Founders’ Statue
Statue of the founders of the Kruger National Park: Paul Kruger, Piet Grobler and James Stevenson-Hamilton.
- Stephanus Johannes Paulus (Paul) Kruger, president of the Zuid-Africaansche Republick (Transvaal) from 1883-1902. Through his far-sighted statesmanship he was largely instrumental in fostering awareness of nature conservation in this old boer republic. In 1894, he proclaimed the country’s first conservation area, the old Pongola reserve. At the suggestion of two members of the Volksraad. R.K. Loveday and J.L. van Wijk, he proclaimed the Sabie Game Reserve, the nucleus of the present Kruger National Park, on 26 March 1898. In doing so he left a living monument and earned himself a place of honour as the founder of nature conservation in the Transvaal.
- Pieter Gert Wessel (Piet) Grobler, Minister of lands in the Union of South Africa, piloted the National Parks Bill through parliament on 31 May 1926. this simultaneously led to the proclamation of the Kruger National Park, the first national park in south Africa. Under his guidance, the national park system was expanded in 1931 by the proclamation of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, the Bontebok National Park and the Addo National Park.
- Col. James Stevenson-Hamilton became warden of the Sabie Reserve on 1 July 1902 after the cessation of the Anglo-Boer war, and later also of the Shingwedzi Reserve. He played a leading role in the preservation and management of both reserves as well as their consideration and proclamation as the Kruger National Park in 1926, of which he remained warden until his retirement on 30 April 1946.
GPS Waypoints: 24°59'44.63"S 31°35'30.74"E