Contact Artefacts
please if you have any comments or more information regarding this record.

Church Square
Central Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng

REES-POOLE and BARBOURE: Architect
Andries Mauritz MOSTERT: Contractor

Date:1910
Type:Town Square
Status:Extant

 


Click to view map

Coordinates:
25°44'46.85" S 28°11'16.97" E Alt: 1321m

(SA Lady's Pic Feb 1912:10)

VS REES-POOLE in collaboration with WB BARBOURE designed the layout of Church Square in 1910, having won the first prize in a Competition.

In the Mayor's Minute issued by the Municipality of Pretoria for 1905, one of the matters which had concerned the administration of the Municipality and which had merited inclusion in the Minute, was Church Square. A transcription of the text is provided below:

CHURCH SQUARE

During the year of my office the Dutch Reformed Church, standing in the middle of Church Square, was removed by the Government. This Church and the Square itself, which was formerly the property of the Dutch Reformed Community, had been bought by the late Government for a considerable sum. The removal of the Church has secured to the town a very large open space, and this has now been transferred by the Government to the Municipality, on condition that it be kept open, and that no buildings or other structures be erected on it by the Municipality without the consent of the Lieutenant-Governor first being obtained thereto.

Ref: Minute of his Worship the Mayor ( Andrew Johnson) for the Mayoral Year ending 25th October 1905, Municipality of Pretoria. Wallachs, Pretoria, 1905: Page 26.

In the Mayor's Minute issued by the Municipality of Pretoria for 1905, one of the matters which had concerned the administration of the Municipality and which had merited inclusion in the Minute, was the proposed fountain in Church Square. A transcription of the text is provided below

FOUNTAIN FOR CHURCH SQUARE

On the 3rd February an offer was received from Mr. Samuel Marks to present the Municipality with an ornamental fountain, to be placed in Church Square. The matter was discussed on several occasions by the Council, and it was decided to accept the offer of Mr. Marks, subject to the consent of the Lieut-Governor being obtained to the placing of the Fountain in the Square. This consent was at once granted, and the acceptance of the offer communicated to Mr. Marks. Mr. Marks thereupon submitted to the Council several designs, and the one chosen is identical with the fountain erected in Glasgow during the Exhibition.

A site has now been marked out on Church Square for the erection of the Fountain, and the work will be taken in hand very shortly. It is considered that this erection will be an ornament to the Square, without in any way causing obstruction, for the dimensions of the Fountain are not such that it would interfere with any use in the Square might have to be put to. The diameter of the basin is 42 ft (12.8m). whilst the height of the Fountain is about the same.

Ref:

Minute of His Worship the Mayor (Andrew Johnson) for the Mayoral Year ending 25th October 1905, Municipality of Pretoria. Wallachs, Pretoria, 1905: Pages 17 & 18.

The fountain has since been moved to the Pretoria Zoo and replaced by the statue of Paul Kruger.

[William MARTINSON, November 2010]

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.


Books that reference Church Square

Bakker, Karel A, Clarke, Nicholas J & Fisher, Roger C. 2014. Eclectic ZA Wilhelmiens : A shared Dutch built heritage in South Africa. Pretoria: Visual Books. pg 1, 17, 22, 30, 40-47, 53, 67, 84, 136, 164, 197, 201, 202, 207, 209
Clarke, Nicholas & Kuipers, Marieke. 2015. Re-centring Tshwane : Urban heritage strategies for a resilient Capital. Pretoria: Visual Books. pg
Fisher, RC, Le Roux, SW & Maré, E (Eds). 1998. Architecture of the Transvaal. Pretoria: UNISA. pg 128, 175-196, 128, 175-196, 214, 215, 216
Hefer, Nic F. 1971. Transvaal 1961-1971 : the growth and progress of the Transvaal Provincial Administration. Johannesburg: Voortrekkerpers. pg 156
Municipality of Pretoria. 1905. Minute of His Worship the Mayor for the Mayoral Year Ending Oct. 25, 1905. Pretoria: Wallachs. pg 17, 18
Timlin, William M. 1927. South Africa. A series of pencil sketches by William M. Timlin with an introduction by Gilbert. E. Chitenden. London: A & C Black. pg Fig 21