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DOORNKLOOFƒ THEN & NOWBy Nicole Zerwick

t has been my experience that even Jan Christiaan Smuts who bought the remaining
the obvious and mundane has a story third portion of Doornkloof and erected his family
waiting to be told. Take your City of home there. You may know it today as the Smuts
Tshwane rates and services bill, for House Museum and Tea garden. Previously a
instance. Do you see that we are part of mess for British o cers in Middelburg, Smuts

the township of Doornkloof? So, what’s bought the house for 300 pounds in 1908 and
Ithe story? had it transported to, and re-erected on, the farm
Doornkloof. The structure was initially meant as a
The earliest evidence of human habitation in temporary home until a new house could be built
the region that would become Centurion; that is on the koppie behind the house. The Smuts family
signs of cultivated lands, shards of earthenware however, grew so attached to the house that they
containers and smelted iron fragments date stayed there until the death of General Smuts on
back to 1200 AD. The greater region was largely 11 September 1950.
depopulated by the early 19th century by
drought, famine and political competition. From 1848 until 1854 Doornkloof operated as Johannes Albertus Van Der Byl bought the farm
the “Kerkplaas” of the district and, as such, was Irene upon Nellmapius’ death in 1896 and the
In 1841 the Erasmus family, Dutch Voortrekkers, the centre of the Boer community. Itinerant town of Irene was established in 1902 when
arrived and settled in the area. The long history Dominees would visit “kerkplase” performing Van der Byl laid out 337 erven on the farm. Fast
of the Erasmus family began in 1688 when Pieter baptisms, marriages, hearing the profession forward to the 1990s and the Van der Byl family
Erasmus arrived in Cape Town. He settled down of faith of new members and performing sold a portion of the farm including Cornwall
to farm and married Maria Elisabeth Joosten in communion. In 1849 Reverend Andrew Murray Hill and land surrounding it for the development
1691. The couple had six children. Pieter roamed visited the farm Doornkloof and christened of the Cornwall Hill Country Estate.
a great deal to look for cultivable land, a trait 129 babies, heard the confession of faith of 29
that his descendants inherited as it was these new members of the Reformed Church and What a wonderfully rich story behind the
descendants who eventually occupied the land celebrated Holy Communion. mundane line on our Tshwane invoice that
that in time became modern-day Pretoria. Daniel simply says: Township – Doornkloof.
Jacobus Erasmus settled on the farm Zwartkop, Upon the death of Daniel Erasmus the farm
Rasmus Elardus Erasmus developed the farm Doornkloof passed to his three sons. In 1889
Brakfontein and Daniel Elardus Erasmus built his Alois Hugo Nelmapius bought two portions of
homestead on the farm Doornkloof on the site the farm from the brothers Daniel Jacobus and SOURCES
of where the Full Gospel Church and Theological Stephanus Petrus Erasmus and renamed it after • Helme, Nigel : Irene • Irenefarm.co.za
College stand today. Several Pretoria suburbs like his, then 2 year old, daughter Irene. • Salbu.co.za/dkoa/
• Wikipedia>Daniel-Jacobus-Erasmus
Erasmia, Elardus Park, Zwartkop and Doornkloof • Rekordcenturion.co.za/fun facts on
are named after the original owners of the land The farm also has a close relationship with a Centurion history
and their properties. former Prime Minister of South Africa, General