Irene, Gauteng
| Irene | |
|---|---|
 Irene
Irene
Irene
Irene shown within Gauteng
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| Coordinates: 25°52′S 28°13′E / 25.867°S 28.217°ECoordinates: 25°52′S 28°13′E / 25.867°S 28.217°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Municipality | City of Tshwane |
| Main Place | Centurion |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.74 km2 (0.67 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 2,684 |
| • Density | 1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 19.8% |
| • Coloured | 1.5% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.9% |
| • White | 76.8% |
| • Other | 1.0% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • English | 55.4% |
| • Afrikaans | 32.5% |
| • Northern Sotho | 2.9% |
| • Zulu | 1.8% |
| • Other | 7.4% |
| Postal code (street) | 0157 |
| PO box | 0062 |
Irene /aɪˈriːniː/ eye-ree-nee is a small village south of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
Stone arrowheads and tools, discovered in the Hennops River bed and dating back many years prove that people have been living in the area for a very long time.
Though they left no historical writings of their own, records from other sources in the early 19th century refer to the Bakwena tribe, also known as the Crocodile people, who lived in the area. When Mzilikazi (whose people became known as the Matabele) came to the area in 1825, they killed many of the Crocodile people and drove the rest away.
In the 1830s, a Boer Voortrekker named Daniel Elardus Erasmus left the Cape Colony and settled in the area near present-day Irene. Seeking economic and political independence in the hinterland, Erasmus built a farm that became known as Doornkloof. Doornkloof became known as the "kerkplaas" of the district. When Daniel died in 1875 he left the farm to his three sons.
In 1889 a controlling interest (2/3) of Doornkloof was purchased by Alois Hugo Nellmapius, a businessman. Nellmapius had previously established a transport business between Lourenço Marques and Pilgrim's Rest, as well as several industrial concerns (a gin and whisky factory, South Africa's first gunpowder factory, and the Irene lime works).
Nellmapius renamed the farm Irene Estate, after his daughter Irene Violet Nellmapius. Irene is derived from the Greek word meaning peace. She used to pronounce her name with three syllables: Ireenee, it is still pronounced like this today. Nellmapius often entertained at the Irene Estate in a grand style; a frequent guest was Transvaal president, Paul Kruger.
Nellmapius employed experts on his farm, including a Mr. Fuchs, who laid out the farmhouse gardens. Another of the authorities consulted by Nellmapius was Sir Arnold Theiler, the founder of Onderstepoort Research and Veterinary College.
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Wikipedia