Wording on Historical Monuments Commission signboard:
HISTORICAL MONUMENTS
COMMISSION
_______
THIS IS A NATIONAL
MONUMENT AND THE
PUBLIC IS RESPECTFULLY
ASKED NOT TO DAMAGE
IT IN ANY WAY.
HISTORIESE MONUMENTE-
KOMMISSIE
_______
DIT IS 'N NASIONALE
GEDENKWAARDIGHEID
EN DIE PUBLIEK WORD
BELEEF VERSOEK OM DIT
NIE TE BESKADIG NIE.
Wording on the descriptive signboard:
BLOKHUIS.
Gedurende die Anglo-boere-oorlog het die blokhuise 'n sterk verdedigingslinie gevorm
wat gestrek het vanaf Queenstown deur Molteno en Burgersdorp na Bethulie en Aliwal-
Noord. Burgersdorp beskik oor twee van die stewige geboue. Die Britse magte het die
forte gebruik as vesting vir hul troepe wat die treinspoor en brue teen die republikeinse
kommando's (boeremagte) moes beskerm. Hierdie kommando's het in die deel van
Kaapland dikwels die kolonie vanuit die Vrystaat binnegeval. Die een blokhuis is deur
die Tafelaars gerestoureer en gebruik terwyl die ander een in 1939 as Nasionale
Monument verklaar is. (Brandwag)
BLOCKHOUSES.
During the Anglo-Boer War the Block Houses formed a strong line of defence which
stretched from Queenstown through Molteno to Aliwal-North and Bethulie.
Burgersdorp can boast of two of these sturdy structures. The British troops used these
forts as a stronghold for their troops who were guarding and protecting the railway line
itself as well as the bridges, from the Republican Commandos (the Boer army). These
commandos frequently attacked this post of the Cape Province from the Free State. One
of these Block Houses has been restored by the local Round Table and is also used by
them while the other Block House was declared a National Monument in 1939
(Brandwag).
All truncated references not fully cited below are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.
