Parys
Encyclopedia
Parys is a town situated on the banks of the Vaal River
in the Free State
province of South Africa
. Population 43,791.
In the eariy 1870's, towns in the northern Free State were situated very far apart and members of different churches had to travel great distances to participate in religious services. It was then decided by the Ring of the Dutch Reformed Church to implant the idea of a congregation north of the Rhenoster River into the minds of the residents of the farm Klipspruit, on the Vaal River, which was owned by four van Coller brothers. After long deliberation by the brothers, the first erven were laid out in 1876, and the little town of Parys was born.
The name of the town is the Afrikaans
translation of Paris
. The name was given by a German
surveyor named Schilbach who had participated in the Siege of Paris
during the Franco-Prussian War
and the location next to the Vaal reminded him of Paris on the River Seine.
The first few years of existence did not bring much development to the town, but the fact that it was situated en-route to Johannesburg from the south, meant that the gold rush of 1886 on the Witwatersrand brought prosperity and wealth to Parys as it was used as a stopover and later as trading post. The outbreak of the Anglo-Boer war in 1899 brought the bustling town to a standstill as many 'burgers' had to leave the town to fight in the war. The town and surrounding area was the scene of much guerilla warfare because, surrounded as it is by hills and the river being full of woody islands, it was an ideal place for snipers. General de Wet ensured that good use was made of the natural advantages provided. Some remains of forts are still visible today in the hills around the town.
The completion of the railway sideline to Parys in 1905 meant that Parys had suddenly become more accessible to the public and this in turn lead to the growth of the town as a holiday resort and industrial centre. The town was now being marketed as The Pride of the Vaal and city dwellers flocked by train to the lush green river banks and special swimming facilities and accommodation provided by the Village Management Board of the time. Bungalows were built on Woody Island and were serviced by the Woody Island Ferry. Unfortunately this venture did not last very long due to the inaccessibility of the island during flood periods. By now, residents of the town had felt for quite some time that a bridge across the Vaal River was no more than its just due. The Woody Island Ferry service crossed on to Woody Island and from there another ferry completed the crossing. The service was indifferent and accidents happened requently.
Farmers on the Transvaal side even preferred to go to Potchefstroom, forty eight kilometres away,
rather than face the expense of the ferry crossings. Towards the end of 1913, Tenders were asked for a reinforced concrete bridge over the Vaal, and the contract was finally awarded to a Mr Warren. The work was started in May 1914. The outbreak of the First World War three months later, caused long delays and the bridge was only finished and opened for traffic around Christmas 1915. As a consequence of the bridge over the Vaal, trade grew and Parys was seen as 'n new market for farmers from the then Transvaal side. Many new buildings were built as more and more traffic ran through the town.
Not many of the original buildings and historic places remain today. The current Parys Palm Court Hotel is still one of the surviving turn of the century buildings (the Parys Hotel), as is the museum (once the magistrates office) and "Moedergemeente" Church in the centre of town. There are, however, quite a few original and beautiful old houses remaining in and around town.
Industries that have come and gone in the Orange River Canning Company, Parys Basket Works that used a special kind of willow planted on the river banks, a jam factory, boat building factory, cold drink factory and Parys Roller Milling Company. By the middle 1950's big industries like ARWA, BASA (nuts and bolts factory), Vaalrivierse Tabakkooperasie, Vetsak (agricultural co-op which was founded in Parys and Metro Clothing Company had settled in the industrial area of Parys. Only a handful of industries remain today, and, like in the early days, the town is becoming increasingly popular as a weekend and holiday destination to people wanting to escape the pressures of city life.
Many artists have settled in the town and many new interesting shops and attractions make it the ideal breakaway close to Gauteng and big centres.
A unique attraction in Parys, the suspension bridge, was built in 1918 to connect Golf Island to the town. The current Town Hall was built in the 1930's in the typical Art Deco Style, after the original town Hall was destroyed by a fire.
Parys is in the 5 km buffer zone of the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site
.
Springboks
great Frik du Preez
, named South Africa's rugby
player of the 20th century, was educated at Parys High School, although he was born in Rustenburg
. Former NFL
(American football
) placekicker
Gary Anderson was born in Parys, although raised in Durban
.
Parys was the original home of Johann van Schalkwyk, designer of the 2010 World Standards Day poster for the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) http://www.iso.org/iso/wsd2010/bio_of_johann_van_schalkwyk.htm
Vaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
in the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Population 43,791.
