The JoMel Group

Early history 1889-1895
The area between the Orange and Vaal rivers, originally known as Transoranje, with its abundance of permanent water sources, was the hunting grounds of the San. at the beginning of the 19th century. However, other groups began to infiltrate the area in the early 19th century.

The Griquas under Adam Kok came from the west and settled themselves near the area later known as Philippolis. As a result of the Difaqane, many groups came to the Transoranje area in the 1820s from the east, fleeing from Shaka, King of the Zulus, and later Mzilikazi, first King of the Matabele. In 1824, Chief Mzilikazi established himself on ThabaBosiu and began building a strong nation from people previously scattered in the area.

In 1833, the Barolong under the chieftaincy of Moroka II established themselves at what was later known as Thaba Nchu. Around 1821, White stock farmers crossed the Orange River in search of grazing land, after drought and locust infestations ravaged the Cape Colony. Sometime between 1820 and 1826, trek Boer farmer Johan Nicolaas Brits settled in the Transoranje area. The area was convenient as it had a small stream and a fountain provided him with a good water supply.

Apparently the place Brits chose was originally a meeting place for hunters, and the Black people called it Mangaung (place of the cheetahs), but it became known as Bloemfontein in later years. There is some controversy surrounding the name, but one theory is that when Brits settled here, the fountain was surrounded by flowers and thus the Brits family named it Bloemfontein, literally meaning 'fountain of flowers'. Another theory is that the name was put forward by one of Brits' neighbours, a Mr. Griesel, who referenced it to Mrs. Brits' garden.

Johan Nicolaas Brits built a pioneer's home close to the fountain. During the Great Trek many other Voortrekkers also settled in the area. Because these Boers were from the Cape Colony, they were still considered British subjects.

Over a period of time, conflict grew between the different population groups in the Transoranje area, resulting in British intervention. Therefore, in 1846, Major Henry Douglas Warden was appointed to set up a British residency in the area. Warden was tasked with the difficult job of maintaining peace between the different population groups and to set up an administration. His immediate orders were to set up a residency as soon as possible in a centrally situated place, between the areas occupied by Adam Kok and Mosheshwe.

Warden accidentally came across the fountain area between the Riet and Modder rivers. From a military point of view, Warden found the area suitable because it was situated in a small valley surrounded by hills on all sides and was free of horse sickness. The centrality of the site would also make it easy for transport riders to bring necessary commodities to the settlement.

Warden's troops, known as the Cape Riflemen, arrived in Bloemfontein on 26 March 1846 and Warden followed shortly after. He was charmed by the position of the new residency, and took over the farm 'Bloemfontein' from Brits, and paid him 500 rijksdaalders for the layout and improvements that he made. At the time the farm consisted of a small mud house with a garden in the front and an orchard which was watered through a furrow.

One division of Warden's soldiers began building a fort to the north of the fountain which was named Fort Drury, after Sergeant Drury who served the dual function of garrison's doctor and teacher to the children of the soldiers. The second division began building the official residency at the top end of the present St George Street. While this was being done, Warden moved temporarily into the Brits' house. The third division of the regiment concentrated on building clay huts for the soldiers and stables for the horses, which was the beginning of the settlement.

However, relations between the different groups in the area were still strained, with the biggest problem being land. To put an end to this problem, Sir Henry Smith, Governor of the Cape Colony, annexed the area and renamed it the Orange River Sovereignty.  This led to the Battle of Boomplaats between the British and Boers who were unhappy with the annexation, which resulted in the British increasing their garrison to 400 men to defend the Bloemfontein area. In addition, a more strategically situated fort called Queen's Fort, was built to replace Fort Drury. Fort Queen was situated at the top end of what was later known as Monument Road. At the foot of the fort were the officers' houses, barracks for the soldiers, the horses' stables and the Commissioner's depot.

Read more about the emancipation of slaves and slavery at the Cape

The community of Bloemfontein initially consisted only of English speaking people. Almost all the houses and buildings were south of the stream on the so called 'water plots'. The town grew with the building of churches and schools and attracted many other groups like Germans, the Dutch, Jews and Afrikaners who were the first pioneers to settler there. The fast growing pace of the town also attracted many Black and Coloured people in search of work.  The Blacks and Coloureds originated from the Bechuana, Hottentot, and Fingo groups, many of them emancipated slaves. Other mixed groups in the area included the Griqua, the San, the Khoikhoi and BaSotho.

