Last modified: 2006-11-25 by bruce berry
Keywords: centurion | verwoerdburg |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
image by Martin Grieve, 25 July 2005
See also:Centurion is a town in Gauteng Province located between
Pretoria and Midrand (Johannesburg), which forms part of the
Tshwane Metropolitan
Municipality. Centurion developed from the initial Lyttelton Township
that was marked out on the farm Droogegrond in 1904 and City Council
status was granted in 1964 under the name of Lyttelton by combining the
areas of Doornkloof, Irene and Lyttelton. Lyttelton was renamed
Verwoerdburg in 1967, after the assassination of former South African
Prime Minister Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, the so called "architect of
apartheid". The name of the town was changed again to the more
politically neutral Centurion in September 1995.
The original municipal flag was adopted in September 1974 to commemorate
the 10th anniversary of the town. This armorial flag comprised a yellow
triangle with its apex at the hoist extending to the fly on a black
field. In the canton and lower left corners are two yellow lozenges.
The lozenges are taken from the arms of the town of
Woerden in the
Netherlands, where Dr HF Verwoerd (Prime Minister of South Africa
between 1958 until 1966) was born and after whom the town was previously
named. A green tree, symbolising the rapid growth of the town, was
placed in the fly in the yellow triangle. The colours were based on the municipal arms.
scan by
Bruce Berry, 12 Sept 2006
The blazon of the arms registered by the South African Bureau of
Heraldry and granted to Verwoerdburg on 06 January 1972 is as follows:
ARMS: Per chevron embowed Sable and Or, in chief two fusils Or and in
base a tree eradicated Vert
CREST: An eagle with wings displayed proper
WREATH AND MANTLING: Or and Sable
MOTTO: SKEP U EIE TOEKOMS - CREATE YOUR OWN FUTURE.
Centurion became part of the Tshwane Metropolitan
Municipality following the re-organisation of local government in South
Africa in December 2000 and consequently its municipal symbols are no longer in
use.
Bruce Berry, 12 Sept 2006