Germany Primary and Ashley Primary School. The only Afrikaans-medium school in the area is Gelofte Skool, meaning 'promise school'.
The shack dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo is very strong in Pinetown particularly in the Motala Heights, Motala Farm, Mpola and New eMaus settlements.
Pinetown is known as a 'motor town', because of many motor dealerships found along Old Main Road. The city is serviced by a few shopping centres, Pine Crest/Pine Walk both in Kings road, Knowles ( Spar ) centre & St John's ( Checkers ) centre .For the DIY enthusiasts there are plenty DIY shops dotted along Old Main road. Pinetown is serviced by a government hospital ( St Mary's ) in Mariannhill, a private hospital (Crompton) and a private medical centre ( Medicross).
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Pinetown is a small city just inland from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Pinetown is situated 16 km west of Durban at an elevation of 1,000 to 1,300 feet (305 to 395 m). It was established in 1850 around the Wayside Hotel, itself built the year before along the main wagon route between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It was named after the governor of Natal, Sir Benjamin Pine. The British built a concentration camp here during the Second Boer War to house Boer women and children.
Pinetown is now part of the larger eThekwini Municipality and, for voting purposes, falls within the IEC electoral Ward 18. The area from Cowies Hill in the east along Old Main Road/M1 to Westmead ( industral area ) in the west is commonly referred to as the Pinetown area, although Pinetown strictly extends from Caversham Glen to Manors. The structures of the original town can be found at the corner of Old Main/Stapleton roads.
Pinetown Cricket Club, established in 1873, is believed to be the oldest in KwaZulu-Natal and among the oldest still in existence in South Africa. The club, originally located in central Pinetown at the current Civic Centre location, has now moved to Lahee Park. Under the chairmanship of then Pinetown mayor, Vernon Hall, with facilities at their peak, Lahee Park hosted ten first class games between 1974 and 1979. Former internationals Norman Crookes (twice selected for the Springbok squad) and Tertius Bosch represented the club. Current (2010) Dolphins players Khaya Zondo and Cameron Delport call the club home as do KZN "B" cricketers Bruce Kruger and Kyle Buckthorp.
The city has several schools: Pinetown Boys' High School, Pinetown Girls' High School, Benjamin Pine Primary School (R-7), Sarnia Primary School, Highway Christian Abademy, John Wesley School, Pinetown Junior & Senior Primary School, Browns School, St Benedict College, Lyndhurst Primary, New Germany Primary and Ashley Primary School. The only Afrikaans-medium school in the area is Gelofte Skool, meaning 'promise school'.
The shack dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo is very strong in Pinetown particularly in the Motala Heights, Motala Farm, Mpola and New eMaus settlements.
Pinetown is known as a 'motor town', because of many motor dealerships found along Old Main Road. The city is serviced by a few shopping centres, Pine Crest/Pine Walk both in Kings road, Knowles ( Spar ) centre & St John's ( Checkers ) centre .For the DIY enthusiasts there are plenty DIY shops dotted along Old Main road. Pinetown is serviced by a government hospital ( St Mary's ) in Mariannhill, a private hospital (Crompton) and a private medical centre ( Medicross).
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Pinelands (A 16)
Name: Pinelands
Source: Wikipedia
The "garden city" suburb of Pinelands is located on the edge of the southern suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa and is known for its large thatched houses. The suburb is primarily residential and is often praised for its peacefulness and abundance of trees. Pinelands is one of the few areas in Cape Town in which sale of alcohol is prohibited and is a popular place for senior citizens to retire to. While there are several retirement homes in the suburb, younger people are increasingly moving in.
The main road is called Forest Drive and the suburb contains two small shopping centres, namely Howard Centre (named after Ebenezer Howard who led the garden city movement) and Central Square. Dutch Reformed, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches are located near to Central Square, while Baptist, Church of England in South Africa and Catholic churches are located elsewhere in the suburb. Pinelands is served by two Metrorail railway stations: Pinelands station on the western edge of the suburb and Mutual station on the northern edge. The suburb is bisected from the north east to the south west by the Elsieskraal River, which has flowed through a large concrete drainage canal since the 1960s.
The postcodes for Pinelands are 7405 for street addresses and 7430 for post office boxes. The telephone exchange codes for Pinelands are predominantly 531 and 532 (within the 021 dialling code for Cape Town).
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Source: Wikipedia
The "garden city" suburb of Pinelands is located on the edge of the southern suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa and is known for its large thatched houses. The suburb is primarily residential and is often praised for its peacefulness and abundance of trees. Pinelands is one of the few areas in Cape Town in which sale of alcohol is prohibited and is a popular place for senior citizens to retire to. While there are several retirement homes in the suburb, younger people are increasingly moving in.
The main road is called Forest Drive and the suburb contains two small shopping centres, namely Howard Centre (named after Ebenezer Howard who led the garden city movement) and Central Square. Dutch Reformed, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches are located near to Central Square, while Baptist, Church of England in South Africa and Catholic churches are located elsewhere in the suburb. Pinelands is served by two Metrorail railway stations: Pinelands station on the western edge of the suburb and Mutual station on the northern edge. The suburb is bisected from the north east to the south west by the Elsieskraal River, which has flowed through a large concrete drainage canal since the 1960s.
The postcodes for Pinelands are 7405 for street addresses and 7430 for post office boxes. The telephone exchange codes for Pinelands are predominantly 531 and 532 (within the 021 dialling code for Cape Town).
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Pilot (G 10)
Name: Pilot
Kathlehong
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Kathlehong
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Pilane (E 7)
Name:Pilane
Pilane is a village in Kgatleng District of Botswana. It is located 10 km south-west of the district capital, Mochudi. The population was 1,178 in 2001 census.[1]
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Pilane is a village in Kgatleng District of Botswana. It is located 10 km south-west of the district capital, Mochudi. The population was 1,178 in 2001 census.[1]
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Piketberg (B 15)
Name: Piketberg
Source: http://www.piketberg.com/
The main objective of Piketberg.com is to put Piketberg on the map as a tourist destination as well to promote our local businesses who have so much to offer in the way of service, products and just good country hospitality.
Piketberg is about an hour and fifteen minutes drive on the N7 from Cape Town and an hours drive from the West Coast. It stands alone in the middle of undulating fields of wheat, green vineyards, partly fallow land and flowering yellow canola.
The mountain range is unique as it stands as an island with Piketberg as its main town on its eastern slopes, the village of Aurora on the west and Redelinghuys to the north. If one is looking for a quiet lifestyle then this is the place to explore.
The perfect way to view the whole town and surrounding areas is to take a trip up the Versveld pass to the top of the mountain where you will drive through acres comprising of apple, pear, peach and orange trees.
On the way up you will have the scent of wild rosemary and will see many yellow Waboom and pink Nerifolia Proteas. Drive further on and take a turn at Langeberg road and head west. When you see a pinetree almost in front of the car, stop and look south. On a clear day Table Mountain is in the distance!
You will not want to leave this beautiful area. Spend a few days exploring and stay at one of the guesthouses advertised here and be refreshed in spirit!
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Source: http://www.piketberg.com/
The main objective of Piketberg.com is to put Piketberg on the map as a tourist destination as well to promote our local businesses who have so much to offer in the way of service, products and just good country hospitality.
Piketberg is about an hour and fifteen minutes drive on the N7 from Cape Town and an hours drive from the West Coast. It stands alone in the middle of undulating fields of wheat, green vineyards, partly fallow land and flowering yellow canola.
The mountain range is unique as it stands as an island with Piketberg as its main town on its eastern slopes, the village of Aurora on the west and Redelinghuys to the north. If one is looking for a quiet lifestyle then this is the place to explore.
The perfect way to view the whole town and surrounding areas is to take a trip up the Versveld pass to the top of the mountain where you will drive through acres comprising of apple, pear, peach and orange trees.
On the way up you will have the scent of wild rosemary and will see many yellow Waboom and pink Nerifolia Proteas. Drive further on and take a turn at Langeberg road and head west. When you see a pinetree almost in front of the car, stop and look south. On a clear day Table Mountain is in the distance!
You will not want to leave this beautiful area. Spend a few days exploring and stay at one of the guesthouses advertised here and be refreshed in spirit!
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Piet Retief (J 10)
Name:Piet Retief
The Person:
Pieter Mauritz Retief (usually referred to as Piet Retief), (12 November 1780 – 6 February 1838) was a South African Boer leader. Settling in 1814 in the frontier region of the Cape Colony, he assumed command of punitive expeditions against competing Zulu forces. He also acted as spokesperson for the frontier farmers.
He wrote the Voortrekkers' declaration at their departure from the colony, and became a leading figure during their Great Trek. He proposed Natal as the final destination of their migration and selected a location for its future capital, later named Pietermaritzburg. Following the massacre of Retief and his delegation by Zulu king Dingane, the short-lived Boer republic Natalia suffered from ineffective government and succumbed to British annexation.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Great Trek
3 Death
4 Legacy
5 Popular culture
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
[edit] Early life
Retief was born to Jacobus and Debora Retief in the Wagenmakersvallei, Cape Colony, today the town of Wellington, South Africa. His family were Boers of French Huguenot ancestry: his great-grandfather was the 1689 Huguenot refugee François Retif, from Mer, Loir-et-Cher near Blois. He was the progenitor of the name in South Africa.[1] Retief grew up on the ancestral vineyard Welvanpas, where he worked until the age of 27.
After moving to the vicinity of Grahamstown, Retief, like other Boers, acquired wealth through livestock, but suffered repeated losses from Xhosa raids in the period. These prompted the 6th Cape Frontier War. (Retief had a history of financial trouble. On more than one occasion, he lost money and other possessions, mainly through gambling and land speculation. He is reported to have gone bankrupt at least twice, while at the colony and on the frontier.)[2] Such losses impelled many frontier farmers to become Voortrekkers (literally, "those who move forward"ra) and to migrate to new lands in the north.
Retief wrote their manifesto, dated 22 January 1837, setting out their long-held grievances against the British government. They believed it had offered them no protection against raids by the native blacks, no redress, and by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 freed their slaves. The compensation offered to owners hardly amounted to a quarter of the slaves' market value. Retief's manifesto was published in the Grahamstown Journal on 2 February and De Zuid-Afrikaan on 17 February, just as the emigrant Boers started to leave their homesteads.
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The Person:
Pieter Mauritz Retief (usually referred to as Piet Retief), (12 November 1780 – 6 February 1838) was a South African Boer leader. Settling in 1814 in the frontier region of the Cape Colony, he assumed command of punitive expeditions against competing Zulu forces. He also acted as spokesperson for the frontier farmers.
He wrote the Voortrekkers' declaration at their departure from the colony, and became a leading figure during their Great Trek. He proposed Natal as the final destination of their migration and selected a location for its future capital, later named Pietermaritzburg. Following the massacre of Retief and his delegation by Zulu king Dingane, the short-lived Boer republic Natalia suffered from ineffective government and succumbed to British annexation.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Great Trek
3 Death
4 Legacy
5 Popular culture
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
[edit] Early life
Retief was born to Jacobus and Debora Retief in the Wagenmakersvallei, Cape Colony, today the town of Wellington, South Africa. His family were Boers of French Huguenot ancestry: his great-grandfather was the 1689 Huguenot refugee François Retif, from Mer, Loir-et-Cher near Blois. He was the progenitor of the name in South Africa.[1] Retief grew up on the ancestral vineyard Welvanpas, where he worked until the age of 27.
