Centurion, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Centurion is an area with 279,430 inhabitants in Gauteng Province of South Africa
, located between Pretoria
and Midrand (Johannesburg
). Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it is now part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the intersection of the N1
and N14
highways. The R21
also passes through Centurion.
The Waterkloof Air Force Base
, as well as the Swartkop Air Force Base
(which includes the South African Air Force Museum
) are located in Centurion.
show that hominids lived in the vicinity of Centurion between 2 to 3 million years ago. The Sterkfontein Caves, a World Heritage Site
, is less than 50 km from Centurion, near the town of Krugersdorp.
However, the earliest evidence of modern human habitation in the Centurion area does not go this far back. It dates back to 1200 AD when black African communities settled in this area. They cultivated lands, grazed their cattle, made earthenware containers and smelted iron.
.
In 1841 the Erasmus family arrived and settled in the area that would later become Centurion. Daniel Jacobus Erasmus settled on the farm Zwartkop, Daniel Elardus Erasmus on the farm Doornkloof and Rasmus Elardus Erasmus developed the farm Brakfontein. Several of the suburbs like Erasmia, Elardus Park, Zwartkop and Doornkloof were named after these 19th century owners of the land and their properties.
In 1849 Rev Andrew Murray
visited the farm Doornkloof and christened 129 babies, heard the confession of their faith of 29 new members of the Reformed Church and the next day, 29 December 1849, celebrated communion
.
In 1889 Alois Hugo Nelmapius bought the northern and north-eastern portions of the farm Doornkloof and named it after his daughter Irene (who died 1961).
, the battle for Rooihuiskraal (Afrikaans for "Red House Kraal
") took place in 1881 here. A Boer commando under the leadership of D.J. Erasmus Jr defeated Colonel Gildea, or "The Blasted Colonel" as they called him, the British Officer Commanding of the Pretoria
Garrison. After the cornered British garrison tried to escape to Natal
to join General George Pomeroy Colley
, the Boers entrenched themselves behind a stone wall surrounding the animal stockade, and wounded the colonel in the backside, who was standing upright in his stirrups. This was no doubt a serious blow to British morale!
the Irene
Concentration Camp was established in 1901 on the farm Doornkloof, as part of the British scorched earth
policy, where Boer
women and children were housed under extremely poor conditions. At its peak the camp had 5,500 inhabitants, mostly women and children. Between February 1901 and the end of the war in 1902, 1249 lost their lives here, about 1000 of them children. The Irene Camp Cemetery is well preserved and contains 576 of the original slate tombstones that was carved by hand in the camp.
was established in 1902 when 337 plots were laid out on the farm Doornkloof. Jan Smuts
later owned this farm, and died there in 1950. The Smuts
House is a museum today, and regularly hosts open air fleamarkets on its grounds.
Centurion developed from the initial Lyttelton Township that was marked out on the farm Droogegrond in 1904. Lyttelton Manor Extension 1 was established in 1942. These two townships initially resorted under the Peri Urban Board in Pretoria.
Centurion was granted City Council status in 1962 as Lyttelton. It was formed by combining the areas of Doornkloof, Irene and Lyttelton.
In 2000, the Centurion local government became part of the newly-created City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, which also includes Pretoria
, and the town ceased to have its own Town Council.
, the so-called "architect of apartheid".The surrounding areas, as they grew, came under the same name and Lyttelton became known as one of the suburbs of Verwoerdburg. Others included Clubview, Eldoraigne, Wierdapark, Zwartkop and their extensions.
The politically neutral name Centurion has no significance, and was presumably chosen by residents in 1995, soon after the end of apartheid, to match the name of the Centurion Park (now called SuperSport Park) cricket
ground which is located in the area. Following the end of apartheid, the Indian
township
of Laudium and surrounding suburbs including Erasmia and Claudius, which were formerly a part of Pretoria, were made part of Centurion. A black township, called Olievenhoutbosch, was created in Centurion at around the same time.
flows through the heart of Centurion, and causes occasional flooding when heavy rainfall has occurred.
Suburbs of Centurion include Lyttelton, Clubview, Irene
, Raslouw, Sunderland Ridgel, The Reeds, Rooihuiskraal, Rooihuiskraal North, Wierda Park, Doringkloof, Eldoraigne and Zwartkop.
like Johannesburg
and Pretoria
and has a similar climate, with dry, sunny winters (max daytime temperature around 20°C dropping to a crisp average minimum of 5°C) , and warm to hot summers (October - April) tempered by late-afternoon showers often accompanied by spectacular thunder and lightning. Hailstorms are not uncommon, but a serious hailstorm has not happened for many years. Summer temperatures range from the mid 20s to the mid 30s (°Celsius). Centurion's weather tends to follow the slightly warmer Pretoria
, when compared to that of Johannesburg
.
is located at AFB Swartkop.
The Irene Concentration Camp Cemetery and Garden of Remembrance is located on Stopforth Road in Irene.
, 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup
, 2007 ICC World Twenty20, 2009 IPL and 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
by 2015.
The CAV is located in Pierre van Ryneveld, Tshwane, on state-owned land, adjacent to Aerosud Holdings
, and along the eastern boundary of the Waterkloof Air Force Base. Aerosud was selected by the South African dti to be the industry driver and catalyst for this development.
The CAV development was made possible with the financial support of the European Union
and the South African government, through the Sector-Wide Support Enterprise, Employment and Equity Programme (SWEEEP).
group. Technology companies like Aerosud
, Denel Dynamics, Siemens
, SAAB Grintek Technologies, Telkom and others are located here.
The Gautrain
has a station in Centurion.
The mall is also famous for its man-made colour water fountain amenity, which is located in the centre of the lake, on the North side of the mall (known as the 'bay' area). This very same water feature has been used as a 'logo' for the former City of Centurion, seen at many of the entrances of the previous municipality.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, located between Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
and Midrand (Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
). Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it is now part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the intersection of the N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
and N14
N14 (South Africa)
The N14 is a South African National Route, running from Springbok in the Northern Cape to Pretoria. It passes through Upington, Kuruman, Vryburg, Krugersdorp and Centurion....
highways. The R21
R21 (Gauteng)
The R21 is a major north-south Regional Route in eastern Gauteng Province, South Africa. Built in the early 1970's, it remains the only other freeway that links Pretoria with Johannesburg, via the R24...
also passes through Centurion.
The Waterkloof Air Force Base
AFB Waterkloof
Air Force Base Waterkloof is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is situated on the outskirts of Pretoria, and is the SAAF's busiest airbase.The base's name, Waterkloof, is Afrikaans, it means Water Ravine in English....
, as well as the Swartkop Air Force Base
AFB Swartkop
AFB Swartkop is an air force base in South Africa. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum...
(which includes the South African Air Force Museum
South African Air Force Museum
The South African Air Force Museum houses, exhibits and restores material related to the history of the South African Air Force. The Museum is divided into three locations, AFB Swartkop outside Pretoria, AFB Ysterplaat in Cape Town and at the Port Elizabeth airport.-AFB Swartkop:Swartkop is the...
) are located in Centurion.
Pre-Historic
Fossils discovered at the Sterkfontein CavesSterkfontein
-References:-References:-References:: : : :...
show that hominids lived in the vicinity of Centurion between 2 to 3 million years ago. The Sterkfontein Caves, a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, is less than 50 km from Centurion, near the town of Krugersdorp.
However, the earliest evidence of modern human habitation in the Centurion area does not go this far back. It dates back to 1200 AD when black African communities settled in this area. They cultivated lands, grazed their cattle, made earthenware containers and smelted iron.
19th Century
From 1825 to 1826 the Matabele peoples defeated the Bakwena tribe and settled along the banks of the Magalies River under the leadership of MzilikaziMzilikazi
Mzilikazi , also sometimes called Mosilikatze, was a Southern African king who founded the Matabele kingdom , Matabeleland, in what became Rhodesia and is now Zimbabwe. He was born the son of Matshobana near Mkuze, Zululand and died at Ingama, Matabeleland...
.
In 1841 the Erasmus family arrived and settled in the area that would later become Centurion. Daniel Jacobus Erasmus settled on the farm Zwartkop, Daniel Elardus Erasmus on the farm Doornkloof and Rasmus Elardus Erasmus developed the farm Brakfontein. Several of the suburbs like Erasmia, Elardus Park, Zwartkop and Doornkloof were named after these 19th century owners of the land and their properties.
In 1849 Rev Andrew Murray
Andrew Murray (minister)
Andrew Murray was a South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor. Murray considered missions to be "the chief end of the church."- Early life and education :...
visited the farm Doornkloof and christened 129 babies, heard the confession of their faith of 29 new members of the Reformed Church and the next day, 29 December 1849, celebrated communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
In 1889 Alois Hugo Nelmapius bought the northern and north-eastern portions of the farm Doornkloof and named it after his daughter Irene (who died 1961).
First Anglo-Boer War
As part of the First Boer WarFirst Boer War
The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...
, the battle for Rooihuiskraal (Afrikaans for "Red House Kraal
Kraal
Kraal is an Afrikaans and Dutch word for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African settlement or village surrounded by a palisade, mud wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form.In the Dutch language a kraal is a term derived from the Portuguese word , cognate...
