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FEATURE

FEATURE

WHO IS NELLMAPIUS

OF NELLMAPIUS DRIVE?

By Nicole Zerwick
"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads, armed
with nothing but their own vision". - Ayn Rand, author & philosopher
t is another hot highveld afternoon seems to have been a happy one. Lily never
and the tar strip of Nellmapius Drive is remarried. The marriage produced 3 sons
bumper to bumper with cars heading and a daughter. In 1889 The family home
Idown the hill toward the railway bridge. was in the centre of Pretoria and Nellmapius
Avoiding the traders walking hopefully took great joy in hitching his wagon with 4
between the cars, looking down onto the zebra and driving around Church Square.
heat-hazy tar, I wonder, do they think about
the man after whom the road they walk To further his dream of turning veld into
on is named? Do they even know he was a productive agricultural land Nellmapius
trader and an entrepreneur too? bought 3605 hectares of prime Transvaal
Highveld part of the Erasmus farm
THE ADVENTURER AND “Doornkloof” and named it after his then
PROSPECTOR 2-year-old daughter Irene. Nellmapius
Alois Hugo Nellmapius born in Budapest, developed the farm into a booming cattle,
Hungary, 1847 was an enterprising dairy, fruit and vegetable farm. The farm’s
adventurer who wore many hats in his short produce became well known on the Reef
lifetime. and in Pretoria. Sadly, in the winter of 1893
Nellmapius caught a cold which quickly
His father owned a small engineering works worsened, and he died at 8am on the
and Nellmapius trained as a civil engineer. morning of July 28, 1893. He was buried the
He was attracted by the glitter of diamonds next day in the Church of England cemetery
and gold in South Africa and travelled via This from very religious tee-totallers! De at Pretoria West. He was only 46 years old.
Kimberley to arrive in Pilgrim’s Rest, Eastern Eerste Fabrieken (The First Factory) was
Transvaal, in 1873 aged 26 to try his hand officially opened by Kruger in 1883 who Nellmapius Drive wasn’t always as we
at gold prospecting. He quickly introduced reportedly toasted the opening with milk. know it today stretching from the Old
large scale mining operations using The other guests were able to sample the Johannesburg Road until Rietvlei Dam as it
dynamite and set up a transport business to rough gin produced from grain and maize. does. In his 1976 book Irene. author Nigel
Delagoa Bay. Nellmapius’ friendship with Kruger had Helme writes: "There has indeed been
advantages for him beyond the economic. much roadmaking and tarring of roads in
THE CONCESSION ENTREPRENEUR In 1892 Nellmapius was charged with and around Irene recently. All roads in Irene
AND PRESIDENT’S FRIEND embezzlement, found guilty by a jury and Village itself, for example, are now properly
Five short years later he settled in Hatherley, sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. The tarred and drained, and the old road that
east of Pretoria and struck up a warm press of the time called it a persecution and goes eastwards under the railway line past
friendship with Paul Kruger. Nellmapius heaped condemnation upon the London- Cornwall Hill [the koppie and memorial, the
must have been an exceptionally persuasive Amsterdam company that had brought the residential estate did not exist yet] to Jan
and charming man because he was able charges. Kruger’s Executive Council granted Smuts motorway and Rietvlei Dam is at last
to persuade Kruger that a useful method Nellmapius a pardon and his conviction was a pleasure to travel on".
for the Republic to raise money was to sell overturned.
monopoly concessions to independent From an “old road” in 1976 to a frequently
businessmen to produce basic products THE FAMILY MAN AND FARMER traffic clogged through road today to a
such as clothing, blankets, leather, milled Nellmapius married Johanna Corlydia hopefully more peaceful road once the
products and liquor. Nellmapius himself (Lily) Hoffmann of Durban in 1882. The proposed Olivenhoutbosch Road (K54)
asked for, and was granted, concessions Nellmapius marriage only lasted 11 years, is completed in the future. I think AH
one of which was for distilling liquor. cut short by Nellmapius’ death, but it Nellmapius would have approved.

Sources: Meredith, Martin: Diamonds, Gold and War. The making of South Africa; Van Der Merwe, Carel: Donker Stroom. Eugene Marais en die
Anglo-Boereoorlog; Lensen, Diana: Dear Irene; Helme, Nigel: Irene
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