More than a century after the first residents recognised the charm of this hamlet, Muckleneuk is still one of the most sought-after suburbs in Pretoria. It is bounded by a hill and a nature reserve to the south and a railway line to the north. The area has a panoramic view of the city, the Union Buildings, Memoes Kop, the University of Pretoria and further east.
Residents consider it as an easily accessible, yet secluded suburb. Bailey`s Muckleneuk, according to city historian Janice Farquharson, was probably named after Sir Abe Bailey, who was a renowned mining entrepreneur and philanthropist who died in 1940. New Muckleneuk was laid to the east by Walker on a portion of the farm. The area is rich in history which local resident Felicia Fourie has been researching for some time.
With the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886 and the consequent boost to the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek`s economy, the suburbs Sunnyside, Muckleneuk and Arcadia were laid out before the turn of the century. Fourie said wealthy Pretoria residents saw the charm of the natural hills in Muckleneuk and established their estates there.
In 1895, President Paul Kruger inaugurated the famous Delagoa Bay railway line-that linked Pretoria to that port. The line runs to the north of Muckleneuk. ‘The line also served to bring people together. In fact, up to the time when the level of the railway line was dropped between 1947 and 1950, Muckleneuk residents used to party next to the trains on New Year’s Eve,’ said Fourie. After the Treaty of Vereeniging in 1902, another period of growth began in the history of Muckleneuk with the building of the Zuid-Afrikaanse Hospital with funding acquired in Holland by the Boer generals Louis Botha, Christiaan de Wet and Koos de la Rey.
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Fourie said soon after, in 1911, Muckleneuk was declared a township and in 1920 Berea Street was tarred. ‘A striking feature of Muckleneuk is the abundance of historical dwellings,` said Fourie, who has also served on the local residents’ association. Among these are homes built by renowned architects such as Gerhard Moerdyk, Lockwood Hall, De Zwaan and Burg and Herbert Baker. One of Britain’s most distinguished architects of the early 20th Century, Herbert Baker (1862-1946), began his architectural career working for his cousin Arthur Baker, who was based in London.
Moving to South Africa in 1892, he gained the notice of Cecil Rhodes who retained him to restore his Cape Dutch mansion, Groote Schuur.
Baker found himself in demand and designed many buildings that evoked the early Cape Dutch style. His most important work is the city`s Union Buildings. Homes such as the Kirkness House and Bourke House reflect the classic style of a bygone era. Bourke House is the residence of Unisa principals and Kirkness House was built with the famous red bricks which Kirkness himself boasted were rejects from his brick factory. `It is now the residence of the Korean ambassador,` said Fourie.
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Identification of erven with existing structures older than 60years on a composite aerial photograph of Muckleneuk in 1939 (Surveyor General 1939/147/13/26600-26601)
HERITAGE HISTORY OF MUCKLENEUK / LUKASRAND
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Charming suburb is rich in history
26 February 2004 – Pretoria News, pg 5 – Elize Jacobs
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Residents are proud of their easily accessible, yet secluded precinct. Nestled in the hills surrounding Pretoria is a suburb with strong Scottish ties.
When the Pretoria pioneer, George Walker, acquired a portion of the farm Elandspoort, he named it after his family estate in Scotland – Muckleneuk, colloquial Scots for ‘large corner or nook’.
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Muckleneuk’s unique character reflects the various eras of development from the late 19th Century to the present time. Periods of opulence and of restraint, such as during the Depression – may be seen in the spectrum of dwellings, she said. Between them the three Muckleneuks have the beautiful Magnolia Dell with its art markets, the Trim Park and the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary. Because of its secluded nature and its accessibility to` shopping malls, centres of learning and the highway, Muckleneuk has attracted a rich mix of people. Among others academics, researchers, professional persons and diplomats as well as several embassies such as those of Belgium, Finland and Egypt call the area home.
