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Pretoria was
founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, naming it
after his father, the Boer leader Andries Pretorius.
Before that, the Ndebele were probably the first
people to recognise the suitability of the river
valley for settlement.
The establishment of Pretoria as the capital of
the former South African Republic marked the end of
the Boer settlement movements of the Great Trek.
During the Anglo- Boer War (1899 - 1902),
Winston Churchill was imprisoned in the Staats Model
School in Pretoria but escaped to Mozambique.
Key sights of interest
Other interesting places...
Menlyn Park is one of the best shopping centres
in the country. If you want to shop till you drop,
Menlyn is the place.
 Train
enthusiasts should visit Pretoria's "Friends
of the Rail" - "It is not the journey, or the
destination which is important. It is deciding to
board the train."
The
National Zoological Gardens
is the largest zoo in the country and the only one
with national status.
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Melrose House Museum stands as a superb example
of the transition of Victorian to Edwardian
architectural styles and interiors. Named after the
famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland, it was was built
in 1886 by George Jesse Heys. Lord Roberts
requisitioned Melrose House as headquarters of the
British forces, after the invasion of Pretoria in
June 1900. The Peace Treaty of Vereeniging which
ended the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) was signed in
Melrose House on 31 May 1902.
What's in a name?
Following the creation of new municipal
structures across South Africa in 2000, the City of
Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) was
established by integrating 13 former local
authorities into one unicity.
The borders of this huge municipal area
extend for almost 60km east-west and 70km
north-south and include the following areas:
Centurion, Crocodile River, Pretoria, Akasia,
Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane,
Winterveldt, Temba, Hammanskraal, Penaars
River, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville.
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Pretoria has many sights of interest, including the