Kruinpark & The Transvaal Supergroup

Kruinpark (‘pinnacle park’) follows an east-west quartzite and shale ridge, geologically of the Pretoria Series within the Transvaal Supergroup.

The name of the ridge is Lukasrand (Lukas’ ridge) and it is a western outrider of the Bronberge. This sliver has never been built up; to the east lies the neighbourhood of Nieuw-Muckleneuk. To the immediate west a number of prominent Pretoria estates: the Telkom (née BJ Vorster) microwave tower on Bourke’s Hill (above; completed in 1979) surrounded by Kruinpark, a municipal nature reserve, the pleasing grounds of the national parks service SANParks with Unisa (and Cloghereen, the Principal’s residence) on the end flank. All of the estates to the west of Kruinpark have maintained the character of the ridge.

Kruinpark lies high above Pretoria’s centre; from there (also called Jack Repton Park) one is at eye level with the Union Buildings.

A natural phenomenon is particularly well-illustrated at Kruinpark: its slope facing the arteries to Johannesburg in the south, is grassland with Protea caffra (suikerbos), Protea roupelliae and the beautiful blousuikerbos, Protea neriifolia (right), in fact actually from the southwestern Cape but very much surviving, thank you.

The slope that looks north towards the interior is stony, drier, and more densely covered with trees, some you don’t see elsewhere, least of all in gardens and parks as they don’t take kindly to propagation attempts. I am referring specifically to the mountain silver-oak, Brachylaena rotundata, which is one of three signature trees of Kruinpark. The others are the blue guarri (Euclea crispa) and the velvet bush-willow (Combretum molle).

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  Mountain silver-oak and
  velvet bush-willow
  Click to enlarge; Esc to close

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  C. molle seed
  pods

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  Grass aloes