Sep 10, 2018 | Nelspruit Lodge
(1884 – 1970)
Nelspruit has come a long way, and all of those little bits of interesting history that we come across in the books, have contributed to what the town has become. In this blog, we look back briefly over the history of the town, that has now become Mbombela.
1884
In August 1884 a report was published in the Government Gazette after Railway surveyors met with the Nel Brothers and Nelspruit took its first steps towards becoming a town by being given official recognition.
1889
120 stands are set out around the station for future development.
1892
The railways from Lourenco Marques reaches Nelspruit on the 20 June. In November the Hall family opened its doors to a hotel, mainly to accommodate railway workers. The hotel named “The Figtree Hotel” was to be the first building erected in town.
1905
Nelspruit is proclaimed and the land made available for buyers.
1913
Nelspruit gets its first telephone exchange in February. In August the Lowveld Farmers Association had its first meeting, at the Figtree Hotel.
1916
The first Barclays Bank opens its doors in this year and it is also the year the first school was established in Nelspruit.
1918
In 1918 the first Post Office opened up.
1922
Nelspruit has an upgrade, it is now officially a town.
1925
Following a visit from an American professor, Nelspruit is advised to establish a Research Institute. 300 acres are set aside and the station begins operating in 1926.
Peter Wilhelm, the chair of the Nelspruit Town Council meets the Prince of Wales.
1927
Ivan Solomon is now the sole owner of Crocodile estates, previously owned by British investors, an area consisting of 601 plots, each 5 acres in size. The streets of Nelspruit are lined with freshly planted trees and by July the first motor car is seen in these streets. The road from Johannesburg to Komatipoort is also completed in 1927.
1931
Rio Rita, the first talking movie is screened in Nelspruit at the Farmers Hall. Due to the increase in motor vehicles, a registration system is put into place for local vehicles. Nelspruit now has its own magisterial district and by November a licensing committee is established.
1932
Although the Great Depression is at its worst, Nelspruit got its first truck!
1933
Electricity comes to town, thanks to a hydroelectric dam.
1934
Nelspruit District Publicity Association is established and the motto “Nelspruit, the Hub of the Lowveld” motto is born.
1937
Nelspruit and Kaapmuiden now has a road joining them via Mara.
1939
Although WW2 breaks out this year, Nelspruit’s new hotel the Paragon opens its doors. And even though the Lowveld experiences major floods, the Longmere Dam is completed.
1940
In October the Nelspruit Council is established and its first mayor is elected. This year also sees Nelspruit get its first swimming pool.
1947
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II visits Nelspruit and receives furniture as a gift. Nelspruit extension 2 and West Acres are laid out for housing.
1949
Volkskas Bank now has its first branch in Nelspruit. Hoerskool Nelspruit grounds hosts the first “Nelspruit Show”.
1951
Nelspruit branch of the Land Bank opens in August.
1953
The streets, that previously just had numbers, now get named.
1962
The first hospital in Nelspruit, Rob Ferreira Hospital, is completed.
1964
Nelspruit Laerskool is opened, with 1384 students. The town gets an enlarged police station and Sappi plants its first plantation.
1965
Nelspruit has grown and now sports 1200 homes and 260 registered businesses.
1969
The Botanical Gardens is established as a tourist attraction and also a Scientific Research Station.
1970
The first English High School opens its doors, Lowveld High School.
***
And just as the town has grown, Nelspruit Lodge has become the best place to stay in Nelspruit. Our accommodation is both comfortable and affordable, and we welcome guests from all over the country to stay with us the next time they find themselves in town.
Apr 18, 2018 | Accommodation in Nelspruit, Nelspruit Accommodation, Nelspruit Lodge
Nelspruit Lodge has become the preferred accommodation in Nelspruit for guests enjoying a holiday, business people looking for a night’s lodgings and just about any company looking for the ideal place to host a conference.
And over the years we’ve watched Nelspruit grow and change in numerous ways, transforming from a small town into a decent sized city. Attracting people looking for a slower paced lifestyle, but one that is not completely dead, Nelspruit has become the place many people from bigger cities, such as Johannesburg, choose to make a life for themselves.
Nelspruit has a rich history, and it’s located in a part of South Africa that has seen gold rushes, wars, republics and revolution. While choosing your accommodation in Nelspruit, you might be interested in learning a little bit about our town.
Nelspruit is the gateway to Mpumalanga and an important landmark for anyone on their way to the beautiful Kruger National Park. In many ways, we could easily be a beach town, if we had an ocean that is. The temperatures here are always mild, except in summer, when they are beyond humid. But you can quickly acclimatise, especially if you are staying at Nelspruit Lodge, where we have a summer pool and air conditioning.
Everything about our part of the world screams sub-tropical. We have palms lining our major streets and just on the outskirts of town, you will see countless sub-tropical fruit trees. Oranges, mangoes, avocados and bananas are some of our biggest exports. And you will always find the freshest fruits in our shops and along the roads.
The history of the town dates back to 1895 when the brothers Nel visited the area with their cattle every winter. It is after them that the town is named. The earlier years of the town were marred by war. Nelspruit was briefly the seat of the Boer Republic’s government and after the war, prospectors in search of gold moved into the area. The nearby towns of Barberton and Pilgrims Rest were mining towns, but Nelspruit was the central point for those in search of riches.
The history of the town is a mixture of Dutch, Swazi, Tsonga, English, and later on, Portuguese influences. The town is a melting pot of cultures and unlike other places in South Africa, it plays host to many Mozambican visitors, who add to the vibrant, unique atmosphere that our town is so popular for having.
Nelspruit is no longer officially called Nelspruit. Today, we are officially Mbombela after a High Court approved the name change in May 2014. But few people refer to the city using its new name.
In many ways, our miniature city is a tourist destination. Travellers stop over here before heading to the Kruger National Park or to Mozambique and in turn, Mozambican visitors give our local economy a much-appreciated boost!
And as a stopover, we have some of the best accommodation.
Accommodation in Nelspruit is as varied as opting for a rustic, hippy backpackers lodge or a more comfortable, luxury hotel, such as Nelspruit Lodge. If you are soon to find yourself in our part of the world, be sure to take advantage of our affordable accommodation!
Recent Comments