When you hear the name Percy Stewart, your mind might immediately recall the controversial wastewater treatment plant, but who was Percy Stewart?

In the 23rd edition of Echoes of Krugersdorp, produced in partnership with the Krugersdorp Heritage Association (KHA), we explore the role Dr JS Percy Stewart played in shaping Krugersdorp.

Building community and social life

Jaco Mattheyse, co-founder of the KHA, explained that at the turn of the 20th century, Krugersdorp was a town in rapid transformation. The discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand had drawn prospectors, merchants, and professionals, bringing with them the need for medical care, civic institutions, and community spaces.

Among those who shaped this town early on was Stewart, a physician whose influence is still remembered more than a century later. Information on him is limited.

Jaco speculates that Stewart, likely John Sebastian Percy Stewart, though records are inconclusive, was a man of both medicine and vision. In 1894, together with fellow doctor Wouter van der Merwe, he founded the Krugersdorp Club. What began as informal sundowner gatherings among the town’s professionals evolved into a social institution that remains active today. The club reflected the manners, ambitions, and camaraderie of a young mining town, and Stewart’s role in its founding marked him as a leader in both medicine and community life.

A legacy in medicine and innovation

“His most lasting contribution, however, was to healthcare. Stewart was the founder and first Superintendent of Krugersdorp Hospital, originally known as Paardekraal Hospital, guiding it from its earliest days into a key regional institution,” Jaco stated.

By 1936, under his leadership, the hospital was recognised as the Regional Hospital of the Western Transvaal. Today, as Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital, it continues to serve the community, a living reminder of Stewart’s dedication to public health.

During the Anglo-Boer War (1899 to 1902), he served as a dresser in the Irish Hospital, a mobile 100-bed unit funded by Lord Iveagh.

Jaco noted that Stewart worked alongside surgeons in challenging conditions, caring for soldiers wounded in a conflict that left a lasting mark on the region. He was also among the first in South Africa to experiment with radiography, taking some of the earliest X-ray images in Krugersdorp, demonstrating his pioneering spirit and commitment to medical innovation.

Also read: Echoes of Krugersdorp: The early mining days of Krugersdorp

Stewart passed away in 1939. In recognition of his contributions, the hospital commissioned a plaster bust of him by renowned sculptor Anton van Wouw, inaugurated on November 5, 1939. The sculpture, now held by the University of Pretoria’s museum, preserves not just his likeness but the memory of a life dedicated to healing and community service. His name is also commemorated in the Percy Stewart Waste Water Treatment Works, a reminder of his lasting imprint on the town’s infrastructure.

“Though little is known of his personal life – his birth date, family, and education remain obscure – Stewart’s professional and civic legacy is clear. In a town growing from the goldfields, he helped build institutions, advance medicine, and create spaces where the community could flourish. His story is one of quiet leadership, professional excellence, and enduring influence – a true echo of Krugersdorp’s early days,” Jaco concluded.