I decided to start the week off with a nice varied Random ... theme post. The chosen Random ... theme is Ox Wagons. Ox wagons played an important roll in the early history of South Africa, in particular the Great Trek, and forms part of just about every museum exhibit throughout the country. They are specially evident around small towns and farms with ox wagon wheels often found at farm entrances. This ox wagon is on display outside the museum…
The town of Grahamstown (well, its actually a city as it has a cathedral) in the Eastern Cape is situated right in the middle of Settlers country. It is in this area that the 1820 British Settlers (see here, here and here for the Settler story) settled down and it was inevetable that the town would put a monuments to them. On the hill overlooking the town the Settlers Monument was built as a living monument. Opened in 1974, the…
This was taken from the hill opposite from the Voortrekker Monument just outside Pretoria
On my last trip to Johannesburg I popped up to Pretoria to visit the Voortrekker Monument. It was a very misty morning and the Pretoria skyline was just just visible in the fog. Pretoria is South Africa's capital city and forms part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan. Foggy skyline Another part of the city seen with one of the monument's Voortrekker leader statues in the foreground.
For a while now I've wanted to get down to the Horse Memorial here in Port Elizabeth to get a nice silhouette sunset shot. Well, the other night I had my chance. It wasn't the most painted sunset sky, but I love the effect.
Very few visitors to the Voortrekker Monument outside Pretoria takes an extra couple of minutes to visit Fort Schanskop on the opposite hill. The fort was one of three erected around Pretoria in 1896 after the Jameson Raid and was designed by French military engineer Leon Grunberg. In 1895 the friction between the Cape Colony and the Transvaal (South African Republic) under Paul Kruger in the north worsened. An uprising was organised in the Transvaal to accompany a planned invasion…
The Voortrekker Monument stands on top of a hill outside the city of Pretoria and can be seen from all directions as one approaches it. The monument was opened in 1949 and stands 40 meters long, 40 meters wide and 40 meters high. This massive granite structure was built in honour of the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1853 to get away from British rule and find land to call their own.Surrounding the monument building is…
The magnificent Victorian Gothic style old Main Library building is situated next to Market Square in Port Elizabeth's city centre. Constructed in 1902, the building's terracotta facade was manufactured in England, shipped to Port Elizabeth in numbered blocks and rebuilt piece by piece on the present site. The statue of Queen Victoria standing in front of the library building is made of Sicilian marble and was erected and unveiled in 1903 to celebrate the queen's Diamond Jubilee which took place…
In South Africa buildings, places and things of historical and cultural importance were declared National Monuments by what used to be the National Monuments Council. Each place was then given a brass plaque which was mounted somewhere prominent. Unfortunately a lot of these plaques have been stolen over the years and sold as scrap metal. The National Monuments Council has now been replaced by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). What used to be known as National Monuments are…
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality are currently restoring the historic Pearson Conservatory in St Georges Park. The 128 year old conservatory was opened in 1882 and has been in need of major renovations for a couple of years now. Its been very sad to see the building fall into near disrepair, so I was elated to hear the news. I remember playing around there as a child while my mom was manning her table at the monthly Art in the…