Industry
Industry in Bloemfontein remained relatively small until the railway system was introduced. The lack of effective transport together with the absence of electricity and proper water supply hampered the progress of industry in this city.

One of the earliest industries in Bloemfontein was a tannery on the farm called Tempe in 1865. Other industries that developed were a wool washery, a steam mill and sweet factories in St. George Street, known as the Bloemfontein Sweet Manufactory. There was also a vinegar brewery and a lemonade factory in St. Georges Street.

In the 1880's, brick making became a profitable industry as building activity increased. The wagon and cart manufacturing industry became the strongest industry due to the absence of railways, but at the same time the demand for transport increased. Even after the advent of railways, the wagon and cart industry still remained strong due to the need for wagons and carts by the mining industry.

Other industries that also became prominent in the early days of Bloemfontein were a sand-stone yard to the north  of Waaihoek, the OFS Brewery Company in Fountain Street, The OFS Distillery Company Limited at Bishop's Glen outside the town, the Kruidfontein Soutwerke as well as the Shoe and Boot factory in Maitland Street.

There was no real town planning that was intended to cater for the early industries, and most proliferated along the edge of the town next to the railway line.

The original water source was the main fountain, Bloemfontein Fountain, complimented by other fountains in the south.

The so-called water erven benefited from the fountains by means of a canal which was later replaced by a pipe line with water points at intervals. Over a period of 25 years, the water was to be carried from these water points to the houses of White residents.

However, with the expansion of the residential area to the north, the so-called droe erven demanded additional water supply which resulted in a dam being built behind the Ladies Institute. The fact that both humans and animals shared the water supply, made the conditions very unhygienic.

Public and private wells were also sunk in order to meet the increased demand for water. The first public well was situated in the Market Square in 1877, shortly followed by a well in Waaihoek. Other wells were later sunk on Baumann Square, Warden Square and on the corner of St Georges and Monument Streets, as well as the corner of President Brand and St Johns Streets.

The increased demand for additional water supply led to the approval of a proposed water supply from the Modder River, with a dam at Sannaspos. In the meantime a pipe network was introduced which allowed for distribution of water to all households in Bloemfontein.

On 20 April 1899, the first water from Sannaspos reached Bloemfontein and from May 1899, the system came into full use.

Telegraph / Telepone
In 1874, a telegraph service was started which eventually connected Bloemfontein to other Free State towns and the rest of South Africa.

The first telephone service, which dates back to 1891, was limited locally between the railway office and the municipality buildings. In 1905, the telephone service was expanded.

Hygene
During the 19th century, three factors contributed to poor hygienic conditions in Bloemfontein. Firstly, there was a lack of sufficient and hygienic water supply and during times of drought, water in wells often stagnated and became contaminated. Drinking water was also not purified.

Secondly, the large number of animals on plots, contributed greatly to the unhygienic conditions. In some cases up to 40 cows could be found on a single plot. To control this problem, the municipality introduced regulations which restricted the number of large animals per household that were allowed in town and provision was made for a municipal grazing ground where any extra cattle could be kept.

Thirdly, household refuse was a problem as it was simply dumped on the streets or outside of town. In 1880, a system of refuse removal was introduced and dumping outside the town was prohibited.

Sanitary services in the Black locations were also upgraded, six public ablution blocks were erected, namely; two in Waaihoek, one in the vicinity of the present day Eunice, one by the fort, one on the East End and one along the road to the diamond fields.

History Hospitals
In 1867, the first hospital, St George's Cottage Hospital, was opened in Bloemfontein, under the auspices of the St Michael Sisterhood. The first government hospital, the Volkshospitaal, was opened on 31 October 1893. This hospital was largely intended for Whites only, and a separate building was provided for Non-Whites.

The mental hospital, Krankzinnige Gesticht, was built in 1883 and was located outside of town on the way to Fauresmith.

A leprosy hospital was opened in January 1899 and this was located on the farm Sydenham to the south east of Bloemfontein.

History - Libraries & Museums

In 1867, a travelling library was established, and was later transferred to Bloemfontein's public library and reading room which was housed behind the Town Hall. In 1877, the National Museum was established in the former First Raadsaal.
The Government's building (which included the Third Raadsaal) was also built in 1877 at the top end of Maitland Street and the National Bank was also established. A few more banks and hotels were also opened in the 1870s.

8. History - Gold & Diamond Rush
During the 1880s, trade in Bloemfontein declined due to the long drought and depression that devastated the OFS. However, trade improved drastically when gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand in 1886.  In 1880, Bloemfontein received municipal status with a population of about 2567, and Robert Innes was chosen as the first Town Mayor.
Due to the discovery of diamonds, the population increased at such a fast pace that there was talk of a housing shortage in the town. Between 1880 and 1886 many new buildings like the Two Towers Church (NG church, 1880), The Church of the Sacred Heart (new Roman Catholic building, 1881), the new market building (1882) and a new Town Hall in Maitland Street (1883) were erected in Bloemfontein. In 1885, the Anglican Cathedral was extended and in 1886 a smarter, more elegant President's residency replaced the structure of the Second Presidency, which dated back to 1862.

Graveyards
The original graveyard was situated on Monument Road, now known as the Old Graveyard. Next to it was the graveyard for the Jewish population. In 1901, this graveyard was moved to a few miles south of the city. The NG Church originally had its own graveyard in Kruger Avenue, but this was moved in 1893 as a result of town expansion.

The non-white graveyard was located south of the city between present day Memorial Road and Hamilton Shooting Range.

Electricity
Street lamps were introduced in 1883 and were lit at sunset everyday. In August 1898, an electricity scheme was accepted for the first time by the council, which provided 130 street lamps with 32 candles each. Only the main streets were to be lit by these lamps.
In 1900, the electricity system was put into effect.

In August 1895, the right to establish an electrical plant was granted to Delfos Bros and Co. The project, which was only completed in 1900, cost 171 000 pounds, and quotes were available for household electrical supply.

Bloemfontein's development as a nucleus of the Free State necessitated the development of transport routes between Bloemfontein and the surrounding towns. Again, the discovery of diamonds gave transport its first big boost towards greater development. Transport, which included goods and passenger coaches, flourished as a business.
The most important consequence of the discovery of diamonds was the advent of the railways, which provided the citizens with a safer, more efficient and reliable transport system.
In 1873, a weekly transport service was introduced for goods between Bloemfontein and the diamond fields. However, the first passenger service was only introduced in 1856. In 1880, passenger transport services were introduced between Cape Town and Bloemfontein via Kimberly. In 1883, passenger transport was introduced between Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg. In 1888, a passenger service, known as the Free State Line, was introduced between Bloemfontein, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
In 1890, the railway line from Colesberg to Bloemfontein was completed, and later this was extended to the Vaal River.
The city's growth took place due to the fact that Bloemfontein became the nucleus of railway activities in South Africa.
In 1892, the first traffic regulations for the town of Bloemfontein were introduced, traffic speed in the town was limited to 6.m.p.h and wagon drivers and horsemen were to keep to the left while the cracking of whips was prohibited in town.

Street Layout
After 1866, streets were developed from the so-called veld paaie to proper compacted surfaces with adequate drainage.

Prisons:
When the national railway line reached Bloemfontein in the late 1800s, it brought with it unwanted elements of society unaccustomed to Bloemfontein. These 'loose women', white youth criminals, pickpockets, street entertainers and bar fights seemed strange and outlandish but unavoidable with the influx of people and growing industries of the expanding town.

Within the first three months of the railway opening, more than eighty drunk and disorderly arrests took place. Crime in general also increased, with a 66% increase in prosecutions from 1890 to 1891 (398 whites and 1 918 blacks). The most prosecutions were in cases of the transgression of the pass laws that can hardly be described as a crime, followed by theft, drunkenness, disturbance of the peace, and the forgery of alcohol slips, while a black man could be sentenced to fifteen whips with a 'kats' if he refused the orders of his white employer.

A result of the increase in crime was that Bloemfontein needed a new prison to replace the old (first) town prison in St. George Street described as 'unsightly and redundant' - the same building (with slight expansion) erected by Major Warden. In 1892 the St. George Street prison could house 70 criminals (black and white). The prison had eight cells, two of which were designated for whites and one for women. The cells were overcrowded and many of them had no source of light or ventilation and had mice and rat infestations.

