Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria

Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria

The Voortrekker Monument honors the pioneering Voortrekkers or Boer pastoralists from the frontiers of the Cape Colony who migrated eastwards during the Great Trek to escape the British colonial administration.

The Voortrekker Monument honors the pioneering Voortrekkers or Boer pastoralists from the frontiers of the Cape Colony who migrated eastwards during the Great Trek to escape the British colonial administration. Located atop Monument Hill, the imposing granite structure was designed by architect Gerard Moerdijk and constructed from 1938 to 1949. The 40 metre high Art Deco style monument has a base of 40 metres by 40 metres, surrounded by a 3.4 sq kilometre nature reserve. The structure is surrounded by a laager or defensive stone wall with granite reliefs of 64 ox-wagons. The wrought iron gate bears an assegai or traditional spear motif.

The corners of the monolithic structure feature the face of Voortrekker heroes - Piet Retief, Andries Pretorius, Hendrik Potgieter and an 'unknown' leader. At the foot of the monument is Anton von Wouw’s bronze sculpture of an Afrikaner woman with her 2 children which pays tribute to the female Voortrekkers. A staircase and elevator lead to the roof, which offers panoramic views over Pretoria. The main body of the building, known as the Hall of Heroes, features a 92 metre long wall with 27 bas-relief panels that depicts the story of the Great Trek from the first Voortrekkers of 1835 to the signing of the Sand River Convention in 1852. The upper dome has an opening that focuses a ray of sunlight to illuminate the inscription Ons vir jou Suid-Afrika (We for you South Africa) on the Cenotaph every year at 12 noon on 16 December (Day of the Vow). The Cenotaph Hall also has a collection of historical flags and other artefacts belonging to the Voortrekker families, a tapestry with more than three million stitches, and a large painting by W.H. Coetzer illustrating the struggle of the Voortrekkers as they passed through the Drakensberg mountains.

The surrounding gardens have a Wall of Remembrance dedicated to the fallen members of the South African Defence Force.