For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Pretoria - Part 1

I decided to do the "tourist" thing today in order to show you a bit of my town.

Completed in 1913, Pretoria's Union Building are one of the most recognized buildings in South Africa. The Union Building itself is not open to the public, as it houses the offices of the President of South Africa. But the building's impressive architecture and beautiful surrounding gardens are well worth the visit.The Union Building is made of sandstone and is 275 m long. The two wings at either end were intended to represent the bilingual nature of the country, and symbolized the unity that these two cultures had achieved since the Anglo Boer War.
A canon from 1902.
The building is surrounded by beautifully terraced gardens of indigenous plants. Various monuments adorn the expansive lawns, including the Delville Wood War Memorial.


The lawn in front of the Union Buildings are often the location for public gatherings, whether they be protest or celebration, such as the presidential inauguration.
Each tier of the garden comprises of different flowers.......
...each in long rows like these Asian Lilies.
For the winter, Aloes to give it some color.

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