Groote Schuur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Groote Schuur |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa. |
| Built | 18th century |
| Architect | Sir Herbert Baker (19th century refurbishment) |
| Architectural style(s) | Cape Dutch |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Groote Schuur is a famous estate in Cape Town, South Africa. Its name means "big shed" in Dutch. This historic property has a long and interesting past. It started as a granary for the Dutch East India Company in 1657.
Over time, it became a private farm. Later, it was bought by Cecil Rhodes in 1893. Rhodes was a very important figure in South African history. He hired a famous architect, Sir Herbert Baker, to transform the old farmhouse. The building is a great example of Cape Dutch architecture. It sits beautifully on the slopes of Devil's Peak, near Table Mountain.
Contents
The House and Its Design
The original house was damaged by a fire in 1896. After the fire, its traditional thatched roof was replaced with strong Welsh slates. Cecil Rhodes gave Sir Herbert Baker a lot of freedom with the design.
Rhodes didn't like machine-made items. So, Baker replaced things like window hinges with beautiful brass and bronze pieces. Baker also added a new front to the house. He built a long porch, called a "stoep," at the back. A new section was added, which included a billiard room. Above it was a master bedroom with a large window. This window offered amazing views of Devil's Peak. A grand hall with a huge fireplace was also part of the new design.
Furnishing the Estate
Sir Herbert Baker also helped furnish Groote Schuur. At first, Rhodes had modern furniture from London. But Baker encouraged him to choose more traditional Cape furniture. This started Cecil Rhodes' collection of colonial furnishings.
The Gardens and Wildlife
Rhodes wanted the gardens to be full of "masses of colour." The area around the house was filled with many types of flowers. These included roses, hydrangeas, cannas, bougainvilleas, and fuchsias.
Further away, on the slopes of Devil's Peak, Rhodes kept various animals. He had antelopes, zebras, elands, wildebeest, and ostriches. It was like his own private wildlife park!
A Place for Important Meetings
Cecil Rhodes often hosted guests at Groote Schuur. He used the estate for both business and political meetings. It was a busy place where he would host dinner parties. Sometimes, as many as fifty people would join him on the stoep.
From 1910 to 1984, Groote Schuur was the official home for the Prime Minister of South Africa in Cape Town. Later, it continued as a presidential residence. Presidents P. W. Botha and F. W. De Klerk used it. However, P. W. Botha chose to live at another residence called Westbrooke.
A Historic Agreement
Groote Schuur became famous for a very important event. On May 4, 1990, the "Groote Schuur Minute" was signed there. This historic document was signed by Nelson Mandela of the African National Congress (ANC). The other signer was F. W. De Klerk, who was the President of South Africa at the time.
The agreement was a promise between the two leaders. They wanted to end violence and intimidation in the country. They also committed to a peaceful process of negotiations. This was a big step towards a new, democratic South Africa.
A special group was set up to help with the peace process. This group looked into giving temporary protection to ANC members. They also advised on how to release political prisoners. And they helped define what counted as a political offense.
Groote Schuur Today
When Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa, the Genadendal Residence became the official presidential home in Cape Town. Groote Schuur is now a museum. You can visit it, but you need to make an appointment first.
See also
- Genadendal Residence
- List of Castles and Fortifications in South Africa
- Highstead, official residence of the Deputy President
