The Botha family lived at Hartebeespoort for five years, then sold it to an elderly farmer, a Mr Vermeulen, for ± £105. For the next 20 years, the Vermeulens farmed at Hartebeespoort. They introduced pomegranates - a few remaining trees can still to be seen.

Part of the farm was sold to Jan Albert and his two sons-in-law for the amount of ± £150 in 1873. Then a certain Hans Mundt, a German immigrant, purchased the farm for ± £1400 in 1874.

1874: Halfway station Mundt saw opportunities in the discovery of gold at Lydenburg and Pilgrim's Rest. This farm was situated on the main transport route from Natal to the places where gold was discovered. Mundt had new and different methods of farming. For instance, he built outbuildings for his poultry. He also enlarged the farm by buying back a portion that had been sold to a certain Mr Moll. After the discovery of gold at Barberton, George Heys started a mail coach-service in 1879 and Mundt immediately tendered for the provision of fresh horses for the service. As a result, Mundt had to erect extra stables, coach-houses and outbuildings for oxwagon. He ended up adding an inn for weary travellers to stay overnight. The farm became an ideal halfway station for travellers to and from Pretoria.

Silver Mining Company: In 1890, silver was discovered on the farm and the Silver Mining Company purchased a part of the farm from Mundt for the amount of ± £9000. Once again, Hartebeespoort had more than one owner. The Mundts continued to live on the farm until Hans' death in 1900. His son inherited that part of the farm on which the pioneer house is situated today. Shortly after his father's death, the son built a Victorian house next to the original thatched dwelling and used the old house as a packing shed.

Museum declared: In 1961, Mrs Mundt, daughter-in-law of Hans Mundt, donated the land on which the houses were erected as historical monuments to the municipality of Silverton. The municipality in turn approached the then director of the National Cultural History and Open-Air Museum, Mrs Roodt-Coetzee, to establish a museum. In November 1975, the then State President Nico Diederichs proclaimed the house a museum - