Bronkhorstspruit

Bronkhorstspruit

The Nan Hua Temple Complex in Bronkhorstspruit
Bronkhorstspruit
Bronkhorstspruit
Bronkhorstspruit

 Bronkhorstspruit shown within Gauteng

Coordinates: 25°48′18″S 28°44′47″E / 25.80500°S 28.74639°E / -25.80500; 28.74639Coordinates: 25°48′18″S 28°44′47″E / 25.80500°S 28.74639°E / -25.80500; 28.74639
Country South Africa
Province Gauteng
Municipality City of Tshwane
Established 1905
Area[1]
  Total 3.11 km2 (1.20 sq mi)
Elevation 1,375 m (4,511 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
  Total 3,720
  Density 1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
Postal code (street) 1020
PO box 1020
Area code 013

Bronkhorstspruit is a town 50 km east of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa along the N4 highway towards Witbank. It lies on the border between the Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces. It also consists of three townships called Zithobeni, Rethabiseng and Ekangala.

On 18 May 2011 Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality took over the municipal administration from Kungwini Local Municipality.

History

In 1858, a group of Voortrekkers settled in the Bronkhorstspruit creek, which was originally called Kalkoenkransrivier ('Turkey Cliff River'). In June 1897, the South African Republic gave its approval for the town, then already named Bronkhorstspruit by locals after the Bronkhorstspruit River.[2]

In 1880 it was the scene of the action at Bronkhorstspruit, an important event in the early days of the First Boer War.

There is disagreement about where the town got its name from. Some believe it was named after the farmer JG Bronkhorst, while others say that it was named after the plant, bronkors (Afrikaans for watercress), that grew in the region of the creek.

Places of interest

Cultura Park, a suburb of Bronkhorstspruit, hosts the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Nan Hua Temple houses the South African theadquarters of the Humanistic Buddhist order.

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.