Oosthuizen Street in the Heilige Akker was named after Alderman* Johan Oosthuizen, who resided in the Heilige Akker for many years. The Oosthuizens was one of the first residents in this area and resided in Johannes Dreyer Street. While preparing the article on the...
Street names reflect history 8 – M & N
A dominee with strange advice on how to alleviate loneliness, a music professor who died after a car accident, a doctor who died of the Spanish Flu and another music teacher all lend their names to streets in this category. Maherry Street (South) J Maherry, an...
Remembering a genocide
The public holiday of 16 June is known as Youth Day, commemorating the death of 60 youths shot by police in 1976. But for the Afrikaners 16 June signifies the day the British forces started the genocide of the Boer nation. On 16 June 1900 Lord Robberts set the...
A fresh look at the historic mills of Potchefstroom
Almost all that is left of the thriving mill industry on the Bult during the latter part of the 19th century are mill streams, repurposed as storm water drainage and three street names, Molen Street, Meul Street and Hoffman Street. The first two are self-explanatory...
Street names reflect history 7 – K & L
The interesting people that walked the streets of Potchefstroom never cease to amaze me. The exasperated first teacher of Potchefstroom, another historian and a once fancy hotel all lent their names to street names starting with a “K and “L”. Kamp Street (Central) was...
Street names reflect history 5 – G & H
Many colourful characters are remembered in streets named after them. Under the G’s and H’s are a stable boy, one of the first owners of a car – nicknamed “Knight of the Road” and Potchefstroom’s first tree hugger. “Knight of the road” Gaisford Street (Potchindustria)...
Street names reflect history 3 – Names starting with a C
From a prominent citizen who died in a plane crash in Greece to the first principal of Potchefstroom Gimnasium, Potchefstroom street names starting with a “C” tells the story of the many-faceted history of our city. Street name and building remembers businessman...
Street names reflect history 2
The first person to wear the mayor’s robe and the saviour of an ox-wagon has lent their names to street names starting with a “B”. The wealth of Potchefstroom’s history, being the oldest town north of the Vaal River, is reflected in its street names. Many streets are...
Street names reflect history 1
The wealth of Potchefstroom’s history, being the oldest town north of the Vaal River, is reflected in its street names. The most unusual origin of a Potchefstroom street name might be Grietjie Street in Dassierand, which was named after a canon. Zeederberg Street,...
Jack Borrius – a man of many adventures
He lost an eye in a war, rubbed shoulders with many famous South Africans, including the two Boer generals Jan Smuts and Louis Botha, Cecil John Rhodes and Dr Leander Starr Jameson, leader of the Jameson Raid. He was Jack Borrius, eldest son of the pioneer printer of...