After moving to the vicinity of Grahamstown, Retief, like other Boers, acquired wealth through livestock, but suffered repeated losses from Xhosa raids in the period. These prompted the 6th Cape Frontier War. (Retief had a history of financial trouble. On more than one occasion, he lost money and other possessions, mainly through gambling and land speculation. He is reported to have gone bankrupt at least twice, while at the colony and on the frontier.)[2] Such losses impelled many frontier farmers to become Voortrekkers (literally, "those who move forward"ra) and to migrate to new lands in the north.
Retief wrote their manifesto, dated 22 January 1837, setting out their long-held grievances against the British government. They believed it had offered them no protection against raids by the native blacks, no redress, and by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 freed their slaves. The compensation offered to owners hardly amounted to a quarter of the slaves' market value. Retief's manifesto was published in the Grahamstown Journal on 2 February and De Zuid-Afrikaan on 17 February, just as the emigrant Boers started to leave their homesteads.
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Pietersburg (H 5)
Name:Pietersburg
Source Wikipedia
Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",[2][4] is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name,[3] Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population of the municipality exceeds 500,000 (2001). Polokwane was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
History
In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town 100 km to the north west. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes. They founded a new town in 1886 and named it Pietersburg in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. The British built a concentration camp at Pietersburg during the Boer War to house almost 4,000 Boer women and children. The town officially became a city on April 23, 1992; on February 25, 2005, the government declared the official English name of the city to be the Northern Sotho one, Polokwane. The city was the site of the ANC national conference which saw Jacob Zuma take over as head of the party.[5
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Source Wikipedia
Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",[2][4] is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name,[3] Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population of the municipality exceeds 500,000 (2001). Polokwane was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
History
In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town 100 km to the north west. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes. They founded a new town in 1886 and named it Pietersburg in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. The British built a concentration camp at Pietersburg during the Boer War to house almost 4,000 Boer women and children. The town officially became a city on April 23, 1992; on February 25, 2005, the government declared the official English name of the city to be the Northern Sotho one, Polokwane. The city was the site of the ANC national conference which saw Jacob Zuma take over as head of the party.[5
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Pieters (J 12)
Name: Pieters
The British artillery was a powerful force in the field, underused by commanders with little training in the use of modern guns in battle. Pakenham cites Pieters as being the battle at which a British commander, surprisingly Buller, developed a modern form of battlefield tactics: heavy artillery bombardments co-ordinated to permit the infantry to advance under their protection. It was the only occasion that Buller showed any real generalship and the short inspiration quickly died.
http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/siege-ladysmith.htm
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The British artillery was a powerful force in the field, underused by commanders with little training in the use of modern guns in battle. Pakenham cites Pieters as being the battle at which a British commander, surprisingly Buller, developed a modern form of battlefield tactics: heavy artillery bombardments co-ordinated to permit the infantry to advance under their protection. It was the only occasion that Buller showed any real generalship and the short inspiration quickly died.
http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/siege-ladysmith.htm
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Pietermarizburg (K 13)
Name: Pietermarizburg
Source: Wikipedia
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was founded in 1838. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district authority. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products. It is home to many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It had a population of 228,549 in 1991;[1] the estimated current population in Msunduzi Local Municipality is between 500,000 and 600,000 (of which 25% to 30% are identified as Indians or Whites).
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Source: Wikipedia
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was founded in 1838. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district authority. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products. It is home to many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It had a population of 228,549 in 1991;[1] the estimated current population in Msunduzi Local Municipality is between 500,000 and 600,000 (of which 25% to 30% are identified as Indians or Whites).
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Pienaarsrivier (H 6)
Name: Pienaarsrivier
Location of Pienaarsrivier, Transvaal, South Africa (Latitude: 25° 34' 17 S, Longitude: 28° 20' 51 E)
Source: http://www.everysingleplace.com/features/index/6779983?fcid=308&page=2
153 Farms within 25 miles of Pienaarsrivier Nedersetting
Bala
Baviaanspoort
Biesjeskuil
Blaauwboschkuil
Boekenhoutkloof
BoekenhoutskloofBoekenhoutskloofBoekenhoutskloofdriftBoschkloofBothasvleyBoveneind GroenfonteinBoynespoortBuffelsdoornsBuffelsdrifBuffelsdriftBuffelsdriftBultfonteinBultfonteinConwayDe KuilDe LangesdamDe OnderstepoortDe PuttenDe TweedespruitDe WagendriftDe WitskraalDerdepoortDoornfonteinDoornkraalDoornkuilDoornpoortDownbernEersteregtElandskraalEnkeldoornEnkeldoornspoortFairfieldGraspanGroenfonteinGroenfonteinGrootvleiGruispanHaakdoornbultHaakdoornfonteinHaakdoornfonteinHaakdoornkuilHaakdornboomHamanskraalHartbeestfonteinHartebeestfonteinHartebeestspruitHoningnestkransInderminneIrrigasieKaallaagteKaallaagteKalkfonteinKalkheuvelKameeldriftKameeldriftKameelfonteinKameelrivierKleinklipkopiesKlipdriftKlipdriftKlipdriftKlipfonteinKlipfonteinKlipgatKlippanKlipplaatdriftKlipplaatdriftKliprandKloppersbosKoedoespoortKrokodilspruitKromdraaiKromdraaiKruisfonteinKruisfonteinLa RochelleLangkuilLangkuilLeeuwdraaiLeeuwdriftLeeuwfonteinLeeuwfonteinLeeuwkloofLeeuwkuilLusthofMantsoleMerinovlakteMiddelkopjeMurrayhillNaauwpoortOnderstepoortPaardefonteinPalmietgatPienaarsrivierPrins Anna
RenbaanRhenosterdriftRhenosterfonteinRhenostervaleiRietfonteinRietgatRondavel of SchoongezichtRondefonteinRoodeplaatRooibankRooikopRooiwalRuimteRust der WinterRust der WinterSpringbokvlakteSpringfonteinSterkwaterSynbrandskraalTambootie PanThe WedgeTogoTurflaagteTweefonteinTyroneUitspanUitspanning aan PienaarsrivierbrugUitvalUitvlugtVaalboschVaalboschbultVaalwaterkransValschfonteinVarkfonteinVastfonteinVerbrickVlaklaagteVlaklaagteVygeboschlaagteWallmannsthalWatervalWelgedachtWelgegundWelgevondenWelgevondenWolfhuiskraalZaagkuildriftZaagkuilfonteinZandfonteinZandkop Zyn LaagteZeekoegatZoetdoornlaagteZoutpan
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Location of Pienaarsrivier, Transvaal, South Africa (Latitude: 25° 34' 17 S, Longitude: 28° 20' 51 E)
Source: http://www.everysingleplace.com/features/index/6779983?fcid=308&page=2
153 Farms within 25 miles of Pienaarsrivier Nedersetting
Bala
Baviaanspoort
Biesjeskuil
Blaauwboschkuil
Boekenhoutkloof
BoekenhoutskloofBoekenhoutskloofBoekenhoutskloofdriftBoschkloofBothasvleyBoveneind GroenfonteinBoynespoortBuffelsdoornsBuffelsdrifBuffelsdriftBuffelsdriftBultfonteinBultfonteinConwayDe KuilDe LangesdamDe OnderstepoortDe PuttenDe TweedespruitDe WagendriftDe WitskraalDerdepoortDoornfonteinDoornkraalDoornkuilDoornpoortDownbernEersteregtElandskraalEnkeldoornEnkeldoornspoortFairfieldGraspanGroenfonteinGroenfonteinGrootvleiGruispanHaakdoornbultHaakdoornfonteinHaakdoornfonteinHaakdoornkuilHaakdornboomHamanskraalHartbeestfonteinHartebeestfonteinHartebeestspruitHoningnestkransInderminneIrrigasieKaallaagteKaallaagteKalkfonteinKalkheuvelKameeldriftKameeldriftKameelfonteinKameelrivierKleinklipkopiesKlipdriftKlipdriftKlipdriftKlipfonteinKlipfonteinKlipgatKlippanKlipplaatdriftKlipplaatdriftKliprandKloppersbosKoedoespoortKrokodilspruitKromdraaiKromdraaiKruisfonteinKruisfonteinLa RochelleLangkuilLangkuilLeeuwdraaiLeeuwdriftLeeuwfonteinLeeuwfonteinLeeuwkloofLeeuwkuilLusthofMantsoleMerinovlakteMiddelkopjeMurrayhillNaauwpoortOnderstepoortPaardefonteinPalmietgatPienaarsrivierPrins Anna
RenbaanRhenosterdriftRhenosterfonteinRhenostervaleiRietfonteinRietgatRondavel of SchoongezichtRondefonteinRoodeplaatRooibankRooikopRooiwalRuimteRust der WinterRust der WinterSpringbokvlakteSpringfonteinSterkwaterSynbrandskraalTambootie PanThe WedgeTogoTurflaagteTweefonteinTyroneUitspanUitspanning aan PienaarsrivierbrugUitvalUitvlugtVaalboschVaalboschbultVaalwaterkransValschfonteinVarkfonteinVastfonteinVerbrickVlaklaagteVlaklaagteVygeboschlaagteWallmannsthalWatervalWelgedachtWelgegundWelgevondenWelgevondenWolfhuiskraalZaagkuildriftZaagkuilfonteinZandfonteinZandkop Zyn LaagteZeekoegatZoetdoornlaagteZoutpan
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Phuzumoya (L 9)
Name: Phuzumoya
Phuzumoya is a town in eastern Swaziland on the MR8 road, located close to the junction of the Usutu and Lusutfu Rivers,
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Phuzumoya is a town in eastern Swaziland on the MR8 road, located close to the junction of the Usutu and Lusutfu Rivers,
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Phomolong (F 9)
Name: Phomolong
Phomolong township emerged from the forcefully removed old location near Hennenman ... Then the name Phomolong came up, to related to present situation. ...
Welcome to Matjhabeng, pulsing heart of the Free State Goldfields. Situated on top of the gold bearing reefs of the Witwatersrand, Matjhabeng Municipality incorporates the city of Welkom and the towns of Odendaalsrus, Virginia, Hennenman, Allanridge and Ventersburg, with a combined population of more than 400†000 people.
Matjhabeng Municipality came into existence in year 05 December 2000, after 1994 South Africa’s first democratic elections, and incorporated these previously independent municipalities. In addition to these municipalities, former townships such as Meloding, Nyakallong, Kutlwanong, Thabong, Bronville, Harmon, Phomolong and Meloding have been included. Under the administration and protection of Matjhabeng Municipality, significant and continuing advances are being made in improving the infrastructure and living standards of all residents of the area. The majority of the population are employed in the mining sector, which is the economic lifeblood of the region.
The area is rich in South African history, with the first documented settlement of the area in the 1850’s. The area continued to develop as a largely agricultural region, abundant in wildlife.
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Phomolong township emerged from the forcefully removed old location near Hennenman ... Then the name Phomolong came up, to related to present situation. ...
Welcome to Matjhabeng, pulsing heart of the Free State Goldfields. Situated on top of the gold bearing reefs of the Witwatersrand, Matjhabeng Municipality incorporates the city of Welkom and the towns of Odendaalsrus, Virginia, Hennenman, Allanridge and Ventersburg, with a combined population of more than 400†000 people.