The prisoner community grew to such an extent that the District Physician, Dr. JW Krause, requested an increase in salary as more than half of the prison population acquired his services from 1891 to 1892. Dr. Krause had previously compiled a report to the 'Volksraad' highlighting the miserable conditions at the St. George Street prison in 1878. He called it 'een schreeuwend onrecht' (a screaming injustice).

With no formal medical facility available to treat sick patients in Bloemfontein the little St. George Street prison was also used as a makeshift hospital. Here patients stayed in the midst of 'drunken Hottentots and bushmen, as well as the lowest drunken dirty whites that could be found in any community', according to a local newspaper. Complaints from different sources about the inhumane ramshackle prison continued. De Tijd declared indignantly that it is 'voor een neger byna te slecht om in te blyven'. (almost too bad for a negro to live in)

The construction of a desperately required new prison ('Ramkraal') started in 1893 on a premises just East of the railway line adjacent to the Dewetsdorp Road at a cost of £16 000. It was taken into use approximately three years later. Further development has made it almost non-visible but it must have been an impressive sight standing in the field just after completion. A journalist wrote a few years later, 'On approaching, the building gives one the impression of an ancient stronghold of [a] feudal baron of a past age; high stone wall forms the outer enclosure with two massive turrets as watch towers'.

Executions continued to take place in public although it was moved to a spot further from the town's centre. In 1883 two black men, Fire and Hoffman, were 'hanged behind the hill, in sight of Voigt's farm'. The sight later became known as 'Hangmanskloof'. Although the execution took place at six o' clock in the morning there was a curious crowd of about 200 to 300 people present. The Express wrote, 'We never remember seeing a more orderly crowd'. While The Friend called it 'a revolting sight'.

With the completion of the new prison ('Ramkraal') the gallows were also moved there, 'near the circular wall enclosure', according to a woman detained here during the Anglo-Boer war, '…immense, sturdy and square, erected with thick black beams and ironwork with twenty two steps leading to a platform halfway to the top. Then there is the cloak of black material covering the body of the sentenced in which he or she was dressed prior to the hanging. Further up the framework was the cross-beam from which the rope hung.'

The treatment of the prisoners was still dire and a blot on the name of the otherwise relieved Free State. Corporal punishment was still freely applied – at least to black prisoners because the Magistrate declared 'that he did not like a white man to be flogged'. For adult black prisoners there was the 'kats' and for the younger ones the 'kweperlatjie'. The scourging area at the new prison was used regularly. All prisoners still had to wear foot shackles (often causing painful chafing) with which they had to sleep as well. Mixed working groups with black and white prisoners with a white or black supervisor were a common sight in the town.

To the end of the 1890s the City Council did complain about this phenomenon but only because of the impression it could make on visitors and children. The supervisors were asked to lead their groups around the outskirts of the town to their working areas rather than through the streets. One consolation was that it was quite easy to escape from such a group and one white prisoner who intentionally proved this point was only caught by Major Albrecht, who heard the jingle of the prisoner's chains, after the prisoner unhurriedly went passed the Presidency and Magistrate's Office.

History - Railway
The railway system and market activities in town were the main factors that stimulated street development. Sidewalks of up to 9 or 10 ft in width were introduced and in 1891 streets were given names.

EDUCATION HISTORY: Because of Bloemfontein's central position in South Africa, many top schools and tertialry facilities are found here, contributing to top national businesses and representing South Africa in most sports. Some of these schools like Grey College, Eunice, Oranje, Saint Andrews & Saint Michaels offer some of the best academic, sport and cultural education in the country. School, College & University Directory

HISTORY TIME-LINE:
1824

The Matabele, underChief Mzilikazi, settle on Thaba Bosiu.

1833

The Baralong under Chief Moroka II settle at what was later known as ThabaNchu.

1846

Major Henry Douglas Warden appointed to set up a British residency in the area.

26 March, Warden's troops, known as the Cape Riflemen, arrive in Bloemfontein.

1848

The first NG congregation is formed.

1849

The First Raadsaal is built.

1850

Wesleyan priest arrives in Bloemfontein.

June, first municipal commissioner is appointed.

10 June, The first newspaper, The Friend of the Sovereignty and the Bloemfontein Gazette are printed.

1852

First Roman Catholic church is built in St George's Street

May, the NG congregation moves to their first church in Kerk Straat.