") took place in 1881 here. A Boer commando under the leadership of D.J. Erasmus Jr defeated Colonel Gildea, or "The Blasted Colonel" as they called him, the British Officer Commanding of the Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
Garrison. After the cornered British garrison tried to escape to Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
to join General George Pomeroy Colley
George Pomeroy Colley
Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley KCSI CB CMG was a British Army officer who became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and High Commissionerfor South Eastern Africa....
, the Boers entrenched themselves behind a stone wall surrounding the animal stockade, and wounded the colonel in the backside, who was standing upright in his stirrups. This was no doubt a serious blow to British morale!
Second Anglo-Boer War
During the Second Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
the Irene
Irene, Gauteng
Irene is a small township south of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.-Prehistoric inhabitants:Stone arrowheads and tools, discovered in the Hennops River bed and dating back many years prove that people have been living in the area for a very long time....
Concentration Camp was established in 1901 on the farm Doornkloof, as part of the British scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
policy, where Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
women and children were housed under extremely poor conditions. At its peak the camp had 5,500 inhabitants, mostly women and children. Between February 1901 and the end of the war in 1902, 1249 lost their lives here, about 1000 of them children. The Irene Camp Cemetery is well preserved and contains 576 of the original slate tombstones that was carved by hand in the camp.
20th Century
The town of IreneIrene, Gauteng
Irene is a small township south of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.-Prehistoric inhabitants:Stone arrowheads and tools, discovered in the Hennops River bed and dating back many years prove that people have been living in the area for a very long time....
was established in 1902 when 337 plots were laid out on the farm Doornkloof. Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
later owned this farm, and died there in 1950. The Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
House is a museum today, and regularly hosts open air fleamarkets on its grounds.
Centurion developed from the initial Lyttelton Township that was marked out on the farm Droogegrond in 1904. Lyttelton Manor Extension 1 was established in 1942. These two townships initially resorted under the Peri Urban Board in Pretoria.
Centurion was granted City Council status in 1962 as Lyttelton. It was formed by combining the areas of Doornkloof, Irene and Lyttelton.
In 2000, the Centurion local government became part of the newly-created City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, which also includes Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, and the town ceased to have its own Town Council.
Name Changes
Lyttelton was renamed Verwoerdburg in 1967, after Hendrik VerwoerdHendrik Frensch Verwoerd
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd , commonly identified as H.F. Verwoerd, was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966...
, the so-called "architect of apartheid".The surrounding areas, as they grew, came under the same name and Lyttelton became known as one of the suburbs of Verwoerdburg. Others included Clubview, Eldoraigne, Wierdapark, Zwartkop and their extensions.
The politically neutral name Centurion has no significance, and was presumably chosen by residents in 1995, soon after the end of apartheid, to match the name of the Centurion Park (now called SuperSport Park) cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground which is located in the area. Following the end of apartheid, the Indian
Indian South Africans
Indian South Africans are people of Indian descent living in South Africa and mostly live in and around the city of Durban, making it 'the largest 'Indian' city outside India'. Most Indians in South Africa are descendents of migrants from colonial India during late 19th-century through early...
township
Township (South Africa)
In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
of Laudium and surrounding suburbs including Erasmia and Claudius, which were formerly a part of Pretoria, were made part of Centurion. A black township, called Olievenhoutbosch, was created in Centurion at around the same time.
Geography
The Hennops RiverHennops River
The Hennops River is a small river in Gauteng Province, South Africa that passes through Centurion. The banks of the Hennops are a popular location for hiking, camping and picnicking....
flows through the heart of Centurion, and causes occasional flooding when heavy rainfall has occurred.
Suburbs of Centurion include Lyttelton, Clubview, Irene
Irene, Gauteng
Irene is a small township south of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.-Prehistoric inhabitants:Stone arrowheads and tools, discovered in the Hennops River bed and dating back many years prove that people have been living in the area for a very long time....
, Raslouw, Sunderland Ridgel, The Reeds, Rooihuiskraal, Rooihuiskraal North, Wierda Park, Doringkloof, Eldoraigne and Zwartkop.
Climate
Centurion is located on the HighveldHighveld
The Highveld is a high plateau region of inland South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country, the Gauteng City Region, which accounts for one-third of South Africa's population.-Location and description:...
like Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
and has a similar climate, with dry, sunny winters (max daytime temperature around 20°C dropping to a crisp average minimum of 5°C) , and warm to hot summers (October - April) tempered by late-afternoon showers often accompanied by spectacular thunder and lightning. Hailstorms are not uncommon, but a serious hailstorm has not happened for many years. Summer temperatures range from the mid 20s to the mid 30s (°Celsius). Centurion's weather tends to follow the slightly warmer Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, when compared to that of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
Memorials
The South African Air Force memorialSouth African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
is located at AFB Swartkop.