Matjhabeng Municipality came into existence in year 05 December 2000, after 1994 South Africa’s first democratic elections, and incorporated these previously independent municipalities. In addition to these municipalities, former townships such as Meloding, Nyakallong, Kutlwanong, Thabong, Bronville, Harmon, Phomolong and Meloding have been included. Under the administration and protection of Matjhabeng Municipality, significant and continuing advances are being made in improving the infrastructure and living standards of all residents of the area. The majority of the population are employed in the mining sector, which is the economic lifeblood of the region.
The area is rich in South African history, with the first documented settlement of the area in the 1850’s. The area continued to develop as a largely agricultural region, abundant in wildlife.
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Phoenix (M 13)
Name: Phoenix
Phoenix, suburb of: Durban, region: KwaZulu-Natal, country: South Africa
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Phoenix, suburb of: Durban, region: KwaZulu-Natal, country: South Africa
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Philippolis Road (E 12)
Name:Philippolis Road
A quaint museum in the main road tells the story of the history of Philippolis. It is also the only museum in the country licensed to sell liquor.
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A quaint museum in the main road tells the story of the history of Philippolis. It is also the only museum in the country licensed to sell liquor.
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Phefeni (F 9)
Name: Phefeni
Phefeni is a railroad station in Gauteng, South Africa, Africa.
Phefeni forms are large portion of Orlando West.
Kaizer's house is also on Phefeni. Phefeni belongs to the municipality
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Phefeni is a railroad station in Gauteng, South Africa, Africa.
Phefeni forms are large portion of Orlando West.
Kaizer's house is also on Phefeni. Phefeni belongs to the municipality
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Friday, September 3, 2010
Phalaborwa
Name: Phalaborwa
Phalaborwa is
located in the Limpopo Province of Southern Africa
and is known as
"The Central Gate to the Kruger National Park" which makes this the perfect travel destination!
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Weblinks: http://www.phalaborwa.org.za/
Phalaborwa is
located in the Limpopo Province of Southern Africa
and is known as
"The Central Gate to the Kruger National Park" which makes this the perfect travel destination!
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Date:
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Other interesting info:
Where to stay:
Weblinks: http://www.phalaborwa.org.za/
Petrus Steyn (F 11)
Name: Petrus Steyn
original name: Petrus Steyn
geographical location: Lindley, Free State, South Africa, Africa
geographical coordinates: 27° 39' 0" South, 28° 8' 0" East
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original name: Petrus Steyn
geographical location: Lindley, Free State, South Africa, Africa
geographical coordinates: 27° 39' 0" South, 28° 8' 0" East
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Petrusburg (D 11)
Name: Petrusburg
Source: http://www.places.co.za/html/petrusburg.html
Petrusburg, a rich agricultural centre, is situated 80km west of Bloemfontein on the R48.
Petrusburg was named after Petrus Albertus Venter whose estate provided the money to buy the farm Diepfontein, on which the town was laid out in 1891 as a church and commercial centre for an extensive farming area.
Mixed farming is practised in the 3000 square km which was excised from the Fauresmith district in 1863. The main activity is sheep farming. The main crops are maize and potatoes.
Modest quantities of wheat are harvested in the rare season when enough rain falls in winter and early spring.
There are numerous salt pans in the district.
Activities
Emmaus
The centre point of South Africa- 20 km from the town.
Poplar Grove Battle
Where in Christiaan de Wet tried unsuccessfully to prevent British advancement into Bloemfontein.
Paardeberg Anglo-Boer War Monument
23 km Outside of the town.
Historic Battlefields
The Battle of Poplar River, wherein Christiaan de Wet tried unsuccessfully to prevent British advancement into Bloemfontein, is one of many battles that were fought in the area.
Rondavels
Built with beer bottles next to the country lodge.
Two Block houses
At the entrance of the town, it is the Van Riebeeckfeespark (1652 - 1952)
Two Monuments
At the entrance of the town, a tribute to the citizens past and present.
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Source: http://www.places.co.za/html/petrusburg.html
Petrusburg, a rich agricultural centre, is situated 80km west of Bloemfontein on the R48.
Petrusburg was named after Petrus Albertus Venter whose estate provided the money to buy the farm Diepfontein, on which the town was laid out in 1891 as a church and commercial centre for an extensive farming area.
Mixed farming is practised in the 3000 square km which was excised from the Fauresmith district in 1863. The main activity is sheep farming. The main crops are maize and potatoes.
Modest quantities of wheat are harvested in the rare season when enough rain falls in winter and early spring.
There are numerous salt pans in the district.
Activities
Emmaus
The centre point of South Africa- 20 km from the town.
Poplar Grove Battle
Where in Christiaan de Wet tried unsuccessfully to prevent British advancement into Bloemfontein.
Paardeberg Anglo-Boer War Monument
23 km Outside of the town.
Historic Battlefields
The Battle of Poplar River, wherein Christiaan de Wet tried unsuccessfully to prevent British advancement into Bloemfontein, is one of many battles that were fought in the area.
Rondavels
Built with beer bottles next to the country lodge.
Two Block houses
At the entrance of the town, it is the Van Riebeeckfeespark (1652 - 1952)
Two Monuments
At the entrance of the town, a tribute to the citizens past and present.
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Petronella (H 7)
Name: Petronella
From Pretoria to Pienaarsrivier.
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From Pretoria to Pienaarsrivier.
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Pessene (L 8)
Name: Pessene
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201007200864.html
Pessene — Residents of the administrative post of Pessene, in Moamba district, Maputo province, complained on Monday to President Armando Guebuza of rustling and shortage of water.
These complaints were presented during a rally Guebuza addressed as part of his "open and inclusive presidency" to the Maputo province.
Pessene is characterized by poor soil, which renders agriculture unsustainable, but it is good for livestock farming. Currently there are 3,700 head of cattle and 9,500 goats in Pessene. However, farmers have been facing the problem of stock theft, and some of the criminals come from outside the administrative post.
Another associated problem is that even when the victims manage to catch the rustlers, it takes a long walk to reach the nearest police station and during this period, the criminals often manage to escape.
One somewhat desperate suggestion was to replace oxen by donkeys, since nobody in Mozambique eats donkeys, and there is thus no risk that they will be stolen.
Shortage of water is another very serious problem and, in the recent past, Pessene relied on supplies by water tankers sent from Maputo. There has been some improvement in this matter, but the residents are asking for more water sources.
Besides rustling and shortage of water, Pessene residents also asked Guebuza for the expansion of the electricity grid, and improvement of access roads, and of the transport system in general, because people in that area depend almost exclusively on the train to and from Maputo for transport.
In response, Guebuza acknowledged the importance of the concerns presented during the rally, but he also pointed out that despite all these difficulties, problems are being gradually solved, and there have been achievements.
"We have done a lot, but we still have a long way to go. But our small achievements, so far, are encouraging us and give us the strength to proceed', he said.
Relevant Links
Southern Africa
Mozambique
Guebuza, whose speech was mainly on the importance of preserving the environment and fighting against poverty, said that the Pessene of today is different from what it was in the past. Much had changed, "and in the future many more things will change and the agents of this change are the residents themselves", he stressed.
As for the problems posed during the rally, Guebuza told the participants that there will be solutions, because the fight against poverty is the government's priority, and decentralization, that gave origin to the creation of the local Consultative Councils, that play an important role in the development agenda, is one way the government has adopted to fight against poverty.
This was the first time a Mozambican head of state had ever visited Pessene. But Guebuza said he knew the place well from his childhood, when he used to visit uncles living there.
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Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201007200864.html
Pessene — Residents of the administrative post of Pessene, in Moamba district, Maputo province, complained on Monday to President Armando Guebuza of rustling and shortage of water.
These complaints were presented during a rally Guebuza addressed as part of his "open and inclusive presidency" to the Maputo province.
Pessene is characterized by poor soil, which renders agriculture unsustainable, but it is good for livestock farming. Currently there are 3,700 head of cattle and 9,500 goats in Pessene. However, farmers have been facing the problem of stock theft, and some of the criminals come from outside the administrative post.
Another associated problem is that even when the victims manage to catch the rustlers, it takes a long walk to reach the nearest police station and during this period, the criminals often manage to escape.
One somewhat desperate suggestion was to replace oxen by donkeys, since nobody in Mozambique eats donkeys, and there is thus no risk that they will be stolen.
Shortage of water is another very serious problem and, in the recent past, Pessene relied on supplies by water tankers sent from Maputo. There has been some improvement in this matter, but the residents are asking for more water sources.
Besides rustling and shortage of water, Pessene residents also asked Guebuza for the expansion of the electricity grid, and improvement of access roads, and of the transport system in general, because people in that area depend almost exclusively on the train to and from Maputo for transport.
In response, Guebuza acknowledged the importance of the concerns presented during the rally, but he also pointed out that despite all these difficulties, problems are being gradually solved, and there have been achievements.
"We have done a lot, but we still have a long way to go. But our small achievements, so far, are encouraging us and give us the strength to proceed', he said.
Relevant Links
Southern Africa
Mozambique
Guebuza, whose speech was mainly on the importance of preserving the environment and fighting against poverty, said that the Pessene of today is different from what it was in the past. Much had changed, "and in the future many more things will change and the agents of this change are the residents themselves", he stressed.
As for the problems posed during the rally, Guebuza told the participants that there will be solutions, because the fight against poverty is the government's priority, and decentralization, that gave origin to the creation of the local Consultative Councils, that play an important role in the development agenda, is one way the government has adopted to fight against poverty.
This was the first time a Mozambican head of state had ever visited Pessene. But Guebuza said he knew the place well from his childhood, when he used to visit uncles living there.
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Thursday, September 2, 2010
Perdekop (H 11)
Name: Perdekop
Source: Wikipedia
Perdekop, (Afrikaans for horse hill), is a small town situated on top of a 1,889m peak in the Mpumalanga province, in South Africa. The town was established during an equine sickness epidemic when farmers found that when they brought their horses to the top of this hill they were protected from the sickness. During the Second Boer War the British operated a lookout balloon here to monitor Boer activities.
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Julia Msibi - she came from Perdekop.
Where to stay:
Source: Wikipedia
Perdekop, (Afrikaans for horse hill), is a small town situated on top of a 1,889m peak in the Mpumalanga province, in South Africa. The town was established during an equine sickness epidemic when farmers found that when they brought their horses to the top of this hill they were protected from the sickness. During the Second Boer War the British operated a lookout balloon here to monitor Boer activities.
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Julia Msibi - she came from Perdekop.
