Monumental Pretoria Trivia Quiz

Answer: Union Buildings

The Union Buildings were designed by architect Sir Herbert Baker and are considered his greatest achievement. Build on top of Meintjieskop it overlooks Pretoria with beautiful gardens laid out in front of it that contain various monuments from South Africa's history.

The semicircular building has two wings at either end representing the Afrikaner and British people of the country who where united after the Anglo-Boer wars when the Union of South Africa was formed on 31 May 1910. It is the official seat of the South African government and the offices of the President of South Africa are located here. On 10 May 1994 the Inauguration of Nelson Mandela and his Vice-Presidents took place in front of the Union Buildings after the country's first free elections. I was one of the thousands standing in the beautiful gardens in front of the buildings on this historic occasion.

Answer: Louis Botha

Louis Botha was a member of the parliament of the South African Republic in 1897 that was still an independent republic at the time. After fighting as a General in the Second Boer War, he worked towards peace with the British and represented the Boers at the peace negotiations in 1902. Botha became the Prime Minister when the South African Republic gained self-governance in 1907.

When the Union of South Africa was formed on 31 May 1910 he became the first Prime Minister of what would become the modern South Africa.

The statue of Botha on horseback was erected in front of the Union Buildings, which were built for the newly established Union of South Africa. I was standing nearby this monument when Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first fully democratically elected President of South Africa on 10 May 1994.

Answer: Paul Kruger

Paul Kruger, known as Oom Paul (Afrikaans for "Uncle Paul") among his people, was State President of the South African Republic from 1883 until he went into exile in 1900 during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Church Square was founded in 1855 as a square for market and church purposes.

The Church sold the square to the government in 1899, who commissioned a statue of Paul Kruger to be placed in the square. The pedestal was already in place in 1900, but further work was delayed by the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War and an ornamental fountain was donated in its place.

In 1911 the square was redesigned and the fountain was moved to the Zoological Gardens. Anton van Wouw's statue of Paul Kruger moved about a bit, first standing in front of Princes Park, then it was moved in front of the Pretoria Station, but was finally moved to Church Square on 10 October 1954, Paul Kruger's birthday. I worked near by and walked by Oom Paul many times on my way to work.

There's an urban legend/joke that if a woman who is still a virgin passed Oom Paul he will lift his hat to her.

Many women have answered "no" with a red face when asked if Oom Paul lifted his hat when she walked by him.

Answer: Palace of Justice

The Palace of Justice was completed in 1896. The Rivonia Trial, Probably the most famous political trial in South Africa's history, was held here. During this trial, Nelson Mandela and a number of other members of the liberation struggle against Apartheid were charged with treason and send to prison on Robben Island.

In the movie "Cry, the Beloved Country" (1995) starring James Earl Jones and Richard Harris, the trial scene was filmed here even though it is supposed to be in Johannesburg in the movie. During filming I once saw James Earl Jones standing outside the building but was too much in awe to approach him.

Answer: Ou Raadsaal (Old Council Chamber)

President Paul Kruger laid the cornerstone of the Ou Raadsaal (Old Council Chamber) on 6 May 1889 and the building was completed by 1891. The Volksraad, the Afrikaans name of the parliament (literally "people's council"), however already started to use the half-completed Raadsaal on 5 May 1890.

The officially opening was in 1892 without any ceremony. The four bells in the tower were added in 1894. At first the Raadsaal consisted of only two floors, but a third was added when the Tweede Volksraad (Second Parliament) was established.

The wood that was used for decoration of the building came from Norway and was decorated by carpenters on the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland. It was then shipped through Durban, South Africa. On top of the building a female figure was added to symbolise freedom.

This female figure was bald at first but legend has it that President Kruger had a helmet made for her.

Answer: Kruger House

Paul Kruger was a Boer leader and President of the South African Republic. His official residence is now the Kruger House Museum. The house was built in 1884 and was one of the first homes in Pretoria to have electric lights and also has one of the first telephones to be installed in Pretoria in 1891.

The furnishings and other objects in the house are either original or belong to the same historical period. Gifts presented to Kruger by various dignitaries and friends are displayed along with other artifacts from the time Kruger lived there.

