Bronkhorstspruit

Afrikaans name: Bronkhorstspruit

Bronkhorstspruit

Photo © Steven Herbert

Gauteng

In 1858 a party of Voortrekkers settled in the area now called Bronkhorstspruit. The town was only formally founded in 1897. It is not clear as to where the town got its name, perhaps it was named after the original farmer on whose land the Voortrekkers settled.

On 20th December in 1880 there was a battle between the British and the Boers in the area. In fact the Battle of Bronkhorstspruit was the first major battle between the two in the First Boer War. The battle only lasted 15 minutes during which the Boers inflicted heavy casualties on the British forcing them to surrender. Only two of the Boer soldiers were killed.

Although the town started life as a railway siding today it owes its existence to farming and the large grain silos on the edge of town are testament to that.

Bronkhorstspruit is home to the Nan Hua Temple which is the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere.

Besides the Buddhist temple, attractions in the area include fishing at the Bronkhorstspruit Dam, visiting the Anton Smit Sculpture Park and 4x4 driving at Kungwini 4x4 trails.

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Above - Bronkhorstspruit CBD

Photo © Steven Herbert

Above - Grain silos

Photo © Steven Herbert

Nan Hua Buddhist Temple

Photo © Johan van Zyl

CBD area

Photo © Johan van Zyl

References and further reading

Southern Africa from the Highway - Author: AA RSA - Published: 1991 - Page: 26

On Route - Explore South Africa region by region - 3rd edition - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Published: 2014 - Page: 296

On Route - A region by region guide to South Africa - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Published: 1995 - Page: 167

Country Life - Issue 260 - Author: - Published: 2018 - Page: 34

Conollys Guide to Southern Africa - 2nd edition - Author: Denis Conolly - Published: 1982 - Page: 290

Wikipedia - Bronkhorstspruit

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