1854

23 February, the Bloemfontein Convention is signed, giving the Orange River Sovereignty self governing status.

May, Hoffman elected as first State President of the OFS.

1855

August, JN Boshoff succeeds Hoffman as President of the OFS.

1859

April, 5 municipalities are chosen.

April, Market starts

1860

MW Pretorius succeeded Boshoff as President of OFS.

The first market building was established

1861

Plans for Bloemfontein's first hotel, The Free State Hotel, are laid out opposite the market.

Three banks are established; The Bloemfontein Bank, Standard Bank and the London South African Bank.

1862

De Tijd, a German newspaper, begins to print in the OFS.

1864

JH Brand succeeds Pretorius as OFS President.

1866

The new Anglican Cathedral is opened in St George's Street.

1867

The first hospital, St George's Cottage Hospital, is opened in Bloemfontein.

A traveling library is established.

1868

Basotholand (today Lesotho) becomes a British Protectorate.

1867

The first hospital, St George's Cottage Hospital, is opened.

1874

A telegraph service starts. The service eventually connected Bloemfontein to other Free State towns and to the rest of South Africa.

1873

A weekly transport service is introduced to transport goods between Bloemfontein and the diamond fields.

1875

First post office is accommodated in the Old Parliament building on Market Square.

The Weslyan and Lutheran church buildings are completed.

The Basotho monument, on the hill near the Fort, is unveiled in memory of the Burghers that lost their lives during the Basotho war of 1865-1866.

1877

The National Museum is established in the former First Raadsaal.

The Government's building (which included the Third Raadsaal) is built at the top end of Maitland Street.

The National Bank is established.

1880

Bloemfontein receives municipal status with a population of about 2567, and Robert Innes is chosen as the first Town Mayor.

N.G Church established.

A system of refusal removal was introduced.

A passenger transport services was introduced between Cape Town and Bloemfontein via Kimberly.

1881

The Church of the Sacret Heart is established.

1883

An institution for the mentally ill is established.

A new Town Hall is built.

Paraffin lamps are installed to light up Bloemfontein's streets.

1888

A passenger service, known as the Free State Line, is introduced between Bloemfontein, Johannesburg and Pretoria.

14 July, President Brand dies of a heart attack.

December, Francis Willem Reitz is elected as the fifth President of the OFS.

1890

The railway line from Colesburg to Bloemfontein is completed, later extended to the Vaal River.

1892

First traffic regulations for the town of Bloemfontein are introduced; traffic speed in the town limited to approximately 10km/h (6m/h) and wagon drivers and horsemen had to keep to the left. In addition the cracking of whips was prohibited in town.

1892

22 June, New Post office building is opened.

1893

31 October, The first government hospital, the Volkshospitaal, is opened.

1895

The right to establish an electrical plant is granted to Delfos Bros and Co.

1899

January, A leprosy hospital is opened.

1900

An electricity system is put into place.

1912

8 January, The South African Native National Congress (later renamed the African National Congress) is formed in Bloemfontein, with John Langalibalele Dube elected as the first President.

1913

28 May, A group of women from the urban Waaihoek Location protest against pass laws by taking a passive resistance stance, and refusing to carry permits. After this demonstration, unrest spread to other towns in the OFS province, the only province that enforced passes for Black women at this time. Hundreds of women are arrested.

1914

1July, the National Party (NP) is formed in Bloemfontein.

1916

28 November, Marthinus Theunis Steyn, last President of the OFS dies in Bloemfontein.

1917

Labour organiser, Henry Selby Msimang, leads a strike of municipal workers in Bloemfontein, for which he was arrested and detained.

1918

The pass for Black women in the OFS requirement is withdrawn, after Charlotte Maxeke leads a deputation to Prime Minister Louis Botha to plead the women's case.

1920

A 'national' Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) is established at a conference in Bloemfontein. The ICU was originally established as a Cape Town labour union. H.S Msimang is elected president of the national ICU, known as the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union of South Africa (ICWU).

1935

The All African Convention (ACC) is formed in Bloemfontein. More than 400 delegates from the ANC, CPSA, various ICU's the Native Advisory Boards, African Vigilance Associations and African religious groups are in attendance; the convention is opened by the Mayor of Bloemfontein.

1950

18 March, The University of the Free State is founded.

1955

December, The African National Congress holds its 44th annual conference in Bloemfontein.