‘This suburb is not regarded as a stepping stone. Once people have bought in Muckleneuk they stay there for life,’ said Fourie. ‘To me, the most unique quality about Muckleneuk is that it is old, actually one of the oldest residential areas in the city. It has a lot of character and wonderful historical buildings,’ said ward councillor Karen Meyer. She said Muckleneuk could actually be seen as a little town on its own.
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‘There is a special quality to this neighbourhood that you will seldom find anywhere else.’
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What is Heritage?
National Heritage Resources Act explains it all.
Is my property a Heritage property?
Section 27 of the National Heritage Resources Act: No person may destroy, damage, deface, excavate, alter, remove from its original position, subdivide or change the planning status of any heritage site without a permit issued by the heritage resources authority responsible for the protection of such site.
To find out if your property is a heritage site:
contact the Directorate of Arts, Culture & Heritage at the Department of Community Development
contact the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority Gauteng (PHRAG) for details on the permit process
contact a professional for specific advice.
Is my property a Provisionally Protected Place?
Section 29 of the National Heritage Resources Act: No person may damage, deface, excavate, alter, remove from its original position, subdivide or change the planning status of a provisionally protected place or object without a permit issued by a heritage resources authority or local authority responsible for the provisional protection.
To find out if your property is a provisionally protected place:
contact the Directorate of Arts, Culture & Heritage at the Department of Community Development
contact the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority Gauteng (PHRAG) for details on the permit process
contact a professional for specific advice.
If my property is older than 60years
Section 34 of the National Heritage Resources Act: No person may alter or demolish any structure or part of a structure which is older than 60 years without a permit issued by the relevant provincial heritage resources authority.
Download the latest application form here
Contact a professional for specific advice
STORIES OF RICH HERITAGE IN MUCKLENEUK / LUKASRAND
The “Stone Lodge”, as the home was originally known, was built in 1906, and is one of the first buildings that Sir Herbert Baker designed in Pretoria. The Stone Lodge was built for Captain (later Sir) Roland Bourne, who served in the British army during the South African War (1899-1902) and rose to prominence as a civil servant in the Colony of the Transvaal and later the Union Government. Capt Bourne married Lucy Dorothea in 1906 and moved into the home with his new bride that same year. He sold the property in 1922 and moved back to England. The main house is built of koppie stone giving it a sturdy appearance. A ‘dedication stone’ in Roman typeface tells us that the home was built in 1906 by Herbert Baker and JohnBarrow.
The Zuid Afrikaans Hospital (ZAH) has been a feature of Muckleneuk in Berea Street since 1904. The bloodiest war ever fought on South African soil, namely the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), resulted in the birth of the Zuid-Afrikaans Hospitaal en Diakonessenhuis.
By 1904 the Boers were finding it difficult to be admitted to the Victoria Cottage Hospital in Pretoria, which was a strictly British military hospital. They needed their own hospital where they could feel at home and be treated in their own language. The Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital started out as a 6-bed nursing facility in the home of General C.F. Beyers in Sunnyside. The name of the hospital was “Het Hollands Hospetaaltje”, mainly because of the funding being received from Holland.
In 1912 – 1936 an interest-free loan of £75 resulted in the Hospital being moved to a site on the corner of Berg and Walker Streets in 1912. The name then changed to “Het Zuid-Afrikaans Hospitaal en Diakonessenhuis” to indicate a nursing facility where Afrikaans would be spoken. The word Diakonessenhuis (Deaconesses’ home) was included in the name to indicate the Christian nature of the institution. The hospital was cast in the same mould as the Dutch Deaconesses’ homes where it was customary for the deaconesses to care for the poor. (Although times have changed, the word is still kept in the Hospital’s name today to commemorate and preserve the origin and noble purpose.)
