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The name Gauteng
is derived from the Sotho word meaning “Place of Gold”, an apt title as much
of the wealth of the province has arisen from this precious metal. The discovery
of gold in 1886 on the Witwatersrand led to the development of one of the largest mining and
industrial centres in the world. The principal cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria make Gauteng the commercial and industrial heart of South Africa. Satellite towns
and cities surrounding Johannesburg have evolved in their own right, and close to Johannesburg,
Soweto is home to several million people.
Johannesburg
was originally a mining camp, literally in the middle of nowhere. Today, it
is a major modern metropolis, and the commercial centre of South
Africa's economy. The museums in the centre of town provide
a valuable heritage of the history of the nation. The contrast between the
wealthy northern suburbs and Soweto is an insight into the legacy of apartheid. The Public Library,
Market Street, founded in 1889, houses the Michaelis
collection of books on architecture and fine arts. Open daily. Phone: 011 836
3787. The Transnet Heritage Library, old Johannesburg Railway Station, displays
the development of transport in South Africa since 1860. Open daily. Phone:
011 773 9058. The Johannesburg Art Gallery,
Joubert Park, has a fine collection of art
works by many international and local artists including the Pim collection of
prints bequeathed to the gallery in 1934, etchings, engravings and woodcuts
dating from the 15th century. The gallery includes sculpture gardens where
works by Maillol and others are displayed. Phone: 011 725 3180. The Market
Theatre Complex, Bree Street, comprises
three theatres in the old market, built in 1913. The theatres were opened in
1976 and an old market atmosphere has been maintained. The complex also contains
photo galleries. Guided group tours by appointment. Open daily. Bookings Phone:
011 832 1641. Tours to Soweto are conducted daily. Booking is essential. Book through the
hotel's concierge or Tourism Johannesburg.
Museum Africa, Bree Street, has a selection of South African
indigenous paintings and a fine collection of African musical instruments.
The physical geology display has a collection of gold specimens. There are
also displays of the history of Johannesburg, including original paintings and
prints by early South African artists. Phone: 011 833 5624. The Planetarium
in Yale Road, Braamfontein, offers hour long lectures where the stars
are projected onto a 22 m dome. Phone: 011 717 1392. Pioneer
Park, Rosettenville Road, La Rochelle, on the shores
of Wemmerpan, contains many interesting attractions. The James
Hall Transport Museum
depicts the history of transport in South
Africa. Phone: 011 435 9718. The Santarama miniature city
features replicas of well-known places and buildings in South Africa. Phone: 011 435
0543. Open daily. The Model Steam Club meets on Sunday afternoons when rides
on miniature steam trains are offered.
Apartheid Museum
Northern Parkway & Gold Reef Road, Ormonde. Phone: 011 309 4700 Fax: 011 309 4726 E-mail:
info@apartheidmuseum.org or visit www.apartheidmuseum.org Beginning in 1948,
the white elected National Party government initiated a process which turned
over 20 million people into 2nd class citizens, damning them to a life of servitude,
humiliation and abuse. Their liberation in 1994 with the election of Nelson
Mandela, the prisoner who became president, is a climax in the saga of a nation's
resistance, courage and fortitude. The Apartheid Museum illustrates the rise and
fall of apartheid. The Museum has been assembled and organised by a team of
curators, film-makers, historians and designers. The museum offers the international
visitor a unique South African experience. The exhibits are from film footages,
photographs, text panels and artifacts illustrating the events and human stories
that are part of the epic saga, known as apartheid.
Sandton City is one of the largest shopping centres in South Africa, with over 250
stores stocking everything from curios to confectionery, fashion to fine art.
The Zoological Garden in Hermann Eckstein Park, Jan
Smuts Avenue contains a large variety of animals, birds, reptiles and farm animals.
There are pony rides for children. Open daily. The South African National
Museum of Military History is situated on the eastern boundary of the zoo and
is open daily. The Zoo Lake area, an ideal spot for a picnic, has a children's playground,
a swimming-pool, a restaurant and boats for hire. Open daily. Phone: 011 646
2000. The Wilds, situated on 20 ha in Houghton, is a reserve for indigenous
South African flora and contains many proteas, ericas and wild flowers. Open
daily.