Where to stay:
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Perdeberg (D 11)
Name: Perdeberg
From Kimberley, Perdeberg and Petrusburg to Bloemfontein
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From Kimberley, Perdeberg and Petrusburg to Bloemfontein
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Pepworth (J 12)
Name: Pepworth
Source: http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol061ob.html
They either loved fighting, hated the British, or had high hopes of future rewards from their employers (and frequently all these motives were present at once). In common with the other foreign corps serving with the Boers, the Irish Brigade adopted Boer tactics. Generally speaking, they were courageous but inferior to the Boers in skill, and more than on one occasion, (e.g., at Elandslaagte and Magersfontein) allowed themselves to be surrounded, captured or destroyed. Relations between the Irish Brigade and the Boers were often strained (as were relations between other foreign volunteers and the Boers). The former invariably expected more than they were either accorded or received(7). Blake's section distinguished itself at Pepworth, near Ladysmith, where it stood its ground under a hail of British shrapnel, dragging a great deal of ammunition up the hill. This unit was later engaged in the operations at Brandfort and in the surrounding regions. The Section under Col Lynch was also involved in the fighting around Ladysmith and was particularly acclaimed following its stand near Dundee in the general Boer withdrawal. Indeed, it was said to be the one Foreign Corps in the general confusion of the time that achieved some distinction. By resisting the British advance for over an hour it gained valuable time for the remainder of the force engaged. Towards the end of the War Lynch's section was in action in the Barberton and neighbouring regions.
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Source: http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol061ob.html
They either loved fighting, hated the British, or had high hopes of future rewards from their employers (and frequently all these motives were present at once). In common with the other foreign corps serving with the Boers, the Irish Brigade adopted Boer tactics. Generally speaking, they were courageous but inferior to the Boers in skill, and more than on one occasion, (e.g., at Elandslaagte and Magersfontein) allowed themselves to be surrounded, captured or destroyed. Relations between the Irish Brigade and the Boers were often strained (as were relations between other foreign volunteers and the Boers). The former invariably expected more than they were either accorded or received(7). Blake's section distinguished itself at Pepworth, near Ladysmith, where it stood its ground under a hail of British shrapnel, dragging a great deal of ammunition up the hill. This unit was later engaged in the operations at Brandfort and in the surrounding regions. The Section under Col Lynch was also involved in the fighting around Ladysmith and was particularly acclaimed following its stand near Dundee in the general Boer withdrawal. Indeed, it was said to be the one Foreign Corps in the general confusion of the time that achieved some distinction. By resisting the British advance for over an hour it gained valuable time for the remainder of the force engaged. Towards the end of the War Lynch's section was in action in the Barberton and neighbouring regions.
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Monday, August 30, 2010
Pemba (F 4)
Name: Pemba Zambia
Pemba is a small town (population about 4,000) (Another small town, scarcely more than a dot on the map, Pemba is about 261km from Livingstone http://www.zambia-travel-guide.com/bradt_guide.asp?bradt=488) located in Choma District of the Southern Province of Zambia. It is situated on the 'Great North Road' that runs between Lusaka and Livingstone. The main ethnic group in the town are the Tonga. Prominent educational institutions found here are Pemba Basic School, Pemba High School and Kasia Secretarial College.
Pemba also hosts the Zambian National Broadcasting Corperation (ZNBC) television transmitter station for the Southern Province.
13°36'0"S 32°27'0"E
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Pemba is a small town (population about 4,000) (Another small town, scarcely more than a dot on the map, Pemba is about 261km from Livingstone http://www.zambia-travel-guide.com/bradt_guide.asp?bradt=488) located in Choma District of the Southern Province of Zambia. It is situated on the 'Great North Road' that runs between Lusaka and Livingstone. The main ethnic group in the town are the Tonga. Prominent educational institutions found here are Pemba Basic School, Pemba High School and Kasia Secretarial College.
Pemba also hosts the Zambian National Broadcasting Corperation (ZNBC) television transmitter station for the Southern Province.
13°36'0"S 32°27'0"E
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Saturday, August 28, 2010
Peelton (H 15)
Name: Peelton
Source: http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/places/villages/easternCape/peelton.htm
Umxelo was established in 1839 by the Reverend Richard Birt as a station of the London Missionary Society. At that stage it was popularly referred to as Birt's Mission, and was located a short distance from the village of Chief Bhotomani, near Fort Beaufort. The station was destroyed in 1846 during the course of the frontier war of 1846-48, better known as the War of the Axe.
When hostilities drew to an end in 1848, the missionaries moved to a new site closer to King William′s Town where they established the Peelton mission station. This they named in honour of the British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel. The new station was destroyed during the frontier war of 1850-53, and was rebuilt in 1853. The 1875 census indicated that Peelton had a population of 1,512. By 1904 this number had risen to 2,487, of whom 576 were literate.
The Reverend Birt's first wife came out from England with him in July 1838, and died in an accident thereafter. Birt then married Mrs Scott, the daughter of Robert Hart of Glen Avon who was also a wealthy widow in her own right.
Prepared by Franco Frescura.
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Source: http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/places/villages/easternCape/peelton.htm
Umxelo was established in 1839 by the Reverend Richard Birt as a station of the London Missionary Society. At that stage it was popularly referred to as Birt's Mission, and was located a short distance from the village of Chief Bhotomani, near Fort Beaufort. The station was destroyed in 1846 during the course of the frontier war of 1846-48, better known as the War of the Axe.
When hostilities drew to an end in 1848, the missionaries moved to a new site closer to King William′s Town where they established the Peelton mission station. This they named in honour of the British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel. The new station was destroyed during the frontier war of 1850-53, and was rebuilt in 1853. The 1875 census indicated that Peelton had a population of 1,512. By 1904 this number had risen to 2,487, of whom 576 were literate.
The Reverend Birt's first wife came out from England with him in July 1838, and died in an accident thereafter. Birt then married Mrs Scott, the daughter of Robert Hart of Glen Avon who was also a wealthy widow in her own right.
Prepared by Franco Frescura.
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Paulpietersburg (J 10)
Name: Paulpietersburg
Source: http://www.kzn.org.za/index.php?cityhome+2027
Paulpietersburg is a small, pretty town nestling in the foothills of the Dumbe Mountain - a big, flat-topped, triangular mountain in the middle of flatlands territory, popular with paragliders and hikers and named after the wild dumbe fruit which grows on its slopes.The roots of Paulpieteraburg lie in a piece of the then Transvaal Boer republic surveyed by HJ Maarschalk in 1888. The demarcated land was named in honour of Boer president Paul Kruger and Voortrekker hero Pieter Joubert.
Paulpietersburg played its part in the military shaping of the region. General Louis Botha met his troops at the nearby Egode River before departing to Vereeniging to sign the peace treaty that ended the Anglo-Boer War. The peace treaty that ended the Anglo-Boer war was thus NOT signed at the nearby Egode River as often said, while the Anglo-Zulu war site of Ntombe is 30km away.
Paulpietersburg is also on the Rainbow Route, an alternative means of reaching the coast that starts in Mpumalanga and passes through Paulpietersburg, Vryheid, Melmoth, and Piet Retief and ends in the town of Mtunzini. Paulpietersburg is only 3.5 hours' drive from Johannesburg and Durban and popular with visitors because of the nine hot and cold mineral water pools at the Natal Spa just 9 km outside of town. The spa is fed by a natural, hot spring that surfaces on the southern approaches to the 1 536m Dumbe Mountain.
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Source: http://www.kzn.org.za/index.php?cityhome+2027
Paulpietersburg is a small, pretty town nestling in the foothills of the Dumbe Mountain - a big, flat-topped, triangular mountain in the middle of flatlands territory, popular with paragliders and hikers and named after the wild dumbe fruit which grows on its slopes.The roots of Paulpieteraburg lie in a piece of the then Transvaal Boer republic surveyed by HJ Maarschalk in 1888. The demarcated land was named in honour of Boer president Paul Kruger and Voortrekker hero Pieter Joubert.
Paulpietersburg played its part in the military shaping of the region. General Louis Botha met his troops at the nearby Egode River before departing to Vereeniging to sign the peace treaty that ended the Anglo-Boer War. The peace treaty that ended the Anglo-Boer war was thus NOT signed at the nearby Egode River as often said, while the Anglo-Zulu war site of Ntombe is 30km away.
Paulpietersburg is also on the Rainbow Route, an alternative means of reaching the coast that starts in Mpumalanga and passes through Paulpietersburg, Vryheid, Melmoth, and Piet Retief and ends in the town of Mtunzini. Paulpietersburg is only 3.5 hours' drive from Johannesburg and Durban and popular with visitors because of the nine hot and cold mineral water pools at the Natal Spa just 9 km outside of town. The spa is fed by a natural, hot spring that surfaces on the southern approaches to the 1 536m Dumbe Mountain.
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Paterson (F 15)
Name: Paterson
Paterson is a little town in the heart of game reserve country, ideal for travellers wanting to visit Shamwari Game Reserve or the Addo National Elephant Park. A number of private game reserves specialize in day and night game drives to experience the sheer beauty of this part of the world.
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Where to stay: http://www.wheretostay.co.za/ec/cs/accommodation/paterson.php
Paterson is a little town in the heart of game reserve country, ideal for travellers wanting to visit Shamwari Game Reserve or the Addo National Elephant Park. A number of private game reserves specialize in day and night game drives to experience the sheer beauty of this part of the world.
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:
Where to stay: http://www.wheretostay.co.za/ec/cs/accommodation/paterson.php
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Patensie (F 16)
Name: Patensie
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Parys (F 10)
Name: Parys
In the early 1870's, towns in the northern Free State were set very far appart and members of the different churches had far to travel to participate in their religious services. It was then decided by the Ring of the Dutch Reformed Church to implant the idea of a congregation, north of the Rhenoster River, into the minds of residents of the farm Klipspruit. The farm, situated on the Vaal River was then owned by three van Coller brothers Phillip, Hans and Dolf van Coller, mrs. W.J.I. Davel anb her son, Willem Davel. Two of the Van Coller brothers lived in what is today known as Oranje street, and the third brother in Boom street, Willem Davel lived in present Water street. Three gentlemen, Messrs. de Villers, Luyt and Fleck were sent to the owners of Klipspruit to induce them to lay the farm out as a township, but the van Coller brothers were very reluctant to listen to the arguments put forward by the three men. Not giving up hope of laying out a township, the three gentlemen went to the adjoining farm, Vischgat (the present Vredefort). The owners of Vischgat were more amenable to argument and inducement, and it was not long before the township of Vredefort was born.
The owners of Klipspruit soon awoke to the fact that a golden opportunity had slipped through their fingers, and set out in haste to restore matters. History does not record the steps they took, but it seems probable that they secured the sympathy of the Dutch Reformed Church. Later on in 1876 when the town was laid out, a goodly portion of ground was set aside and donated to the church. (The church building is shown above in 1891 during the Anglo Boer war being used by the British as they thought that the Boers will not attack a church). On the 14th of June 1876 the first sale of seven erven was held by a Mr. Wouter de Villiers, at a price of £ 25 each.
More info on:
www.parysmuseum.co.za
Iris Andrew (Curator)
irisandrew@iafrica.com
Park Rynie (L 15)
Name: Park Rynie
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Paarl (C 16)
Name: Paarl
Source: Wikipedia
Paarl (derived from Parel, meaning Pearl in Dutch) is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after Cape Town and Stellenbosch) and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. It is situated about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is renowned for its illustrious past and haunting scenic beauty.
Today Paarl is part of the greater/metro part of the city of Cape Town.Paarl is unusual in South Africa in that the name of the place is pronounced differently in English and Afrikaans: in English it is pronounced /ˈpɑrl/ (rhymes with marl) but in Afrikaans it is Pêrel [pɛːrəl], although still spelt ‹Paarl›. An unusual feature of the name of the town is that Afrikaners customarily attach the definite article to it: people say in die Paarl ("in the Paarl"), rather than in Pearl.