1983

A railway line 1km from Bloemfontein is maliciously damaged and a locomotive and two trucks are derailed.

1994

December, The African National Congress holds its 49th conference in Bloemfontein.

2010

Bloemfontein hosts a number of FIFA World Cup games at its Free State Stadium.

HISTORICAL PLACES TO SEE:

Anglican Cathedral

This cathedral is regarded as the spiritual heart of Bloemfontein and it’s foundation stone was laid in 1850 by the city’s founder, Major Henry Douglas Warden. The interior décor epitomises graceful elegance and the beautiful windows are classical Victorian.

Bloemfontein City Hall

Impressive sandstone building designed by Sir Gordon Leith. It is located in President Brand Street, which has been declared a National Conservation Area in it’s entirety

Court of Appeal

The Raadsaal is faced by the Court of Appeal, the highest court in the country. The stinkwood paneled courtroom itself is the most magnificent in South Africa while the Judges’ Library adds dignity to the already impressive building. The first sitting of this Court of Appeal took place on 4 June 1910.

Fourth Raadsaal

Free State Agricultural Museum

This living agricultural museum depicts farming activities which take place on a daily basis and represents various aspects of farming culture which have been preserved for future generations.

Free State Education Museum

The museum serves as an archive for the Education Department, and can be visited by appointment only. The museum was opened on 26 April 1986.

Freshford House Museum

Freshford was built in 1897 by the architect, John Edwin Harrison, and belonged to him and his wife, Kate Caroline Marchant, until 1902. The house has been restored by the National Museum and furnished as a house museum.

Hertzog Square

Opposite the City Hall in Hertzog Square. The imposing monument dedicated to General JBM Hertzog comprises a statue with fountains. Sculptor Danie de Jager.

Jukskei Museum

This museum, the only of it’s kind in the world, presents the origin and development of the one true South African sport practiced in several parts of the world – Jukskei. Visit by appointment only.

National Museum

The museum houses the most extensive collection of fossil and archaeological material in South Africa, including a reconstruction of the Florisbad Skull.

National Museum for Afrikaans Literature, Theatre and Music

National Women’s Memorial & War Museum

At a commanding site near the south end of Monument Road is the national Women’s Monument, a celebrated example of South African Sculpture art, created by Anton van Wouw. This sandstone shrine of 36,5 m in height was erected in memory of the women and children who lost their lives during the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902). Emily Hobhouse, the ‘turncoat’ heroine who drew the world’s attention to the appalling conditions in the concentration camps, is also buried here.

Oliewenhuis Art Museum

This Neo Cape Dutch manor house was originally erected to house the Governors General and later State Presidents during their visits to Bloemfontein. The house was largely under-utilised, and was handed over to the National Museum in 1985 to function as an Art Museum.

President Brand Cemetery & President’ Acre

Opposite the Old Fort is the President Brand Cemetery, where many men, women and children who lost their lives in the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902) are buried. The President’s Acre in President Avenue is the last resting place of former State Presidents.

Queen’s Fort – Military Museum

In Church Street, on the brow of the hills the Old Fort was erected during 1848 as a strongheld against native raids. Near the entrance is a monument to the memory of the burgers who fell in the Basotho War. The museum depicts all conflicts in the Free State from 1820 – 1990.

Rugby Museum

One of the largest private rugby collections in the world

SA Armour Museum

This museum deals specifically with the military area of armour. It consists of an indoor and outdoor area and a reference library.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court opposite the Fire Brigade in President Brand Street is the seat of the Provincial Law Courts. The magnificent interior warrants a visit. Civil, as well as criminal cases from all over the Free State are heard here. It was built during 1909 at a cost of 60 000 pounds.

The First Raadsaal

Turning into St Georges Street, the visitor comes to a humble, one roomed building, with thatched roof and dung smeared floor. This is the Old Raadsaal erected by Major Warden during 1849. It is indeed unique, for it has housed in succession nearly every civilian institution, church, conference chamber, parliament house, school and museum, a record as strange as it is honourable.

The Fountain

The concrete column and city emblem in mosaic are the symbols of the fountain from which Bloemfontein got it’s name.

