Exploring with my camera
The Franklin Nature Reserve on Naval Hill is within the boundaries of the town and was created in 1930, named after Sir John Stuart Franklin, the Mayor of Bloemfontein in the 1920s. The Reserve covers 250 hectares and holds a pair of giraffe, zebra, and birds. Apparently … Continued
‘…Oliewenhuis – a Neo-Dutch style mansion – was designed by William Mollison, Head Architect of the Department of Public Works and his assistant, John Stockwing Cleland in 1935. Completed in 1941, this mansion, located on Grant’s Hill, served as the … Continued
The Performing Arts Centre of the Free State is a startling contemporary building amidst historic sandstone buildings from earlier times. The building opened in 1985 You may be interested in Tourist attractions in Bloemfontein
The Old Presidency, or Residency as it is also known, is one of the historic buildings in Bloemfontein. It was designed by Lennox Canning & Goad, a Johannesburg firm of architects who won the competition to design the building, and built in 1885-86 on … Continued
Bloemfontein is the Judicial Capital of South Africa and the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal. It is part of the renamed Mangaung Metropolitan Authority – ‘Manguang’ being the Sotho name for ‘Bloemfontein’ and meaning ‘The Place of Cheetahs’. Bloemfontein is 4,557 ft … Continued
Bloemfontein was hot – at least 35C even early in the morning – and The City Lodge Hotel was our very comfortable base. Breakfast was very good – fresh fruit, baked goods, preserved figs! (YUM), meats, eggs to order, and so … Continued
At Sannas Pos, on 31 March 1900, Boers led by General Christiaan de Wet defeated British soldiers under Brigadier General Broadwood. It was a significant skirmish for two reasons: the Post controlled the water supply to Bloemfontein via the Modder River, andIt was … Continued
It was to be a long day’s drive, 321 kms from Kiara Lodge in the Golden Gate National Park to the City Lodge Hotel, Bloemfontein, and we started early.
Alongside the road is the graveyard of the Van Reenen Family. J N R Van Reenen was a farmer who trekked into the area in 1875 to settle on his new farm, Vuurland, and as the fading light coloured the cliffs he apparently called … Continued
