Your guide to Heidelberg Gauteng
#9 Pretorius Street
Heritage Blue Plaque #Nr 65
9 PRETORIUS STREET
What is the story here?
The property was purchased in 1964 by Mrs Lydia Loots. It is understood that her husband worked for the railways. Lydia worked at Laerskool Volkskool as a Std 1 teacher and was known as Tant Liddie. Lydia was the school teacher to the present owner of the house Corrie Human.
On November 11, Tony Burish unveiled the latest Blue Plaque for Heritage to 9 Pretorius Street, Heidelberg.
The plaque unveiling is no: 65 in the series of blue plaques.
There is a big possibility that the house was build around or before 1928.
Leon Loots inherited the property in 1988. The next owner was Mrs Annette Prinsloo, who took ownership in 1988, after she bought the house from Loots. In 2000 Prinsloo sold the property to the present owners Corrie and Charmaine Human. Old stables form part of the outer buildings of the property.
It is believed that the whole block once belonged to General Piet Retief Viljoen. Viljoen lived at 1 Pretorius Street. Piet Viljoen is one of 13 children, General Piet Viljoen is a descendant of Voortrekker leader Piet Retief on his mother’s side. His mother was part of the Groot Trek. Piet Viljoen was the Mine Commissioner of Heidelberg in 1887 and became a member of the ZAR executive council.
Piet Viljoen’s son Pieter was the founder of the law firm Viljoen & Meek that is in Voortrekker Street.
Article from the 16th November 2022 edition of the Heidelberg/Nigel Herald written by Eugene Viljoen.