Paarl also hosted a match from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003.
The district is particularly well known for its Pearl Mountain or "Paarl Rock". This huge granite rock is formed by three rounded outcrops that make up Paarl Mountain and has been compared in majesty to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) in Australia. (However, they are not geologically similar. Paarl Rock consists of intrusive igneous rock, while Uluru is a sedimentary remnant).
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Tourist attractions
3 Districts
4 Schools
5 Famous persons
6 External links
7 References
[edit] History
In 1657, while Abraham Gabemma was searching for additional meat resources for the new Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, he saw a giant granite rock glistening in the sun after a rainstorm and named it "de Diamondt en de Peerlberg” (Diamond and Pearl Mountain).[2] Gabemma (often also spelled Gabbema) was the Fiscal (public treasurer) at the settlement on the shores of Table Bay. The "diamonds" soon disappeared from the name and it became known simply at Pearl Rock or Pearl Mountain.
Then, in 1687, just 35 years after the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape, land for farms was given to some Dutch and French Hugenot settlers on the banks of the Berg River nearby. The fertile soil and the Mediterranean-like climate of this region provided perfect conditions for farming. The settlers planted orchards, vegetable gardens and above all, vineyards,[3] which today produce some of the best red wines in the world.
[edit] Tourist attractions
Paarl RockLike many towns in the Cape Winelands, Paarl is home to a prosperous community, with many well maintained and attractive Cape Dutch houses, beautiful gardens and streets lined with old oak trees.
Paarl boasts a unique cultural attraction: it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language were laid by the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners. The "Afrikaanse Taalmonument" (monument to the Afrikaans language) on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are memorials to this achievement.
The former headquarters of the wine industry in South Africa is also situated here.: This was the famous "Co-operative Wine Growers' Association" (better known by its Afrikaans initials KWV). The KWV became a South African institution that has acquired an international reputation based on its unique achievements and its imprint of quality on the local wine industry. Over the past decade, however, KWV became a completely profit-driven private company that has no administrative role anymore. (KWV's main wine production and maturation facilities are on its Paarl premises, while its brandy production takes place in Worcester and grape juice concentrate production in Upington in the Northern Cape).
Afrikaanse Taalmonument in PaarlThe town and its surroundings attract many visitors with an array of activities and interests. There are magnificent Cape Dutch buildings (17-19th Century), scenic drives, hiking trails and the Paarl wine route, with its many wine tasting opportunities (including vintages from the famous Nederburg estate) and excellent restaurants.
The Paarl Rock itself is these days a popular Mecca for rock climbers. However, in the pioneering period of rock climbing in South Africa, the mountain was ignored or shunned because its steep faces were so smooth and unfissured that climbers could find no place to attach "runners" or anchor points for belays. The first climbing routes up the rock were pioneered in 1969 by J.W.Marchant and G. Athiros, the former from the University of Cape Town Mountain and Ski Club. Soon afterwards Marchant and John Knight established a few routes on which the rope was run out for 100 m (330 ft) or more with no protection whatsoever.[4] This was in the days before bolting was possible and these achievements are still held in high regard today. Nowadays protection is afforded by bolts in the granite and there are on Paarl Rock a few dozen spectacular, beautiful and very hard routes that attract the best climbers of the current generation. (All of these climbs remain dangerous for the inexperienced.) A guide book for these routes was published in mid-2006.
[edit] Districts
The town is basically divided in six different areas, namely:
Courtrai (in the southern part of town and including the wealthy suburbs), Northern Paarl, Paarl-East, Central Paarl (generally known as upper-paarl and also containing wealthy suburbs), Denneburg (in the south east of the town), and Vrykyk (in the south).
[edit] Schools
The town boasts some of the best academic schools in the country including Paarl Boys' High School (est.1868), Paarl Girls' High, Paarl Gimnasium High School (est.1858) and La Rochelle Girls' High School (est.1860)
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Source: Wikipedia
Paarl (derived from Parel, meaning Pearl in Dutch) is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after Cape Town and Stellenbosch) and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. It is situated about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is renowned for its illustrious past and haunting scenic beauty.
Today Paarl is part of the greater/metro part of the city of Cape Town.Paarl is unusual in South Africa in that the name of the place is pronounced differently in English and Afrikaans: in English it is pronounced /ˈpɑrl/ (rhymes with marl) but in Afrikaans it is Pêrel [pɛːrəl], although still spelt ‹Paarl›. An unusual feature of the name of the town is that Afrikaners customarily attach the definite article to it: people say in die Paarl ("in the Paarl"), rather than in Pearl.
Paarl also hosted a match from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003.
The district is particularly well known for its Pearl Mountain or "Paarl Rock". This huge granite rock is formed by three rounded outcrops that make up Paarl Mountain and has been compared in majesty to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) in Australia. (However, they are not geologically similar. Paarl Rock consists of intrusive igneous rock, while Uluru is a sedimentary remnant).
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Tourist attractions
3 Districts
4 Schools
5 Famous persons
6 External links
7 References
[edit] History
In 1657, while Abraham Gabemma was searching for additional meat resources for the new Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, he saw a giant granite rock glistening in the sun after a rainstorm and named it "de Diamondt en de Peerlberg” (Diamond and Pearl Mountain).[2] Gabemma (often also spelled Gabbema) was the Fiscal (public treasurer) at the settlement on the shores of Table Bay. The "diamonds" soon disappeared from the name and it became known simply at Pearl Rock or Pearl Mountain.
Then, in 1687, just 35 years after the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape, land for farms was given to some Dutch and French Hugenot settlers on the banks of the Berg River nearby. The fertile soil and the Mediterranean-like climate of this region provided perfect conditions for farming. The settlers planted orchards, vegetable gardens and above all, vineyards,[3] which today produce some of the best red wines in the world.
[edit] Tourist attractions
Paarl RockLike many towns in the Cape Winelands, Paarl is home to a prosperous community, with many well maintained and attractive Cape Dutch houses, beautiful gardens and streets lined with old oak trees.
Paarl boasts a unique cultural attraction: it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language were laid by the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners. The "Afrikaanse Taalmonument" (monument to the Afrikaans language) on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are memorials to this achievement.
The former headquarters of the wine industry in South Africa is also situated here.: This was the famous "Co-operative Wine Growers' Association" (better known by its Afrikaans initials KWV). The KWV became a South African institution that has acquired an international reputation based on its unique achievements and its imprint of quality on the local wine industry. Over the past decade, however, KWV became a completely profit-driven private company that has no administrative role anymore. (KWV's main wine production and maturation facilities are on its Paarl premises, while its brandy production takes place in Worcester and grape juice concentrate production in Upington in the Northern Cape).
Afrikaanse Taalmonument in PaarlThe town and its surroundings attract many visitors with an array of activities and interests. There are magnificent Cape Dutch buildings (17-19th Century), scenic drives, hiking trails and the Paarl wine route, with its many wine tasting opportunities (including vintages from the famous Nederburg estate) and excellent restaurants.
The Paarl Rock itself is these days a popular Mecca for rock climbers. However, in the pioneering period of rock climbing in South Africa, the mountain was ignored or shunned because its steep faces were so smooth and unfissured that climbers could find no place to attach "runners" or anchor points for belays. The first climbing routes up the rock were pioneered in 1969 by J.W.Marchant and G. Athiros, the former from the University of Cape Town Mountain and Ski Club. Soon afterwards Marchant and John Knight established a few routes on which the rope was run out for 100 m (330 ft) or more with no protection whatsoever.[4] This was in the days before bolting was possible and these achievements are still held in high regard today. Nowadays protection is afforded by bolts in the granite and there are on Paarl Rock a few dozen spectacular, beautiful and very hard routes that attract the best climbers of the current generation. (All of these climbs remain dangerous for the inexperienced.) A guide book for these routes was published in mid-2006.
[edit] Districts
The town is basically divided in six different areas, namely:
Courtrai (in the southern part of town and including the wealthy suburbs), Northern Paarl, Paarl-East, Central Paarl (generally known as upper-paarl and also containing wealthy suburbs), Denneburg (in the south east of the town), and Vrykyk (in the south).
[edit] Schools
The town boasts some of the best academic schools in the country including Paarl Boys' High School (est.1868), Paarl Girls' High, Paarl Gimnasium High School (est.1858) and La Rochelle Girls' High School (est.1860)
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Saturday, August 21, 2010
Zebediela (J 6)
Name: Zebediela
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Ysterplaat (A 16)
Name: Ysterplaat
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Worcestor (C 16)
Name: Worcestor
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Woodstock (A 16)
Name: Woodstock
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Wonderkop (F 11)
Name: Wonderkop
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Wonderfontein (J 8)
Name: Wonderfontein
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Wolwehoek (F 10)
Name: Wolwehoek
Source: http://www.vaalmeander.co.za/aSentinel.htm
Driving down the long straight of the R59 highway to Vereeniging, its hard to imagine that the very fields we drive past were once a bloody battlefield of the Anglo Boer War. However, as you pass the south-bound Engen 1 Stop, there stands the one reminder we seem not to notice, the lone stone structure of the Witkop Blockhouse over-looks the hillside it was built to protect.
Built during 1901, the Witkop Blockhouse, along with thousands of other fortifications, played a vital role for the British war effort during the Anglo Boer War of 1899 – 1902. The British army needed to impose military control and overcome a problem that military strategists have always grappled with – the need to manage a 'real estate' problem, as presented by a fluid opponent, moving unhindered across vast tracts of countryside. This became all the more real as the conflict evolved into a rural based guerilla war during the latter half of 1900.
Their solution was a three pronged, interlocked counter guerilla warfare strategy. The first saw the clearance of all civilians, both African and Boer, from their farms and traditional settlements into forcible internment centers, which soon became known as concentration camps. Any livestock and provisions that could not be moved were shot, bayoneted, burnt to deny the Boer commandos' supplies. Homesteads, outbuildings, huts, mills, wells and irrigation infrastructure were burnt or shattered with explosives.
The railway network, vital for communications, logistics and troop deployments was secured with thousands of fortifications which were also extended across the countryside in order to 'fence' in the 'real estate problem', thus creating military paddocks into which the third prong was inserted - superior numbers of mounted troops then hunted down the weakened commandos and broke up their fighting formations.
This strategy's success hinged on consolidating and extending military control over swathes of countryside, block by block at a time, taking a while to implement. It eventually proved devastatingly effective as the military net cast itself further into the vast interior of South Africa's countryside.
As for the blockhouses, the Royal Engineers commenced with construction works towards the end of 1900, once the Boer forces had either discarded or had their artillery captured and thus posed no threat of bombardment to the garrisons manning these forts.
Two basic patterns were used, although the architectural designs differed widely. Major General Wood designed the first - a standardized masonry blockhouse, built from stone and which stood between two to three stories high. The fort was roofed and loop-holed to provide a 360 degree arc of rifle fire. In certain cases machine guns were fitted. Provisioned with water, rations and ammunition, its garrison of about 30 infantrymen could withstand a prolonged siege or determined attack. The Wood pattern blockhouse was placed so that its garrison could defend bridges, water supplies and permanent garrisons. Each blockhouse cost between £ 800 to £ 1000 and took the military engineers, troops and African labourers approximately six weeks to erect, dependant on local conditions. By 31 December 1900, some 441 such stone sentinels had replaced the more vulnerable encampments, which had been fortified with sandbags and rock enclosures.