The Irene Concentration Camp Cemetery and Garden of Remembrance is located on Stopforth Road in Irene.
Sport
Cricket is the most popular sport in Centurion. It has hosted many cricket tournaments like 2003 Cricket World Cup2003 Cricket World Cup
-Group stage tables and results:The top three teams from each pool qualify for the next stage, carrying forward the points already scored against fellow qualifiers, plus a quarter of the points scored against the teams that failed to qualify.-Pool A:...
, 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup
2005 Women's Cricket World Cup
The 8th IWCC Women's Cricket World Cup was held in South Africa from 22 March to 10 April 2005.Teams from New Zealand, Australia, England, India, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies played each other once in a round robin format to determine the semi finalists.3 centuries were scored...
, 2007 ICC World Twenty20, 2009 IPL and 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
Primary education
- Laerskool Bakenkop
- Laerskool Doringkloof
- Laerskool Hennopspark
- Laerskool Fleur
- Irene Primary School
- Laerskool Louis Leipoldt
- Lyttelton Primary School
- Springvale Primary School
- Southdowns College
- Laerskool Wierdapark
Secondary education
- Hoërskool Zwartkop
- Hoërskool Centurion
- Hoërskool Eldoraigne
- Sutherland High School
- Lyttelton Manor High School
- Hoërskool Uitsig
- Southdowns College
- Cornwall Hill College
Rapid Growth
Centurion has come a long way from being a sleepy southern suburb of Pretoria, with smallholdings and large open spaces. Having experienced stupendous growth since 1994, like the rest of urban South Africa, many businesses have relocated there, and property development is boosting the ever expanding city limits. This development has meant there is now little break between the outskirts of Pretoria to the north, and Midrand and Johannesburg to the south. The Gauteng Provincial Government envisages that, according to current growth trends, much of the Gauteng province will be a megalopolisMegalopolis
Megalopolis may refer to:* Megalopolis , an extensive metropolitan area or a long chain of continuous metropolitan areas.** See also, Megacity, Agglomeration, or Ecumenopolis....
by 2015.
Centurion Aerospace Village (CAV)
The CAV was formally established in 2006 in order to create an aerospace supplier park where anchor firms are at the centre of the aerospace cluster and are supported by small and medium-sized producers. The supplier park is modelled on the local automotive industry and mirrors similar international parks, such as Silicon Valley, in California, and Toulouse, in France.The CAV is located in Pierre van Ryneveld, Tshwane, on state-owned land, adjacent to Aerosud Holdings
Aerosud
Aerosud is an aeronautical engineering and manufacturing company, formed in 1990 by the then key designers of the South African Rooivalk Combat Support Helicopter, together with similar leaders from the Atlas Cheetah fighter program and the Product Support Environment.The first major contract...
, and along the eastern boundary of the Waterkloof Air Force Base. Aerosud was selected by the South African dti to be the industry driver and catalyst for this development.
The CAV development was made possible with the financial support of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the South African government, through the Sector-Wide Support Enterprise, Employment and Equity Programme (SWEEEP).
Infrastructure
Today Centurion features modern shopping malls (Centurion Mall, Mall@Reds), several entertainment spots, a theatre, golf courses and a driving range. Several Hotels including "Irene Country Lodge" as well as a plethora of smaller Guest Houses.The U.N.I.T.A.S. hospital is the largest private hospital on the African continent (including helipad) and is part of the NetcareNetcare
Netcare is a South African health care company. It is the largest provider of private healthcare in both South Africa and the UK...
group. Technology companies like Aerosud
Aerosud
Aerosud is an aeronautical engineering and manufacturing company, formed in 1990 by the then key designers of the South African Rooivalk Combat Support Helicopter, together with similar leaders from the Atlas Cheetah fighter program and the Product Support Environment.The first major contract...
, Denel Dynamics, Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
, SAAB Grintek Technologies, Telkom and others are located here.
The Gautrain
Gautrain
Gautrain is an mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport...
has a station in Centurion.
The Centurion Mall
Established during 1983/1984, the Centurion Mall was constructed around the Centurion Lake (on the Hennops River) and was the only shopping centre with the standard big-name retailers of that time in Centurion until the 21st century. In 2003, the mall underwent its first major revamp which was estimated at around 250 million ZAR. 29,760 m2 of retail space was added to the mall bringing the mall's total size to 105,000 m2, making it the second largest shopping centre in the Tshwane metropolitan area.The mall is also famous for its man-made colour water fountain amenity, which is located in the centre of the lake, on the North side of the mall (known as the 'bay' area). This very same water feature has been used as a 'logo' for the former City of Centurion, seen at many of the entrances of the previous municipality.