Pretoria

Pretoria was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, naming it after his father, the Boer leader Andries Pretorius. Before that, the Ndebele were probably the first people to recognise the suitability of the river valley for settlement.
The establishment of Pretoria as the capital of the former South African Republic marked the end of the Boer settlement movements of the Great Trek.
During the Anglo- Boer War (1899 – 1902), Winston Churchill was imprisoned in the Staats Model School in Pretoria but escaped to Mozambique.
Key sights of interest
Pretoria has many sights of interest, including the Church Square; Kruger House Museum; Pretoria Station; Union Buildings; Voortrekker Monument and the nearby Tswaing Meteorite Crater.
Other interesting places…
Menlyn Park is one of the best shopping centres in the country. If you want to shop till you drop, Menlyn is the place.
Train enthusiasts should visit Pretoria’s  ‘Friends of the Rail’ – ‘It is not the journey, or the destination which is important. It is deciding to board the train.’
The National Zoological Gardens is the largest zoo in the country and the only one with national status.
Lekker Links
City of Tshwane local government
National Zoological Gardens
Melrose House Museum
Friends of the Rail
National Zoological Gardens Gauteng province
Church Square; Kruger House Museum; Pretoria Station; Union Buildings; Voortrekker Monument
Tswaing Meteorite Crater
Climate in Pretoria/Tshwane
Melrose House Museum stands as a superb example of the transition of Victorian to Edwardian architectural styles and interiors. Named after the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland, it was was built in 1886 by George Jesse Heys. Lord Roberts requisitioned Melrose House as headquarters of the British forces, after the invasion of Pretoria in June 1900. The Peace Treaty of Vereeniging which ended the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) was signed in Melrose House on 31 May 1902.
What’s in a name?
Following the creation of new municipal structures across South Africa in 2000, the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) was established by integrating 13 former local authorities into one unicity.
The borders of this huge municipal area extend for almost 60km east-west and 70km north-south and include the following areas: Centurion, Crocodile River, Pretoria, Akasia, Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane, Winterveldt, Temba, Hammanskraal, Penaars River, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville.
 

Johanna DuPlessis

Johanna DuPlessis is a writer and editor who was born in South Africa but moved to the UK when she was 12 years old. She has a degree in English Literature from the University of Oxford and has worked as a journalist for various publications. She currently lives in London with her husband and two young children. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her family and friends. She’s not a huge sports fan but she’ll occasionally watch a rugby or cricket match if her husband is playing.

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