Waterkloof
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Waterkloof (Afrikaans for "Water Ravine") is a suburb of the city of Pretoria, South Africa. It is named after the original farm that stood there when Pretoria was founded in the 19th Century. Located to the east of the city centre, Waterkloof is a leafy, established area that is home to some of the city's most expensive real estate. Like large parts of Pretoria, its streets are lined with many jacaranda trees that blossom in a riot of colour during October.
During the apartheid regime in South Africa, Waterkloof was associated with the Afrikaner elite as several high-ranking government officials made their home here. Today it is a highly sought-after area, boasting some magnificent hilltop homesteads on Edward and Victoria Streets that command an impressive view of the South African capital, including the Union Buildings. The suburb bears the imprint of the British Empire as many of its streets are named after British royalty. It houses the Pretoria Country Club which has a fine 18-hole golf course.
Several ambassadorial residences are located in the suburb. It is the home of the noted South African soprano Mimi Coertse, and the location of the upmarket Dube-house in the Academy Award winning film Tsotsi.
The main thoroughfares are Crown Avenue, which links Waterkloof with the affluent suburb of Brooklyn, Pretoria to its north, and Albert Street, which runs East-West between the neighbouring areas of Menlo Park and Groenkloof.
[edit] See also
- AFB Waterkloof, an air force base located in Centurion, Gauteng.
- Hoërskool Waterkloof, large Afrikaans high school situated in Waterkloof.
- Stephen Bartlett Lakeman, commander of the Waterkloof Rangers in the Xhosa Wars.
