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RISSIK, Johann Friedrich Bernhard

Born: 1857 02 02
Died: 1925 08 26

Land Surveyor


Born in Linschoten, Utrecht, the Netherlands where he received his education. Emigrated with his parents to Pretoria in then ZAR in 1876.

He first assisted his father in his dispensary. He started his career in 1883 as Clerk of the Surveyor General of the ZAR, being promoted to Acting Surveyor- General before being appointed to the post. In this capacity he laid out the towns of Benoni and more famously the town named for him, Johannesburg.

In 1887 he represented the Presidency of the ZAR in negotiations with Mozambique in defining their border and welcomed the first train of the NZASM Eastern Line.

After the peace of the South African War he refused a position in Milner's Legislative Council, but served on various commissions dealing with affairs of infrastructure such as railways, water and public buildings.

When Union was declared in 1910 he was appointed the first Administrator of the Transvaal Province, a post to which he was re-appointed in 1915 after the end of his term. He resigned this position to serve as Commissioner for Railways and Harbors, a position he held until his death.

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Books citing RISSIK

HSRC. 1981. Dictionary of South African Biography Volume IV. Pretoria: Butterworth & Co (SA) for Human Sciences Research Council. pp 506-507

Ploeger, Jan. 1994. Nederlanders in die Transvaal 1850-1950. Pretoria: Van Schaik. pp 107