Mpumalanga Heritage Society takes the road less travelled through Belfast
A visit by the Mpumalanga Heritage Society to Belfast on Saturday May 14 provided immense insight into the history of this town.
The seemingly sleeping and quiet little town of Belfast is much more than where just a thoroughfare from the N4 to reach Dullstroom.
Belfast is not just a gateway from the Highveld’s platorand escarpments to the Panorama Route and the majestic Lowveld.
It has a rich history. Three concentration camps were situated in the town (1899-1902). Many battles and skirmishes took place in the First and Second Anglo-Boer Wars, including Berg-en-Dal (also known as the Battle of Dalmanutha), Helvetia, and the Battle of Leliefontein.
It has some of the most architecturally pleasing Dutch Reformed churches in the country, completed in 1928.
The group visited the Burger Monument (on old age home premises) and the Covenant Monument. This obelisk was erected in 1886 to commemorate the vow taken by Andries Pretorius and his men shortly before the Battle of Blood River in 1838. It is the oldest monument of its kind in the Transvaal.
They viewed the first Dutch Reformed Church, finished in 1929, and had tea in the adjoining church hall. The old church (1914) is now used as a museum, on the same grounds as the new one.
The current Dutch Reformed Church was built in the Byzantine style and looks like a small European cathedral. It has a circular plan with a unique clock tower in which the mechanisms are moved by means of water.
“This monumental church is not only beautiful from the outside; the interior displays a well-designed teak timber pulpit, panelling and decorations. The main church space is located under an impressive dome that is carried on four arches. This spatial arrangement is a precursor to the Voortrekker Monument that Moerdijk was to design 15 years later.” – www.dutchfootsteps.co.za
The group visited the old graveyard. Plaques with the names of women and children are a reminder of how many innocent lives were lost during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). This cemetery was a stark reminder of how different the landscape in Belfast was about 120 years ago.
Richard Charles O’Neil, a businessman of Belfast, Ireland, was the founder of Belfast, South Africa. His grave and those of his family and other pioneers of the town can be found in the cemetery.
Another interesting place is the language monument at the old town hall. The group were shown an old ‘Sanna’ rifle that was still used in the Groot Trek (1838).
The group always end their sightseeing day with a picnic. Jaco van der Merwe, the owner of The Gables Guest House, opened his home and gardens so the group could spend a relaxing Saturday afternoon there. Some of the members even came prepared with a gas bottle stove to prepare a potjie in a cast iron pot. A few bottles of red wine were also within reach. The Gables is an eclectic treasure chest of various collections accumulated by the owner, like Murano glass and other antiques.
The sites were prepared by AfriForum Belfast, Johan Boshoff and other residents who made the group feel very welcome. The Mpumalanga Heritage Society committee identifies places of interest each year to have these interesting history outings. That is only one of the many roles the society plays in preserving history and putting a spotlight on heritage in the province. To join the society, email linda@klbct.co.za.
It was easy to forget the tourism mecca, Dullstroom, was a mere 45km further west. It was evident that treasures lie behind the road less travelled, this time in Belfast.