In the eariy 1870's, towns in the northern Free State were situated very far apart and members of different churches had to travel great distances to participate in religious services. It was then decided by the Ring of the Dutch Reformed Church to implant the idea of a congregation north of the Rhenoster River into the minds of the residents of the farm Klipspruit, on the Vaal River, which was owned by four van Coller brothers. After long deliberation by the brothers, the first erven were laid out in 1876, and the little town of Parys was born.
The name of the town is the Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
translation of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The name was given by a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
surveyor named Schilbach who had participated in the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
and the location next to the Vaal reminded him of Paris on the River Seine.
The first few years of existence did not bring much development to the town, but the fact that it was situated en-route to Johannesburg from the south, meant that the gold rush of 1886 on the Witwatersrand brought prosperity and wealth to Parys as it was used as a stopover and later as trading post. The outbreak of the Anglo-Boer war in 1899 brought the bustling town to a standstill as many 'burgers' had to leave the town to fight in the war. The town and surrounding area was the scene of much guerilla warfare because, surrounded as it is by hills and the river being full of woody islands, it was an ideal place for snipers. General de Wet ensured that good use was made of the natural advantages provided. Some remains of forts are still visible today in the hills around the town.
The completion of the railway sideline to Parys in 1905 meant that Parys had suddenly become more accessible to the public and this in turn lead to the growth of the town as a holiday resort and industrial centre. The town was now being marketed as The Pride of the Vaal and city dwellers flocked by train to the lush green river banks and special swimming facilities and accommodation provided by the Village Management Board of the time. Bungalows were built on Woody Island and were serviced by the Woody Island Ferry. Unfortunately this venture did not last very long due to the inaccessibility of the island during flood periods. By now, residents of the town had felt for quite some time that a bridge across the Vaal River was no more than its just due. The Woody Island Ferry service crossed on to Woody Island and from there another ferry completed the crossing. The service was indifferent and accidents happened requently.
Farmers on the Transvaal side even preferred to go to Potchefstroom, forty eight kilometres away,
rather than face the expense of the ferry crossings. Towards the end of 1913, Tenders were asked for a reinforced concrete bridge over the Vaal, and the contract was finally awarded to a Mr Warren. The work was started in May 1914. The outbreak of the First World War three months later, caused long delays and the bridge was only finished and opened for traffic around Christmas 1915. As a consequence of the bridge over the Vaal, trade grew and Parys was seen as 'n new market for farmers from the then Transvaal side. Many new buildings were built as more and more traffic ran through the town.
Not many of the original buildings and historic places remain today. The current Parys Palm Court Hotel is still one of the surviving turn of the century buildings (the Parys Hotel), as is the museum (once the magistrates office) and "Moedergemeente" Church in the centre of town. There are, however, quite a few original and beautiful old houses remaining in and around town.
Industries that have come and gone in the Orange River Canning Company, Parys Basket Works that used a special kind of willow planted on the river banks, a jam factory, boat building factory, cold drink factory and Parys Roller Milling Company. By the middle 1950's big industries like ARWA, BASA (nuts and bolts factory), Vaalrivierse Tabakkooperasie, Vetsak (agricultural co-op which was founded in Parys and Metro Clothing Company had settled in the industrial area of Parys. Only a handful of industries remain today, and, like in the early days, the town is becoming increasingly popular as a weekend and holiday destination to people wanting to escape the pressures of city life.
Many artists have settled in the town and many new interesting shops and attractions make it the ideal breakaway close to Gauteng and big centres.
A unique attraction in Parys, the suspension bridge, was built in 1918 to connect Golf Island to the town. The current Town Hall was built in the 1930's in the typical Art Deco Style, after the original town Hall was destroyed by a fire.
Parys is in the 5 km buffer zone of the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site
Vredefort crater
Vredefort crater is the largest verified impact crater on Earth. It is located in the Free State Province of South Africa and named after the town of Vredefort, which is situated near its centre. The site is also known as the Vredefort dome or Vredefort impact structure...
.
Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
great Frik du Preez
Frik du Preez
Frederik Christoffel Hendrik "Frik" du Preez is a former South African rugby union player who represented Northern Transvaal and the Springboks. He was born on a farm near Rustenburg and went to school at the Parys High School in Parys...
, named South Africa's rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player of the 20th century, was educated at Parys High School, although he was born in Rustenburg
Rustenburg, North West
Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa...
. Former NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
) placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Gary Anderson was born in Parys, although raised in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
Parys was the original home of Johann van Schalkwyk, designer of the 2010 World Standards Day poster for the International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
(ISO) http://www.iso.org/iso/wsd2010/bio_of_johann_van_schalkwyk.htm