One such reminder is on the Crocodile River, and is known to be Alf Roberts' trade store. Today its site is marked by a couple of mounds and a few broken...more
De Laporte's Windmill is situated approximately 7 kilometres from Skukuza on the Naphe Road to Pretoriuskop. It too, (perhaps surprisingly) was named a...more
Perhaps as an acknowledgement of the importance of water, Duke's windmill, was also named after one of Kruger National Park's earliest rangers, Tom Duke...more
Using clues left behind over the millennia, we can trace our history in southern Africa from the very beginnings of human development, some 2.5 million...more
The Engelhard Dam is a large concrete weir in the Letaba River, east of the Letaba Restcamp, and is named for an American millionaire businessman...more
In the 19th century, it was assumed that blacks were the exterminators of wildlife in the Transvaal. This was a curious assumption as visitors to the...more
The Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa. It is roughly the same size as Israel or Wales, and covers some 20,000 square...more
Malelane Restcamp has a hut named for Harold Trollope, a big game hunter and one of the original owners of the Camelthorn Reserve, who was actively...more
One of Kruger Park's most famous stories is the 1904 saga of Harry Wolhuter (one of the Park's first rangers). Wolhuter was riding on horseback along...more
The next period of pre-history is the Iron Age, the name derived from the fact that the people of this era developed the ability to make weapons and...more
James Stevenson-Hamilton (October 2 1867 - December 10 1957) born in Scotland was the eldest of nine children. He married Hilda Cholmondeley, who was 34...more
JH Orpen, a surveyor and member of the National Parks Board helped sponsor boreholes for the park. His wife Eileen bought up seven farms immediately...more
Albasini was born 1 May 1813, in Lisbon, Portugal. He came to Lourenço Marques in 1831 and became a slave trader and Elephant hunter. The remains...more
Plaques were clearly a popular means of commemoration, as can be attested by the Joe Ludorf plaque (at Napi Kop). Ludorf was a staunch nationalist...more
Naturally, Paul Kruger is, himself, memorialised at the Park, both with the Kruger Monument (at the Kruger Gate), and the Kruger memorial tablet. The...more
An overview of some of Kruger National Park's forefathers including Paul Kruger who first proclaimed the National Park while he was president and James Stevenson Hamilton, the park's first warden....more
The First World War delayed further progress on this matter but ironically, an antagonist initiated the first move. In March 1916, SH Coetzee, member for...more
Another place of recent historical interest is Ranger Ledeboer's quarters. Leonard Henry Ledeboer came from Holland as a young man in 1888. He hunted...more
A completely different way of life is represented by the ruins of Makahane, northeast of Punda Maria, next to the Levuvhu River, and the dwelling place...more
Land claims, and the Makuleke (a Tsonga speaking tribe): In 1912 several Makuleke villages in the northern part of Singwidzi Game Reserve, (Pafuri area)...more
This site is situated some 11km from the Phalaborwa Gate, on the road to Letaba. As the letters PI-NE appear on the trigonometric beacon, it was...more
The Stone Age spans a lengthy period - from about 2 million years ago, to 1 800 years ago, and gets its name from the use made of simple stone tools...more
In 1991, Robbie Robinson became Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the South African National Parks Board. Robinson began the transition of the Park into...more
Skukuza Restcamp is also home to some Prospector's graves. Many of the graves from the gold rush days are unnamed. Most face east to west but some face...more
The Original hut at Rabelais' gate is still preserved. This was the original entrance gate to the central region, on to the old Orpen road to the east of...more
The age of rock art has been determined by using the radiocarbon method to date charcoal (carbon) from the layers from which painted and engraved stones...more
Sardelli's store is another such ruin. Sardelli was a trader who ran a shack in the Lebombo near the Zenga-Zenga Mountain. He brewed and sold an...more
Percy FitzPatrick was born in King William's Town 24 July 1862 (and died at Amanzi (Uitenhage) 24 January 1931). He was the eldest son of James Coleman...more
An early family to be associated with the area were the Stols'. They were famous hunters and wagon makers from the White River area, during the two...more
The historical Struben Family Cottage in Skukuza is named for the Struben brothers, Fred and Harry. They arrived in South Africa from Germany in about...more
What is the next step for the new SANParks? The Former Chief Executive, Mr Mavuso Msimang: “...our corporate plan, which was developed and approved by...more
The somewhat rough and ready times of the Trade Route, are also remembered at Thomas Hart's grave. Hart was a 'stationmaster' on trade route to Delagoa...more
At sites such as Thulamela, in the north of the Park, evidence of this bustling trade still exists in the form of glass beads, Chinese porcelain...more
Another casualty of the times was William Lloyd, Ranger at Satara in 1920. Satara was so remote in those days it could only be reached on foot or horse...more
