South Africa
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Union House in Pretoria is the seat of the South African
government (the legislature sits in Cape Town and the
judiciary in Bloemfontein). The building is set on a
hill overlooking Pretoria and is surrounded by extensive
meticulously maintained gardens. I was enormously impressed
by these gardens when I first visited South Africa
in 1991 and found them just as magnificent ten years
later. Union House was originally built as the capitol
of the Union of South Africa, established in 1910, incorporating
the former British colonies of the Cape and Natal, and the
Transvaal and Orange Free State, conquered by the British
in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. This view of Union House
is taken from the lawn in the middle of the gardens,
unfortunately backlit by the low noontime Sun of
southern hemisphere winter.
by John Walker
July, 2001
This document is in the public domain.