The second blockhouse type, known as the Rice Pattern, was more suited to the military situation unfolding in South Africa during 1901. These corrugated iron blockhouses were named after Major SR Rice of the Royal Engineers who Lord Kitchener appointed to devise a more cost effective and mass producible method. Each Rice pattern blockhouse cost approximately £ 16 and took its garrison of between 7 - 10 men one day to erect.
Built from two layers of corrugated iron, the space between the interior and exterior layer was filled with sand, which rendered the blockhouse bullet proof. An exterior stone wall from ground level to loophole height reinforced the fort. The building materials could be transported overland by ox wagon so that Rice pattern blockhouses might be flung up wherever they were required. In many cases the corrugated iron required was looted from the roofs of Boer homesteads. By 1902, more than 8 000 Rice pattern blockhouses straddled the South African veld.
The troops could never be too careful - Boer snipers were known to conceal themselves and open fire on the sentries at dusk before bolting into the dark. Nightfall brought increased dangers when the Boers attempted to sabotage the railway line. The burghers crawled beneath the entanglements and planted explosives to derail trains or they crossed their forces over the line at night. The blockhouse garrisons opened fire, aiming at demarcated spots or returned fire against the muzzle flashes of the Boer rifles. Nervous soldiers were known to shoot for hours on end at a stray animal or nothing at all, setting off a panic that induced their neighbors to blast away with rifles, flares and in certain cases machine guns. Very quickly as the panic spread, many miles of blockhouses along the line were engaged in a night battle with the invisible enemy.
Blockhouse garrisons communicated with each other by telephone and telegraph. Signal flags, heliograph mirrors and lanterns substituted to relay messages over long distances if the Boers had cut the communications cables. Each blockhouse was surrounded with barbed wire entanglements which extended to the next adjacent blockhouse located some 600 to 1 000 meters away. Bells and tin cans were hung from the entanglements as an alarm system and trip flares set up. As each blockhouse was within rifle range of its neighbours, the open ground between was a killing zone, to be crossed at great peril. Towards the end of the war when the gaps were tightened, crossing the line proved extremely dangerous and in many cases downright impossible.
By May 1902, approximately 50 000 British troops and 16 000 Africans were deployed in blockhouses, backed up by cavalry, mounted infantry and armoured trains. This military grid in turn provided an anchor for the stronger columns, which swept the countryside.
During the latter half of 1900, the British divided the railway networks up into military management areas, which were linked into a network of headquarters, garrisons, fortifications and subsequently blockhouses. The line running north through the area today known as the Vaal, had Wolwehoek in the Free State as its southern anchor and Irene near Pretoria, where headquarters were set up, as its northern point.
Throughout 1901 and 1902, the line between Irene and Wolwehoek was characteristic of the guerilla war: protracted fighting, attacks against the railway lines, land clearances, farm burnings and concentration camps which incarcerated both African and Boer civilians.
One example is the clearance of all civilians from the farm Slangfontein, today home to Henley on Klip. On the 26th and 27th December 1900, British troops based at Meyerton destroyed all the farm dwellings and dispatched the civilians to the concentration camp at Vereeniging. Consequently the Boers retaliated two days later and raided an African settlement near Meyerton, making off with 187 cattle, 975 goats and sheep and 17 horses. During their raid, they shot and killed an African who had tried to alert the garrison near Meyerton Station.
During the early dawn of 18th February 1901, about 400 Boers derailed a British goods train at Palmietfontein, between Klip River and Natalspruit sidings. After looting the wreckage, the burghers made off with a machine gun, cavalry greatcoats, saddles and other supplies but no gold, as local legend would have us believe. Two British fatalities were buried at Klip River Stations.
As Boer attacks against the line continued between Irene and Wolwehoek, blockhouses were erected to counter this, while the surrounding countryside was laid waste. All the civilians were forcibly removed from the farms – the Boer refugees were incarcerated in camps at Vereeniging, Turfontein, Irene and Vredefort Road. African concentration camps were established along the line at Irene, Oliphantsfontein, Zuurfontein, Kaalfontein, Natalspruit, Klip River Station, Meyerton, Vereeniging, Taaibosch and Wolwehoek. A military labour camp for African men was set up at Elandsfontein, while labour for the Vereeniging Collieries was provided by African refugees near Viljoen's Drift.
Two stone blockhouses were built at Witkop to replace the garrison and guard two small stone bridges, which both survive beneath the railway tracks to this day. Only one remains and is known as the Witkop Blockhouse. It stands on the hill, one mile north of the original garrison's position which was also marked by a second southern blockhouse that was demolished in the 1970's.
The northern blockhouse was underway in February 1901. On the 7 June 1901, the Witkop garrison occupied the southern blockhouse. Presumably the northern blockhouse was complete and garrisoned by this date. Both blockhouses were commanded by the garrison Commandant at Klip River Station. Rice pattern blockhouses subsequently plugged the gaps between Klip River and Meyerton, one of which stood adjacent to the site of the Henley on Klip railway station.
The Witkop Blockhouse stands as the sole surviving sentinel of what were probably more than a hundred Rice pattern blockhouses and at least several other stone sentinels erected along the railway line between Wolwehoek and Irene. Some of the collapsed stone reinforcing walls of the Rice pattern blockhouses can be located in the veld. The graves of the African settlement at Witkop lie to the east of the blockhouses, as do the approximately 450 graves of the African inmates at the site of the Taaibosch concentration camp. The larger townships near Vereeniging have their origins in what was once known as 'Top Location,' which in turn originates from the African inmates of the Vereeniging Department Camp, separate to that of the Boer camp.
During their stay the British army imported fodder from Argentina to feed their cavalry and mounted troop's horses - animals vital to the counter guerilla warfare strategy. The pollen of the Cosmos flower, indigenous to Argentina inadvertently traveled inside this feedstock. Today, when the Cosmos blooms, it still marks with its colorful splash of flowers many of the sites of this military conflict; more than a century later, after the guns fell silent.
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Source: http://www.vaalmeander.co.za/aSentinel.htm
Driving down the long straight of the R59 highway to Vereeniging, its hard to imagine that the very fields we drive past were once a bloody battlefield of the Anglo Boer War. However, as you pass the south-bound Engen 1 Stop, there stands the one reminder we seem not to notice, the lone stone structure of the Witkop Blockhouse over-looks the hillside it was built to protect.
Built during 1901, the Witkop Blockhouse, along with thousands of other fortifications, played a vital role for the British war effort during the Anglo Boer War of 1899 – 1902. The British army needed to impose military control and overcome a problem that military strategists have always grappled with – the need to manage a 'real estate' problem, as presented by a fluid opponent, moving unhindered across vast tracts of countryside. This became all the more real as the conflict evolved into a rural based guerilla war during the latter half of 1900.
Their solution was a three pronged, interlocked counter guerilla warfare strategy. The first saw the clearance of all civilians, both African and Boer, from their farms and traditional settlements into forcible internment centers, which soon became known as concentration camps. Any livestock and provisions that could not be moved were shot, bayoneted, burnt to deny the Boer commandos' supplies. Homesteads, outbuildings, huts, mills, wells and irrigation infrastructure were burnt or shattered with explosives.
The railway network, vital for communications, logistics and troop deployments was secured with thousands of fortifications which were also extended across the countryside in order to 'fence' in the 'real estate problem', thus creating military paddocks into which the third prong was inserted - superior numbers of mounted troops then hunted down the weakened commandos and broke up their fighting formations.
This strategy's success hinged on consolidating and extending military control over swathes of countryside, block by block at a time, taking a while to implement. It eventually proved devastatingly effective as the military net cast itself further into the vast interior of South Africa's countryside.
As for the blockhouses, the Royal Engineers commenced with construction works towards the end of 1900, once the Boer forces had either discarded or had their artillery captured and thus posed no threat of bombardment to the garrisons manning these forts.
Two basic patterns were used, although the architectural designs differed widely. Major General Wood designed the first - a standardized masonry blockhouse, built from stone and which stood between two to three stories high. The fort was roofed and loop-holed to provide a 360 degree arc of rifle fire. In certain cases machine guns were fitted. Provisioned with water, rations and ammunition, its garrison of about 30 infantrymen could withstand a prolonged siege or determined attack. The Wood pattern blockhouse was placed so that its garrison could defend bridges, water supplies and permanent garrisons. Each blockhouse cost between £ 800 to £ 1000 and took the military engineers, troops and African labourers approximately six weeks to erect, dependant on local conditions. By 31 December 1900, some 441 such stone sentinels had replaced the more vulnerable encampments, which had been fortified with sandbags and rock enclosures.
The second blockhouse type, known as the Rice Pattern, was more suited to the military situation unfolding in South Africa during 1901. These corrugated iron blockhouses were named after Major SR Rice of the Royal Engineers who Lord Kitchener appointed to devise a more cost effective and mass producible method. Each Rice pattern blockhouse cost approximately £ 16 and took its garrison of between 7 - 10 men one day to erect.
Built from two layers of corrugated iron, the space between the interior and exterior layer was filled with sand, which rendered the blockhouse bullet proof. An exterior stone wall from ground level to loophole height reinforced the fort. The building materials could be transported overland by ox wagon so that Rice pattern blockhouses might be flung up wherever they were required. In many cases the corrugated iron required was looted from the roofs of Boer homesteads. By 1902, more than 8 000 Rice pattern blockhouses straddled the South African veld.
The troops could never be too careful - Boer snipers were known to conceal themselves and open fire on the sentries at dusk before bolting into the dark. Nightfall brought increased dangers when the Boers attempted to sabotage the railway line. The burghers crawled beneath the entanglements and planted explosives to derail trains or they crossed their forces over the line at night. The blockhouse garrisons opened fire, aiming at demarcated spots or returned fire against the muzzle flashes of the Boer rifles. Nervous soldiers were known to shoot for hours on end at a stray animal or nothing at all, setting off a panic that induced their neighbors to blast away with rifles, flares and in certain cases machine guns. Very quickly as the panic spread, many miles of blockhouses along the line were engaged in a night battle with the invisible enemy.
Blockhouse garrisons communicated with each other by telephone and telegraph. Signal flags, heliograph mirrors and lanterns substituted to relay messages over long distances if the Boers had cut the communications cables. Each blockhouse was surrounded with barbed wire entanglements which extended to the next adjacent blockhouse located some 600 to 1 000 meters away. Bells and tin cans were hung from the entanglements as an alarm system and trip flares set up. As each blockhouse was within rifle range of its neighbours, the open ground between was a killing zone, to be crossed at great peril. Towards the end of the war when the gaps were tightened, crossing the line proved extremely dangerous and in many cases downright impossible.
By May 1902, approximately 50 000 British troops and 16 000 Africans were deployed in blockhouses, backed up by cavalry, mounted infantry and armoured trains. This military grid in turn provided an anchor for the stronger columns, which swept the countryside.
During the latter half of 1900, the British divided the railway networks up into military management areas, which were linked into a network of headquarters, garrisons, fortifications and subsequently blockhouses. The line running north through the area today known as the Vaal, had Wolwehoek in the Free State as its southern anchor and Irene near Pretoria, where headquarters were set up, as its northern point.
Throughout 1901 and 1902, the line between Irene and Wolwehoek was characteristic of the guerilla war: protracted fighting, attacks against the railway lines, land clearances, farm burnings and concentration camps which incarcerated both African and Boer civilians.
