Published: 2016-03-28 Views: 796
HOEV: OPNAME VAN BESIENSWAARDIGHEDE Nr 035
HEHA: SURVEY OF HERITAGE SITES No 035
GPS data:X 28.00.01 Y –25.46.37
ELANDSFONTEIN 352JR. plot 107
PAD P 31-1. (R104), oostelike rigting (Pretoria) 3km vanaf kruising met R511 is daar ‘n padkruising. Draai links en weer links by die eerste huis.
EIENAAR / KONTAKPERSOON: Mev Rorke
As jy vandag op die ou pad van Hartbeespoortdam Pretoria-toe ry, kom jy oor ‘n hoogte waar jy skielik die stad se wolkekrabbers in die verte sien. Nou is jy op “Sopieshoogte”, die plek waar die mense in die ou dae eers ‘n bietjie uitgespan het en hulle trekdiere uit die Elandsfontein laat drink het. Daar het hulleself dan ook nog ‘n laaste sopie van die mampoer weggeslaan wat hulle by een van die Pretoriusse van die plase, Broederstroom, Welgegund of Elandsfontein gekry het voordat hulle die stad met al sy vreemde mense kon aandurf. Sopieshoogte is die einde van die plaas Elandsfontein wat aan Bert Pretorius behoort het. Sowat twee kilometer voor jy bo gekom het is daar links, net oorkant die Klipspruit ‘n groep hoë dennebome waaronder Bert Pretorius se postal was. Daar staan nog murasies.
In die jaar 1881 het hier ook ‘n een-vertrek skooltjie gestaan met kleimure en ‘n grasdak. Die reste van ‘n ou leidam en watervoor wat was- en drinkwater vir die plaasmense en skoolkinders verskaf het is nader aan die spruit nog sigbaar en daar is darem nog reste van die fondamente van die skool en opstal. Hierdie opstal en skool is deur die Britte in die Anglo-Boereoorlog afgebrand en dis nie weer opgebou nie.
In 1975 was die sinkskool van 1912 ‘n skuur.
In 1975 the corrugated iron school building of 1912 was used as farm shed.
In 2002 is die sinkgebou nog steeds bewaar en dien as ‘n skuur.
In 2002 the old building is still preserved and serving as a farm shed.
Eers in 1912 het die Transvaalse Onderwysdepartement ‘n nuwe skoolgebou van sinkplaatmure en met twee klaskamers op die plaas van ‘n mnr Burgers ietwat verder wes opgerig. Die geboutjie bestaan nog en word vandag as ‘n plaasskuur gebruik. Ry met die R104 vir twee km oos vanaf die vier-rigtingstop met die R511. Daar draai na links ‘n pad uit na Elandsfontein. Voordat mens nog onder die snelweg deurkom is daar op linkerkant ‘n plaashuis en die sinkskuur is net links van die huis.
Die eerste skoolhoof in 1912 was ‘n mnr Anderson. Water vir drink en was is met ‘n voor vanaf ‘n fontein tot by ‘n grond- en klipdammetjie daar naby aangelê. Die sinkgebou was natuurlik in die winter koud en in die somer warm, ook was hy nie gerieflik geleë vir meeste ouers nie en daarom is in 1937 besluit om in ‘n mnr Hausleitner se huis skool te hou. In die nuwe skool was mnr A W Pretorius die hoof totdat die skool in 1947 gesluit is. Hierna het Elandsfontein nie weer ‘n skool gehad nie.
ELANDSFONTEIN FARM SCHOOL
DECLARED MONUMENTT: no. LISTED: no
GPS data: X 28.00.01 Y –25.46.37
ROAD P 31-1. (R104) 3km east from crossing with R511 there is a road crossing. Turn left and into the first house left again.
OWNER / CONTACT PERSON: Mrs Rorke
If you take the old Hartbeespoortdam road to Pretoria you’ll reach a hill where you suddenly see Pretoria’s skyscrapers in the distance. This is known as “Sopieshoogte” (“Drinks Hill”), the place for liquid refreshments. Travellers in the old days would stop here to outspan their oxen or horses to drink water from the Elandsfontein while refreshing themselves with the last of the ‘mampoer’ or ‘moonshine’ purchased from one of the Pretorius brothers at, either Broederstroom, Welgegund or Elandsfontein. Suitably fortified, they could then proceed to “take on” the big city (which at that stage was quite a bit smaller than today) with all its strange inhabitants. “Sopieshoogte” was the eastern end f the farm, Elandsfontein belonging to Bert Pretorius.
Die “Anderson-skool” in 1975. The “Anderson school” during 1975.
The farm homestead was situated on the left hand side, just two kilometers before one reached Sopieshoogte and surrounded by tall pine trees across the Klipspruit. A few ruins are all that remains today.
In 1881 there was however, a small one-roomed school here, built of clay and thatch. A furrow from the spruit and a dam provided drinking water for the farm folk and the schoolchildren. Both homestead and school were burnt down by the British during the South African War (1899-1902) neither being rebuilt after hostilities ended.
It was only in 1912 that the Transvaal Education Department decided to build another school, this time further west. It consisted of a corrugated iron building housing two classrooms on the farm of mr. Burger. The building still exists but is presently used as a barn. To view it, take the R104 east from the R511 four-way stop. Turn left after two kilometers on the road to Elandsfontein. Before you cross under the highway you’ll get to the old corrugated barn just left of the farmhouse (also on your left).
The principal in 1912 of the new school was mr. Anderson. Water for the pupils was provided for washing and drinking and cleaning slates by a small dam and furrow leading from a fountain on the farm. Because the corrugated iron building was hot in summer and cold in winter and was inconveniently situated for most parents, it was decided in 1937 to move the school to the house of a mr. Hausleitner at the Hennops River.
In the ten years before its final closure in 1947, the principal was mr A W Pretorius. No other school was built at Elandsfontein after that.