The Fourth Raadsaal

The Raadsaal, the last home of the ‘Model’ Free State Republican Parliament is an impressively designed edifice in the classical style. The building was completed in 1893 the architect being L Canning, the builder JH Robertson. The original benches used by the Volksraad still remain. The busts of the six presidents adorn the walls, while behind the seat of the chairman hangs the original Coat of Arms of the Free State, beautifully carved in wood. Facing the Raadsaal is the Court of Appeal

The Old Presidency

Diagonally opposite the Magistrate’s Court stands a lovely Victorian house museum, dating back to the era of the Presidents of the former Republic of the Orange Free State.

The White Horse

Located on the slopes of Naval Hill, this horse was laid out during the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902) by the men of the Wiltshire Remount Depot as a landmark for horsemen riding in from the plains.

Twin Spired Church

This is the only twin spired Dutch Reformed Church in the country. Completed in 1880. The last three presidents of the Free State Republic took the oath of office here.

Unit Museum – 1 Special Service Battalion

This special battalion was born out of grim circumstances and despair of the Great Depression, to save the youth from the loss of self confidence and the risk of moral and physical degeneration caused by massive and prolonged unemployment at the time. Articles in the museum date back to the year 1933.

War Museum

Adjacent to the National Women’s Memorial, the museum gives insight into the Anglo Boer War through it’s art collection, dioramas and exhibits

NATURE

Franklin Nature Reserve

Uniquely situated in the heart of the city, this reserve covers 200 ha of Naval Hill. The reserve is open daily and is home to a variety of game species, including springbok, eland, red hartebeest and blesbok.

Abraham Fischer Mens Hostel -University of the Free State:

The building was designed by Frank Taylor and was officially opened on 16 October 1909 by the then Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony, Abraham Fischer. The men's hostel and the main building were the first to be erected on the site of the former Grey University College, and now form the historic core of the University of the Free State. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 27 December 1985.

Houses Brill and Andrew Murray, together with Tuck Shop, Grey-College

These three buildings form the historical core of Grey College, the oldest school in the Free State.

Brill House and Andrew Murray House were designed by Frank Taylor, and were officially opened on 19 December 1907 by the then Governor of the Orange River Colony, Sir Hamilton J Gould-Adams. The tuckshop probably dates to 1908 and has been a popular gathering place for pupils of Grey College ever since. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 7 March 1986.

The flat topped Naval Hill rising from the heart of Bloemfontein offers spectacular views of the city and surroundings. The Franklin Nature Reserve is situated on Naval Hill. The Lamont Hussey Observatory has been converted into a theatre.

Grey College:

The main Grey College building was designed by architect WH Stucke, and its cornerstone was laid by President Reitz on 16 May 1894.  Hamilton Hall was designed by Herbert Baker, and was officially opened in 1907 by Sir Hamilton Gould-Adams, after whom the hall was named. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 26 October 1979.

University Free State Main Building:

The cornerstone of the building was laid on 19 December 1907 by Sir Hamilton Gould-Adams, and was officially opened on 16 October 1909. The north and south wings date from 1915 and 1929 respectively. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 7 October 1983.

Bloemfontein Technical College:

Also known as the Old Grey College building. The structure was designed by architect WH Stucke and was erected in 1894-95 by building contractor D Godley. Its foundation stone was laid on 16 May 1894 by President Reitz and the eastern and western wings were completed in 1895 and 1898 respectively. The building accommodated Grey College until 1907, was then used by the Normal College, and since 1932, by the Bloemfontein Technical College. On 1 July 1909 the South African Academy for Arts and Science was founded here. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 29 June 1984.

Hoffman Square

The square lies between Maitland Street and St Andrew Street and houses the bus office and terminus. The square lies within walking distance of the railway station, the post office, the most important shops, business centre, hotels and places of entertainment. All buses on city routes depart from here and taxis are available from East Burger Street and the station.

State President Swart Park, King’s Park and Zoo

These parks are the largest of the city’s many pleasure grounds. They are a blaze of colour almost all year round. Bloemfontein is known as the City of Roses and more than 4000 rose trees have been planted in the rose garden in King’s Park. Within the area of King’s Park is the Zoo, where an interesting collection of birds and animals are displayed in almost natural surroundings. This zoo has the largest collection of primates (apes) in South Africa. Altogether 16 different species are encountered here.

GALLERY: Photos of Bloemfontein and Surrounding Areas.