Buisfontein: \'n pionierserfenis as toerisme-bestemming

Abstract

Buisfontein – a pioneer heritage as tourist attraction:
Buisfontein, situated close to the present-day Klerksdorp, is a farm that is not unfamiliar to the cultural experts of South Africa. Though inhabitants and migrations of nomad groups – centuries ago – can certainly be exposed to more research to expand the socio-anthropological value of the area's future focus on tourism, the remains certainly already reflect a unique past. The historically well-known and contentious Coenraad de Buys/Buis is associated with this environment, followed by some of the first white Trekkers who settled in the area. Within this framework a space has been developed for the P.F. Ernst descendants – known with the farm for decades as owners and inhabitants – to re-purchase portions of Buisfontein from the new owners and to restore some of the dwellings, as originally occupied, for the Ernst descendants, for regional-cultural enthusiasts and other interested parties. Some distinguishing features of the environment (the fountains, ridges and trees), the game that formerly featured in this area, the remains of groups that occupied the region for long periods before the Trekkers settled in the area after 1838, are facets that will also be accentuated in a tourism focus for the future.
Probably the most distinctive feature of the restoration effort by the Ernst family is
the fact that it is undertaken exclusively with private funds. In the present article the
focus will be on aspects of the rich pioneering history that allows Buisfontein to become a beacon in the tourism market in its own right. The features of the environment are also accentuated as far as they were prominent in human usage. The conclusion will shed some light on Buisfontein as a tourist attraction for the future.

Keywords: Buisfontein; PF Ernst; HJ van der Merwe; Coenraad de Buys/Buis; Klerksdorp; Hartebeestfontein; tourism; historical buildings; fountains/eyes; architecture

South Africa Journal of Cultural History Vol. 22 (1) 2008: pp. 56-84