Bronkhorstspruit
| Bronkhorstspruit | |
|---|---|
|
The Nan Hua Temple Complex in Bronkhorstspruit | |
  Bronkhorstspruit
| |
| Coordinates: 25°48′18″S 28°44′47″E / 25.80500°S 28.74639°ECoordinates: 25°48′18″S 28°44′47″E / 25.80500°S 28.74639°E | |
| 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 headquarters of the Humanistic Buddhist order.
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