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MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | DEPARTEMENT VAN PUBLIEKE WERKEN - ORANJE-VRIJSTAAT REPUBLIEKEstablished: 1881Ended: 1902 Architect | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early building programs of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State Republic (1854-1902) were modest architectural ventures hence the employment of professional expertise was considered an extravagance. However as the need for and provision of infrastructure grew so did the complexity and technical demands including the provision of tender documents and the need of an Inspector of Works became ever more pressing. Although hesitant to vote funds, the Volksraad created the post of Inspector of Public Works in terms of Ordinance No 14 of 1881. In 1883, towards the end of the term of the presidency of Brand, Gustave HALLÉ was appointed to the post. He had unfortunately to stay the qualms of disgruntled members of the Volksraad, aggrieved by all that had gone awry on projects before. By the middle of 1885 the Volksraad was debating the abolition of the post of Inspector of Public Works. But it was pointed out that this could only be done if the Ordinance was repealed. With CANNING appointed to design the Presidency in 1885 the fees paid for his services added impetus to the idea of the redundancy of the Inspector post. At the same time however Albert CR WOCKE was appointed as a clerk in the office of the Inspector of Works. With the persistent economic depression HALLE was retrenched in 1886. The hiatus was short-lived. In 1890 JE VIXSEBOXSE was appointed as Government Architect and soon thereafter DE WENTINK as draughtsman. In the interim the Volksraad had also appointed THIANGE to the position Of Inspector General of Works. WENTINK was to succeed VIXSEBOXSE to the post in 1893 after they had jointly won the competition for the Natural History Museum in Cape Town and VIXSEBOXSE's subsequent resignation from the post to take up the project in Cape Town. THIANGE resigned in 1895 after suffering much abuse in his position. WENTINK headed up the programmes of OFS PWD until its demise in the South African War. Practitioners listed on this site who worked for DPW OVR
DE LA CORNILLERE, Henri Gaston Ernest Practitioners listed on this site who were appointed to do work for the DPW OVR CANNING, Francis Lennox, supervised the building of the Presidency. CORDEAUX, Herbert John Charles, was appointed by the PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT as overseer of the construction of the teacher's residence in Edenburg. MULLER, JH, was acting supervisor of JE VIXSEBOXSE's post office building in Bloemfontein. (Roodt 1987) List of projects With photographs With notes
Books citing DEPARTEMENT VAN PUBLIEKE WERKEN - ORANJE-VRIJSTAAT REPUBLIEK
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