| Cullinan | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Gauteng#South Africa#Africa |
| Coordinates: | -25.6728°N 28.5208°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Gauteng |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | City of Tshwane |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1903 |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Leader Name: | J.B. Bekker (DA) |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 55.66 |
| Elevation M: | 1450 |
| Population Total: | 8693 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 64.3% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 2.7% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.5% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 31.7% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.8% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 48.9% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Northern Sotho |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 15.6% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 9.2% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Sotho |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 5.9% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 20.3% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 1000 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 1000 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 012 |
| Website: | http://www.cullinan.za.net/ |
| Named For: | Thomas Cullinan |
Cullinan is a small town in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is located 30km (20miles) east of the city of Pretoria along the diamond route and is heavily reliant on tourism and the mine that dominates the skyline. The town is named after diamond magnate Sir Thomas Cullinan.
In 1898 Sir Thomas Cullinan was handed a three carat diamond found along a farm fence. He studied the area and came to the conclusion that the diamond was washed down from a nearby hill. Sir Cullinan made an attempt to buy the land from the owner, Joachim Prinsloo, but did not succeed. After Prinsloo's death, he was able to purchase the land for £52,000 from Prinsloo's daughter.[2] The Cullinan kimberlite was discovered in 1902 and in 1903 open pit mining commenced. The mine was named the Premier mine.
On 25 June 1905, the famed Cullinan Diamond, the largest in the world at 3106carat, was discovered by Frederick George Stanley Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company. It was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII.
The town of Cullinan owes its existence to the diamond mining in this area, much like Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Cullinan is situated in the Highveld region of South Africa. The town has an elevation of 1476 m (4842.52 ft)[3] and is located at −25.6709 [latitude in decimal degrees], 28.5236 [longitude in decimal degrees].The closest city is Pretoria being 40km (30miles) away, while Johannesburg is 100km (100miles) away.
Cullinan formed part of the Nokeng tsa Taemane Local Municipality until 18 May 2011. Due to mismanagement of funds, this municipality was disbanded and incorporated into the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.[4]
Various operators offer tours around Cullinan. Tourists can choose between tours around town, within the mining area and even underground mining tours. Various means of transportation is used to provide these tours, the most popular being on an open vehicle or on foot.
There are a few museums in the area in and around Cullinan. A few of the most popular ones are:
The mountainous terrain surrounding Cullinan offers multiple activities for more adventure-oriented people, like:
There is also an annual mountain bike race called the Cullinan Diamond Rush.
The church was designed by British architect Herbert Baker, who was a dominant figure in South African architecture between 1892 and 1912.The church was built in 1904 as the parish church for the miners. The church is a simple square structure with a corrugated iron roof.[9] The first recorded meeting was held on April 22, 1906.
The hospital was built in 1907, and was officially opened by Annie Cullinan,[10] wife of Sir Thomas Cullinan. It served only the European miners back then, but now serves the need of all the people living in Cullinan.[11] The hospital has since closed down.
The Nedbank building was built around 1908. The building is still in use today by the bank.[12]
The Premier Diamond Masonic Lodge was consecrated in the Cullinan School Hall and met there until 1909 when the new lodge building was completed at a cost of £1200. A feature of the Lodge's history has been the number of times it has been forced into recess, whether because of war, as in 1914 to 1916, disturbances leading to martial law, 1921 to 1922, and the closing down of the diamond mine (the main source of members) during the depression, 1932 to 1941. However the Second World War saw military forces stationed on the mine and an adjoining farm and this helped the lodge to get restarted. Then in 1945 the mine was reopened, restoring 'normality' to Cullinan, and since then the lodge's progress has been steady and sound. The lodge is still in use and looks the same as it did 100 years ago, having been preserved by active members.[13]