The Reception room has two sets of furniture so that the President could receive a constant flow of visitors. There are many important pieces in the room, one of which is the table at which Kruger talked with many famous people such as John X Merriman, Cecil John Rhodes, Henry Stanley and Mark Twain.

The Kruger House has been converted into a museum and kept in the atmosphere and the ambiance that existed during the time Kruger lived there.

Answer: Voortrekker Monument

The Voortrekker Monument was built to honour the Voortrekkers (Afrikaans and Dutch for pioneers, literally "those who trek ahead") who left the Cape Colony, between 1835 and 1854 to escape British Rule. This is known as The Great Trek. The monument was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk who wanted to design a "monument that would stand a thousands of years to describe the history and the meaning of the Great Trek to its descendants".

The monument was build on top of a hill so that it can be seen from almost any location in the city.

The main entrance leads to the Hall of Heroes. On the walls are scenes in relief from the Great Trek and the Battle of Blood River. In the middle of the floor there is a walled hole from where you can see the Cenotaph, located in the centre of the Cenotaph Hall at the bottom of the monument.

It can also be viewed from the dome at the top of the monument, from where you can see the whole inside of the monument. Through an opening in this dome at twelve o'clock noon on 16 December each year the sun shines onto the middle of the Cenotaph and the words "Ons vir Jou, Suid-Afrika" (Afrikaans for 'We for Thee, South Africa'). 16 December 1838 was the date of the Battle of Blood River where the Voortrekkers defeated the Zulus on the banks of the Ncome River.

The Voortrekkers had made a vow to God that if He should deliver them, they would build a church and commemorate the day as a Sabbath. I once visited the monument on 16 December but just as the sun was about to shine on the Cenotaph a cloud appeared above the opening in the dome.

Answer: Fort Klapperkop

The Jameson Raid was carried out in the last days of December 1895 and first few days of January 1896. It was intended to trigger an uprising by the primarily British expatriate workers in the South African Republic who were dissatisfied with conditions and their rights.

It was stopped by the Boers (the Afrikaner citizens of the republic) and Jameson was arrested and returned to Britain in shame. This fort, along with Fort Schanskop, was erected as a result to defend the city. Building started in December 1896 and President Paul Kruger accepted the fort on behalf of the government on 18 January 1898.

It was built in the inside of a hill on the edge of the city. The fort was manned by thirty men and armed with a French Long Tom cannon. However no shots were ever fired out of either Fort Klapperkop or Fort Schanskop as the cannon and all other artillery where moved to the front lines when the Anglo-Boer War broke out.

The fort passed into British hands when they occupied Pretoria. After the Union of South Africa was established in 1910 Fort Klapperkop was used for military purposes.

The fort was declared a historical monument on 24 June 1938. When the Second World War broke out the Department of Defence used the fort as an ammunition storage facility, which it was until 1950. After that the fort has been neglected until 1960 when it was decided to turn it into a museum.

Answer: Pretoria Station

The Pretoria Station replaced the old station that was built in 1893 when the first steam trains arrived in Pretoria. It was another design by Sir Herbert Baker who also designed the Union Buildings in Pretoria amongst others. The front has a number of arches that gives entrance to the main hall.

There are a number of roof lights to allow light into the ground floor space. The two floors above the ground floor are used as office space. In 2001 a fire destroyed much of the roof, including the elegant clock tower.

When the restoration process started, one of the first jobs was to restore the clock tower and its weather vane. The original red copper weather vane fell off in 1983 and was never found. The weather vane with locomotive at its apex now sits again at the very top of the building.

Answer: Melrose House

Melrose House was built in 1886 by the Pretoria businessman George Jesse Heys and named after the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland. When the British invaded Pretoria in June 1900 during the Second Boer War Lord Roberts made it the headquarters for the British forces.

The Treaty of Vereeniging, which ended the Second Boer War, was signed here on 31 May 1902. Melrose House is now a beautiful museum with much of the furniture and art that was owned by Heys. There are guided tours, a reference library and also a Tea Garden in the erstwhile stables. Exhibitions, antique fairs, shows and other events are held there regularly and there is also a clay tennis court.