Pretoria_ Universiteitsoord Church

The Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk, Universiteitsoord

The Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk, Universiteitsoord, was built in 1965 in Hatfield, a suburb in Pretoria, South Africa. The area was first proclaimed on a portion of the farm “Koedoespoort” and in 1885 the farm was sold to the Wesleyan Methodist Society.

After the Second-Boer War, the Church sold the portion of land to the Colonial Secretary of Transvaal, Patrick Duncan. The new suburb was named “Hatfield” referencing an estate in Herfordshire, England, a property of the Second Earl of Selbourne, William Waldegrave Palmer. Palmer was the First Lord of the Admiralty (1900–1905) in Great Britain, and the High Commissioner for South Africa (1905–1910). During World War I Palmer initiated the rebuilding of a fleet into a force strong enough to oppose an expanding German navy and successfully proposed the formation of the Union of South Africa.  Palmer became Governor of Transvaal in 1905.

Today the University of Pretoria’s main campus and central administration offices are situated in Hatfield. The University of Pretoria was founded on 17 May 1910. The campus, bordered by the suburb of Brooklyn to the south and Hatfield to the north, was built over 24 hectares and has over 60 buildings of historical value. Universiteitsoord Church is regarded as the campus church as it serves all the residences of the University as well as day students.