In 1936, Edmond Francis Bourke (then Mayor of Pretoria) sold 34 of the best stands in the suburb of Muckleneuk to the hospital management, who managed to secure a loan of £3 400 to buy the stands. The cost of building the hospital was £20 000, which was funded by Dr CJK van Aalst from Holland (£7 500), the poet Jan Celliers (£1 000) and many more well-known donors. In 1936 the Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital’s doors opened on the site where it stands today, as a facility with a 32-bed capacity, an operating theatre and X-ray facilities.
In 2004, the hospital commemorated it’s 100 year existence! Construction and expansion was done and will continue to extend and expand the facilities.
One of the two Kirkness Houses in Pomona Street on Muckleneuk Hill in Pretoria has been the official residence of the Belgian ambassador to South Africa for decades. The Kirkness family were Scottish immigrants who moved to South Africa in the 1870’s, settled in Pretoria and became famous builders and architects. They operated from the Kirkness Building on Church Square in the center of Pretoria and they became particularly well-known for the construction of landmarks such as the Ou Raadsaal on Church Square, Pretoria Boys High School, the Old Arts building at the University of Pretoria and the house which is at present the residence of the Indian High Commissioner to South Africa. Prominent as they were, founding father John Kirkness became mayor of Pretoria in 1906. In recognition of their place in the history of the South African capital, a street was named after them in the area of the Loftus Versfeld Stadium. In 1888, early in their building business, they acquired the Groenkloof Brick Works from where they produced the famous small red bricks, used in all their houses, as well as other building materials and decorative items. It was a major operation, reputedly producing up to 50 million bricks per year and using its own railway connection. Kirkness bricks were used in building all through Southern Africa, from the Grote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town to the old Post Office in Harare. Tom Kirkness, son of founding father John, first built in Pomona Street on Muckleneuk Hill a residence for his father and built later, in 1932, a house for himself on the neighboring stand. Both residences have a distinct and solid Edwardian character. They are imposing double story villas, defined by red Kirkness bricks, white window frames and shutters, verandas with pillars, balconies and pergola walkways. Inside, fireplaces reflect the Arts and Crafts movement and only the most refined building materials were used such as the gleaming red floor tiles and the brass hinges and door handles.
Mackie street was named after Mackenzie Harry "Mackie" Walker (1848 - 1927). He was a land surveyor and owned the Muckleneuk Farm. In 1932 the street was named Tram street.
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Today the street is known as the home of Pretoria Association of Art.
Ebbard lane was was named after William "Bill" Drabbe who lived in the street. His surname was used in reverse spelling: Drabbe - Ebbard
The Lukasrand Tower previously known as the John Vorster Tower, located on Muckleneuk Hill, corner of Leyds and Devenish streets.
The tower was built in 1978, designed with a lower three pillars, and finally one pillar.
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Its primary purpose was wireless telecommunications. It also features an observation deck.
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The tower is dressed with branding signs for Telkom SA. For a time (September 2009 to prior to August 2012), the tower also sported a 24-metre, eight storey high, fibreglass soccer ball, for the 2010 WORLD CUP.
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Soccer World Cup 2010
Photo was taken in 1985
Telecommunications
A view of Unisa's new Muckleneuk building 1973.
It sits atop 40 acres of land donated to the University by the City Council of Pretoria. Unisa is the direct descendant of South Africa's first university
-the University of the Cape of Good Hope (UCGH), which was created in 1873 by an act of the Cape Colony's Parliament.
UCGH was modelled on the University of London, which performed no direct teaching, but rather set academic standards and examinations for associated 'university colleges'. After the unification of South Africa's colonies under a single government in 1910, UCGH was mandated to oversee university colleges across the country. Renamed the 'University of South Africa' (Unisa) in 1916 and relocated to Pretoria in 1918, it became a dedicated examination centre for many of the institutions that stand today as South Africa's major independent universities.
In 1946, as the last of Unisa's colleges moved towards independence, Unisa began offering 'postal tuition' and since then, it has grown into one of the world's largest distance learning institutions. Unisa's history spans the entire modern history of South Africa, with its tumultuous shifts from colonialism into apartheid and then democracy.
