Centurion (Verwoerdburg)(South Africa)

Gauteng Province

Last modified: 2006-11-25 by bruce berry
Keywords: centurion | verwoerdburg |
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image by Martin Grieve, 25 July 2005

• Centurion

• South Africa
• South Africa : national index
• Gauteng province
• Atteridgeville
• Pretoria
• Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality

Centurion (formerly Verwoerdburg) (1974 - 1994)

Centurion is a town in Gauteng Province located between Pretoria and Midrand (Johannesburg), which forms part of the Tshwane Metropolitan
Municipality. Centurion developed from the initial Lyttelton Township that was marked out on the farm Droogegrond in 1904 and City Council status was granted in 1964 under the name of Lyttelton by combining the areas of Doornkloof, Irene and Lyttelton. Lyttelton was renamed Verwoerdburg in 1967, after the assassination of former South African Prime Minister Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, the so called "architect of apartheid".  The name of the town was changed again to the more politically neutral Centurion in September 1995.

The original municipal flag was adopted in September 1974 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the town. This armorial flag comprised a yellow triangle with its apex at the hoist extending to the fly on a black field. In the canton and lower left corners are two yellow lozenges. The lozenges are taken from the arms of the town of Woerden in the Netherlands, where Dr HF Verwoerd (Prime Minister of South Africa between 1958 until 1966) was born and after whom the town was previously named. A green tree, symbolising the rapid growth of the town, was placed in the fly in the yellow triangle. The colours were based on the municipal arms.

scan by Bruce Berry, 12 Sept 2006

The blazon of the arms registered by the South African Bureau of Heraldry and granted to Verwoerdburg on 06 January 1972 is as follows:
ARMS: Per chevron embowed Sable and Or, in chief two fusils Or and in base a tree eradicated Vert
CREST: An eagle with wings displayed proper
WREATH AND MANTLING: Or and Sable
MOTTO: SKEP U EIE TOEKOMS - CREATE YOUR OWN FUTURE.

Centurion became part of the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality following the re-organisation of local government in South Africa in December 2000 and consequently its municipal symbols are no longer in use.
Bruce Berry, 12 Sept 2006