Emmarentia Dam is a popular spot for picnics and wind-surfing.
The Botanic Gardens nearby have a magnificent Renaissance style rose garden
with 12 000 rose trees. The Lion Park, Krugersdorp/Pretoria
Road, has lion and a variety of other animals. There is also a pets' corner,
swimming-pool, playground, restaurant and curio shop. In Kyalami, performances
are given by the graceful Lipizzaner Stallions – the only ones outside the Vienna School. Phone:
011 702 2103. Gold Reef City,
situated 6 km from the centre of Johannesburg,
depicts the city circa 1890. It covers 11½ acres and includes the former Gold
Mine Museum. Phone: 011 496 1600. Certain working gold mines are open for
visitors. Booking is essential. Phone: 011 498 7100/498 7204.
Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safaris Phone:
011 705 3201 Fax: 011 705 3203 E-mail: satg@balloon.co.za Website: www.balloon.co.za
Established in 1981, Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon
Safaris operates from a riverside country base, bordering Gauteng and North-West
Province. Guests can savour coffee as dawn breaks
over the balloon field and the
Magaliesberg Mountains. The flight lasts for about one hour and includes a champagne
breakfast after landing. A small conference facility is also available. "Select
Ballooning Lodges" are recommended for a special getaway, prior to ballooning
the following morning. Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safaris also
has exclusive rights for game-viewing balloon flights over Mabula Game Reserve,
Limpopo Province.
Pretoria
is a city of tree-lined avenues, fascinating architecture and many historic
monuments. The general lifestyle is part historic and conservative and part
young and creative. Pretoria is regarded
as the original home of the Afrikaans community, especially those who opposed
British rule. The Union Buildings, in Church
Street, are situated in beautiful gardens. They were designed by Sir Herbert
Baker and built to house the Government Ministerial Offices. Voortrekker Monument comprises huge figures
of the Great Trek leaders on the four corners of this granite monument, designed
by Gerard Moerdyk. The Monument is surrounded by a laager of life-size ox-wagons.
There is also a Voortrekker museum and a restaurant. The National Zoological
Gardens in Boom Street has a wide
variety of animals in open-air enclosures. Open pens allow lion and tiger to
be observed in their natural surroundings. There is an over-head cableway,
refreshment kiosks and picnic spots. The Aquarium has fresh and seawater tanks
and the Reptile Park has a collection of snakes and other reptiles. President Kruger
House, in Church Street, is a National
Monument, and has been completely restored. The house now contains many personal
possessions of Paul Kruger, who lived here until 1900. The President's state
and private railway coaches are also on display. The National Cultural History
and Open Air
Museum, in Boom
Street, has replicas of General Hertzog's study and General Smuts's bedroom
and an interesting ethnological section.
The Pretoria
Art Museum, in Schoeman Street, Arcadia,
houses a valuable collection of South African art including works by Van Wouw,
Oerder and Pierneef. The Society of Friends of the Pretoria
Art Museum hold regular lectures and film shows. Visitors
are welcome. The Klapperkop Fort and Military Museum, in Johan
Rissik Drive, was built in 1898 by the old “Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek'”, whose
military history is depicted in the Military
Museum alongside the fort. Armaments and military
vehicles used in various wars are on display in the grounds. Open daily. General
Smuts's House, in Doornkloof, Irene, was the home of the former Prime Minister.
This wood and corrugated iron house is now a museum containing many of the family's
personal belongings. The Premier Diamond Mine, situated 40 km east of Pretoria,
was where the famous “Cullinan” diamond weighing 3 106 carats was found in 1905.
The mine now produces mainly industrial diamonds. Pre-arranged tours are conducted
daily. The Pioneer Open-Air Museum, situated in Silverton, on the eastern bank
of the Moreleta Spruit, consists of a restored house and farmyard of the pioneer
period. Barbecue and picnic facilities are also available. Open daily.
For further information, contact Gauteng Tourism Phone: 011
327 2000 Fax: 011 327 7000 E-mail:tourism@gauteng.net Website: www.gauteng.net
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