One example is the clearance of all civilians from the farm Slangfontein, today home to Henley on Klip. On the 26th and 27th December 1900, British troops based at Meyerton destroyed all the farm dwellings and dispatched the civilians to the concentration camp at Vereeniging. Consequently the Boers retaliated two days later and raided an African settlement near Meyerton, making off with 187 cattle, 975 goats and sheep and 17 horses. During their raid, they shot and killed an African who had tried to alert the garrison near Meyerton Station.
During the early dawn of 18th February 1901, about 400 Boers derailed a British goods train at Palmietfontein, between Klip River and Natalspruit sidings. After looting the wreckage, the burghers made off with a machine gun, cavalry greatcoats, saddles and other supplies but no gold, as local legend would have us believe. Two British fatalities were buried at Klip River Stations.
As Boer attacks against the line continued between Irene and Wolwehoek, blockhouses were erected to counter this, while the surrounding countryside was laid waste. All the civilians were forcibly removed from the farms – the Boer refugees were incarcerated in camps at Vereeniging, Turfontein, Irene and Vredefort Road. African concentration camps were established along the line at Irene, Oliphantsfontein, Zuurfontein, Kaalfontein, Natalspruit, Klip River Station, Meyerton, Vereeniging, Taaibosch and Wolwehoek. A military labour camp for African men was set up at Elandsfontein, while labour for the Vereeniging Collieries was provided by African refugees near Viljoen's Drift.
Two stone blockhouses were built at Witkop to replace the garrison and guard two small stone bridges, which both survive beneath the railway tracks to this day. Only one remains and is known as the Witkop Blockhouse. It stands on the hill, one mile north of the original garrison's position which was also marked by a second southern blockhouse that was demolished in the 1970's.
The northern blockhouse was underway in February 1901. On the 7 June 1901, the Witkop garrison occupied the southern blockhouse. Presumably the northern blockhouse was complete and garrisoned by this date. Both blockhouses were commanded by the garrison Commandant at Klip River Station. Rice pattern blockhouses subsequently plugged the gaps between Klip River and Meyerton, one of which stood adjacent to the site of the Henley on Klip railway station.
The Witkop Blockhouse stands as the sole surviving sentinel of what were probably more than a hundred Rice pattern blockhouses and at least several other stone sentinels erected along the railway line between Wolwehoek and Irene. Some of the collapsed stone reinforcing walls of the Rice pattern blockhouses can be located in the veld. The graves of the African settlement at Witkop lie to the east of the blockhouses, as do the approximately 450 graves of the African inmates at the site of the Taaibosch concentration camp. The larger townships near Vereeniging have their origins in what was once known as 'Top Location,' which in turn originates from the African inmates of the Vereeniging Department Camp, separate to that of the Boer camp.
During their stay the British army imported fodder from Argentina to feed their cavalry and mounted troop's horses - animals vital to the counter guerilla warfare strategy. The pollen of the Cosmos flower, indigenous to Argentina inadvertently traveled inside this feedstock. Today, when the Cosmos blooms, it still marks with its colorful splash of flowers many of the sites of this military conflict; more than a century later, after the guns fell silent.
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Wolwefontein (E 15)
Name: Wolwefontein
Source: Mbendi
Nearest places within 200 Km of Wolwefontein (20)
Driehoek (4.0 Km)
Lana (7.4 Km)
Broughton (8.4 Km)
Fairfield (8.8 Km)
Rooihoogte (2) (9.5 Km)
Gelukshof (9.8 Km)
Klipplaat (1) (9.8 Km)
Willownook (9.8 Km)
Modena (9.8 Km)
Witfontein (9.8 Km)
Gumdale (10.9 Km)
Villiera (11.2 Km)
Die Wilge (11.6 Km)
Delila (12.8 Km)
Den Haag (13.7 Km)
Welgesien (13.9 Km)
Ventersdam (13.9 Km)
Helena (14.3 Km)
Denhaga (14.4 Km)
Kleingeluk (14.4 Km)
Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Source: Mbendi
Nearest places within 200 Km of Wolwefontein (20)
Driehoek (4.0 Km)
Lana (7.4 Km)
Broughton (8.4 Km)
Fairfield (8.8 Km)
Rooihoogte (2) (9.5 Km)
Gelukshof (9.8 Km)
Klipplaat (1) (9.8 Km)
Willownook (9.8 Km)
Modena (9.8 Km)
Witfontein (9.8 Km)
Gumdale (10.9 Km)
Villiera (11.2 Km)
Die Wilge (11.6 Km)
Delila (12.8 Km)
Den Haag (13.7 Km)
Welgesien (13.9 Km)
Ventersdam (13.9 Km)
Helena (14.3 Km)
Denhaga (14.4 Km)
Kleingeluk (14.4 Km)
Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Woltemade (A 16)
Name: Woltemade
Wolraad Woltemade
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
18th Century drawing depicting Wolraad Woltemade's rescue of 14 sailors
Wolraad Woltemade (c.1708 - June 1, 1773) was a South African dairy farmer, who died while rescuing sailors from the wreck of the ship De Jonge Thomas in Table Bay on 1 June 1773.[1]
[edit] Early life
Woltemade was born in Hesse-Schoumberg, part of present-day Germany, around 1708 He migrated to the Dutch settlement at Cape Town (Kaapstad) and worked for the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (known in English as the Dutch East India Company) as a dairyman. (Although the notion seems strange to modern minds, many of the earliest European colonies were established by commercial companies, rather than through the direct intervention of the governments of the European nations. See for example the history of the British South Africa Company).
[edit] Shipwreck
In the very early morning of 1 June 1773 (early winter in the southern hemisphere), a sailing ship, De Jonge Thomas,[2] was driven ashore in a gale on a sand bar at the mouth of the Salt River in Table Bay. Many lives were lost as the ship started to break up but a substantial number of survivors were left clinging to the hull. The stricken ship was not too far from dry land and many sailors attempted to swim ashore. Most of those who did so perished; the water was cold and the current from the nearby Salt River too great. Apart from the very strongest swimmers, those who struck for the shore were carried out to sea.
A crowd of spectators stood on the beach. Some came to watch, others to try to help and yet others were hoping to loot the cargo that was being washed ashore. A detachment of soldiers was in attendance, to keep order amongst the mass. Corporal Christian Ludwig Woltemade, the youngest son of the by now elderly Wolraad, was amongst those standing guard. As daylight came, Wolraad left his home on horseback, taking provisions to his son.
[edit] Rescue
As he reached the beach, Wolraad was filled with pity for the sailors marooned aboard the wreck. Seeing that nothing could be done by those on the beach, he mounted his horse and urged the animal into the sea. As they approached the wreck Woltemade turned the horse and called for two men to jump into the sea and grasp the horse's tail. After a moment's hesitation two men threw themselves into the water and did so, whereupon Woltemade urged the horse forward and dragged them to shore. Wolraad rode out seven times, bringing back fourteen men. By this time he and his horse were exhausted but at that moment, as they rested, the ship began to collapse. Wolraad once more urged his horse into the water but by now the desperation amongst the sailors was tremendous. Seeing this as probably their last chance to escape before the ship was destroyed, six men plunged into the sea, grabbing at the horse. Their weight was too much for the exhausted steed; all were dragged below the waves and drowned.[3]
Woltemade's body was found the next day. His horse was called "Vonk".
Of the 191 souls on board, only 53 survived and of these 14 were saved by Woltemade.
[edit] Honour
Woltemade immediately became a hero. The Dutch East India Company provided amply for his widow and children and named a ship "Held Woldemade". The British fleet took it as prize during the battle at the Saldanha Bay on 4 July 1781. A suburb of Cape Town is named after him. The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, instituted in 1939, bore a depiction of Woltemade's heroic act on its obverse. In 1970 the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery was instituted as the highest civilian decoration for bravery in South Africa. This was replaced in 1988 by the Woltemade Cross for Bravery. The Woltemade Cross was discontinued in 2002, as part of the move towards establishing a new South African honours system, following the advent of majority rule.
The name also was given to the Wolraad Woltemade,[4] one of a pair of salvage tugs built in 1976, which at the time were the most powerful tugs in the world.[5]
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Wolraad Woltemade
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
18th Century drawing depicting Wolraad Woltemade's rescue of 14 sailors
Wolraad Woltemade (c.1708 - June 1, 1773) was a South African dairy farmer, who died while rescuing sailors from the wreck of the ship De Jonge Thomas in Table Bay on 1 June 1773.[1]
[edit] Early life
Woltemade was born in Hesse-Schoumberg, part of present-day Germany, around 1708 He migrated to the Dutch settlement at Cape Town (Kaapstad) and worked for the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (known in English as the Dutch East India Company) as a dairyman. (Although the notion seems strange to modern minds, many of the earliest European colonies were established by commercial companies, rather than through the direct intervention of the governments of the European nations. See for example the history of the British South Africa Company).
[edit] Shipwreck
In the very early morning of 1 June 1773 (early winter in the southern hemisphere), a sailing ship, De Jonge Thomas,[2] was driven ashore in a gale on a sand bar at the mouth of the Salt River in Table Bay. Many lives were lost as the ship started to break up but a substantial number of survivors were left clinging to the hull. The stricken ship was not too far from dry land and many sailors attempted to swim ashore. Most of those who did so perished; the water was cold and the current from the nearby Salt River too great. Apart from the very strongest swimmers, those who struck for the shore were carried out to sea.
A crowd of spectators stood on the beach. Some came to watch, others to try to help and yet others were hoping to loot the cargo that was being washed ashore. A detachment of soldiers was in attendance, to keep order amongst the mass. Corporal Christian Ludwig Woltemade, the youngest son of the by now elderly Wolraad, was amongst those standing guard. As daylight came, Wolraad left his home on horseback, taking provisions to his son.
[edit] Rescue
As he reached the beach, Wolraad was filled with pity for the sailors marooned aboard the wreck. Seeing that nothing could be done by those on the beach, he mounted his horse and urged the animal into the sea. As they approached the wreck Woltemade turned the horse and called for two men to jump into the sea and grasp the horse's tail. After a moment's hesitation two men threw themselves into the water and did so, whereupon Woltemade urged the horse forward and dragged them to shore. Wolraad rode out seven times, bringing back fourteen men. By this time he and his horse were exhausted but at that moment, as they rested, the ship began to collapse. Wolraad once more urged his horse into the water but by now the desperation amongst the sailors was tremendous. Seeing this as probably their last chance to escape before the ship was destroyed, six men plunged into the sea, grabbing at the horse. Their weight was too much for the exhausted steed; all were dragged below the waves and drowned.[3]
Woltemade's body was found the next day. His horse was called "Vonk".
Of the 191 souls on board, only 53 survived and of these 14 were saved by Woltemade.
[edit] Honour
Woltemade immediately became a hero. The Dutch East India Company provided amply for his widow and children and named a ship "Held Woldemade". The British fleet took it as prize during the battle at the Saldanha Bay on 4 July 1781. A suburb of Cape Town is named after him. The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, instituted in 1939, bore a depiction of Woltemade's heroic act on its obverse. In 1970 the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery was instituted as the highest civilian decoration for bravery in South Africa. This was replaced in 1988 by the Woltemade Cross for Bravery. The Woltemade Cross was discontinued in 2002, as part of the move towards establishing a new South African honours system, following the advent of majority rule.
