For the Personal Touch
Standing atop a hill just outside Pretoria, this monument imposes itself on the landscape. Started in 1936 to ommemmorate the 100th
anniversary of the Battle of Blood River, it towers over it’s surroundings. The history of the Great Trek, the movement of Afrikaans farners
from the Cape Colony into the interior of the country, is depicted on a set of marble friezes around the interior of the monument. Every
aspect of the structure is rich in symbolism, and pays tribute to the many people involved in this momentous migration. The monument
encapsulates much of the history of the Afrikaner people.
Associated with the monument is a museum depicting the life lead by the Voortrekkers during the years that they were travelling. The
monument is set in a small nature reserve, offering short walks and horseback rides. Nearby is Fort Schanskop, one of the forts built by
President Paul Kruger to defend Pretoria against the British and today the Second Anglo-Boer War Museum, covering the period
1899 - 1914.
Pretoria, the administrative capital, is a bustling modern city, liberally sprinkled with historical buildings such as Paul Kruger's house,
the Raadsaal, Melrose House, City Hall, the Transvaal Museum of Natural History and the Union Buildings, a magnificent example
of the work of Sir Herbert Baker. These buildings are now the Presidency. The history of the city area predates European settlement and
makes for interesting discussion.
Standing elegantly across the road from Burgers Park, the first park in Pretoria, is Melrose House, once the home of Paul Kruger’s
friend George Heys. The Peace of Vereeniging was signed here on 31 May 1902, ending the Second Anglo-Boer War. Today it is a
museum, reflecting life at the time and commemmoraing the war.
We wend our way through some of the suburbs, from high density flatlands to spread-out homes, older buildings to the most modern,
until it's time to depart.
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Your Guide
Voortrekker Monument and Melrose House
The history of the Voortrekkers, culminating in the Second Anglo-Boer War.