The name also was given to the Wolraad Woltemade,[4] one of a pair of salvage tugs built in 1976, which at the time were the most powerful tugs in the world.[5]
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Wolseley (C 16)
Name: Wolseley
Wolseley is situated in the picturesque Breede River Valley, 14 kilometres from Tulbagh, 15 kilometres from Ceres, 40 kilometres from Worcester
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Wolseley is situated in the picturesque Breede River Valley, 14 kilometres from Tulbagh, 15 kilometres from Ceres, 40 kilometres from Worcester
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Wolmaranstad (D 10)
Name: Wolmaranstad
Source: http://www.wolmaransstad.com/
Wolmaransstad situated along the N12 Treasure route is situated 250 Km south west of Johannesburg and 300 Km north east of Kimberley and covers the southern part of our N12 Treasure Route North West Province.
N12 Treasure Route North West Province of which Wolmaransstad is a part is a comprehensive directory for Cities and towns of the N12 Treasure Route North West Province that runs from Carletonville through Potchefstroom to the KOSH area (Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein, Hartbeesfontein and past Wolmaransstad to Bloemhof where it enters the Northern Cape.
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Source: http://www.wolmaransstad.com/
Wolmaransstad situated along the N12 Treasure route is situated 250 Km south west of Johannesburg and 300 Km north east of Kimberley and covers the southern part of our N12 Treasure Route North West Province.
N12 Treasure Route North West Province of which Wolmaransstad is a part is a comprehensive directory for Cities and towns of the N12 Treasure Route North West Province that runs from Carletonville through Potchefstroom to the KOSH area (Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein, Hartbeesfontein and past Wolmaransstad to Bloemhof where it enters the Northern Cape.
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Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wolhuterskop
Name: Wolhuterskop
Pendoring in Madibeng, North West
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Pendoring in Madibeng, North West
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Witvlei ( B 7)
Name: Witvlei
Witvlei: a town in Omaheke, Namibia
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Witvlei: a town in Omaheke, Namibia
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Wittebome (A 16)
Name: Wittebome
Cape Town - Simonstown line
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Cape Town - Simonstown line
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Witrivier (K 8)
Name: Witrivier
Source: http://www.witrivierinfo.com/
White River lies just north of Nelspruit not far from the border with the Kruger National Park. It is not a large town but it is certainly an area of stunning scenic beauty. The climate is said to be one of the best in South Africa, lovely and hot days in summer when rainfall is at its highest and cool nights during the winter. The farms tend to be relatively small but the agriculture is intensive with tropical and citrus fruits in abundance, and vegetables and cut flowers readily available.
The Afrikaans name Witrivier (White River) refers to the colour of the water in the river nearby. The water normally has a milky appearance which is caused by a high concentration of kaolin.
The farming tradition of the community that settled here after the Anglo-Boer War has remained virtually unchanged to this day. Lord Milner, erstwhile administrator of the defeated Transvaal, demarcated land on the 'Emansimhlope' - a tributary of the Crocodile River whose name translates from the Swazi as 'White Waters' - to demobilised Boer and British Anglo-Boer War soldiers and offered them an opportunity to settle here as citrus farmers.
In 1904 a land survey by the Transvaal Land Department was carried out with the idea of establishing an agricultural settlement in the area. Plots were made available to ex-servicemen from the Boer War, a weir was built over the White River and a canal constructed.
However, the new farmers soon realised that citrus farming in the area was a trial that tested men to their absolute limits and which most just couldn't endure. Droughts, insects, disease - all of these factors contributed to the slow draining away of these would be farmers, until in 1911 only a single farmer was left of this development - a man by the name of McDonald, a Scotsman.
The start of the town
At that time a successful bid of 10 000 British Pounds for 10 000 acres of the failed settlement was made by a syndicate of 5 men from the vicinity - Exley Millar, Clem Merriman, Reverend Ponsonby, Colonel William Barnard and Henry Glynn. From this, they established the White River Estates. In 1916 it became a private company, the capital having grown to 30 000 British Pounds. Further development was temporarily delayed by the First World War, and resumed again in 1918.
The first homes were built from wattle-and-daub, and citrus was planted. The village first consisted of a cottage, an outspan on the site where the Dutch Reformed Church stands today, the White River Hotel (in those harsh days a hotel was of course an absolute MUST), police station and stables and the Magistrates' Court and residence. Horses (the transport of the time) had to be "salted" in an effort to be made immune to the feared horse sickness.
Citrus farming established itself as the main agricultural activity of the region and, in 1924, it became clear that the citrus farmers had to form an organisation which could represent the industry.
This led to the establishment of the White River Fruitgrowers' Co-operative Company and the first citrus crop was packed in 1925. In 1926 the railway to Nelspruit was extended to White River which greatly assisted in the export of citrus. (Source - White River Remembered, Claire Nevill)
The township spread over an area of about 8 kilometers and today accommodates about 2500 farmers on small holdings. Their main focus is the cultivation of vegetables, sub-tropical as well as tropical fruit, timber and flowers.
White River is today also home to the well known Macgregor Macadamia Nut Farm and offers a popular holiday destination for those who are looking to enjoy the splendour of the Crocodile River Valley. The town also has a reputation for arts & crafts. Also known as Witrivier (Afrikaans), the town is probably better known under the Afrikaans name than the English "White River".
White River recently became known as the safest and most pleasant town to visit in South Africa.
A Tree as historical monument?
Between 1885 and 1895 a tree was planted by an unknown Anglican minister where the old village green was, just over the road from the original church. This tree is still standing (not ingenious to the area) but has been declared an historical monument as it is a Natal Fig.
A house was built near this tree in the 10 years following the planting of the tree. Known as the "Vicarage", it is today generally regarded as possibly the oldest house in White River.
In 1916 the Anglican Church moved to where St George's is found today on the Plaston road. The house was then aquired by the Dutch Reformed Church and became know as "Die Pastorie". It is unclear if the house was sold or given to them.
Then follows an unclear period in it's history, but it was used as boarding house after the church stopped using it, and later converted into flats. At some stage the house was also used as a post office.
In the '70's it was used a offices for estate agents and lawyers.
In the '80's it was a fine dining restaurant - Timbuctoo - run by a married couple with the surname Kay.
Between '95 and '05 the house was used a roadhouse, gay nightclub, antique shop, restaurant, nursery and clothing shop.
In Feb 06 Braam Coetzee and his family purchased the house and restored it after which it was used as a restaurant to the present time. The restaurant opened with only 6 tables in April 06. In May 06 the dining room opened, followed by the bar in June of that same year.
Today the Alfresco Restaurant offers fine cuisine to patrons, and the somewhat colourful past history makes the dining experience that much better!
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
Source: http://www.witrivierinfo.com/
White River lies just north of Nelspruit not far from the border with the Kruger National Park. It is not a large town but it is certainly an area of stunning scenic beauty. The climate is said to be one of the best in South Africa, lovely and hot days in summer when rainfall is at its highest and cool nights during the winter. The farms tend to be relatively small but the agriculture is intensive with tropical and citrus fruits in abundance, and vegetables and cut flowers readily available.
The Afrikaans name Witrivier (White River) refers to the colour of the water in the river nearby. The water normally has a milky appearance which is caused by a high concentration of kaolin.
The farming tradition of the community that settled here after the Anglo-Boer War has remained virtually unchanged to this day. Lord Milner, erstwhile administrator of the defeated Transvaal, demarcated land on the 'Emansimhlope' - a tributary of the Crocodile River whose name translates from the Swazi as 'White Waters' - to demobilised Boer and British Anglo-Boer War soldiers and offered them an opportunity to settle here as citrus farmers.
In 1904 a land survey by the Transvaal Land Department was carried out with the idea of establishing an agricultural settlement in the area. Plots were made available to ex-servicemen from the Boer War, a weir was built over the White River and a canal constructed.
However, the new farmers soon realised that citrus farming in the area was a trial that tested men to their absolute limits and which most just couldn't endure. Droughts, insects, disease - all of these factors contributed to the slow draining away of these would be farmers, until in 1911 only a single farmer was left of this development - a man by the name of McDonald, a Scotsman.
The start of the town
At that time a successful bid of 10 000 British Pounds for 10 000 acres of the failed settlement was made by a syndicate of 5 men from the vicinity - Exley Millar, Clem Merriman, Reverend Ponsonby, Colonel William Barnard and Henry Glynn. From this, they established the White River Estates. In 1916 it became a private company, the capital having grown to 30 000 British Pounds. Further development was temporarily delayed by the First World War, and resumed again in 1918.
The first homes were built from wattle-and-daub, and citrus was planted. The village first consisted of a cottage, an outspan on the site where the Dutch Reformed Church stands today, the White River Hotel (in those harsh days a hotel was of course an absolute MUST), police station and stables and the Magistrates' Court and residence. Horses (the transport of the time) had to be "salted" in an effort to be made immune to the feared horse sickness.
Citrus farming established itself as the main agricultural activity of the region and, in 1924, it became clear that the citrus farmers had to form an organisation which could represent the industry.
This led to the establishment of the White River Fruitgrowers' Co-operative Company and the first citrus crop was packed in 1925. In 1926 the railway to Nelspruit was extended to White River which greatly assisted in the export of citrus. (Source - White River Remembered, Claire Nevill)
The township spread over an area of about 8 kilometers and today accommodates about 2500 farmers on small holdings. Their main focus is the cultivation of vegetables, sub-tropical as well as tropical fruit, timber and flowers.
White River is today also home to the well known Macgregor Macadamia Nut Farm and offers a popular holiday destination for those who are looking to enjoy the splendour of the Crocodile River Valley. The town also has a reputation for arts & crafts. Also known as Witrivier (Afrikaans), the town is probably better known under the Afrikaans name than the English "White River".
White River recently became known as the safest and most pleasant town to visit in South Africa.
A Tree as historical monument?
Between 1885 and 1895 a tree was planted by an unknown Anglican minister where the old village green was, just over the road from the original church. This tree is still standing (not ingenious to the area) but has been declared an historical monument as it is a Natal Fig.
A house was built near this tree in the 10 years following the planting of the tree. Known as the "Vicarage", it is today generally regarded as possibly the oldest house in White River.
In 1916 the Anglican Church moved to where St George's is found today on the Plaston road. The house was then aquired by the Dutch Reformed Church and became know as "Die Pastorie". It is unclear if the house was sold or given to them.
Then follows an unclear period in it's history, but it was used as boarding house after the church stopped using it, and later converted into flats. At some stage the house was also used as a post office.
In the '70's it was used a offices for estate agents and lawyers.
In the '80's it was a fine dining restaurant - Timbuctoo - run by a married couple with the surname Kay.
Between '95 and '05 the house was used a roadhouse, gay nightclub, antique shop, restaurant, nursery and clothing shop.
In Feb 06 Braam Coetzee and his family purchased the house and restored it after which it was used as a restaurant to the present time. The restaurant opened with only 6 tables in April 06. In May 06 the dining room opened, followed by the bar in June of that same year.
Today the Alfresco Restaurant offers fine cuisine to patrons, and the somewhat colourful past history makes the dining experience that much better!
Google count:Date:Historic fact:Other interesting info:Where to stay:
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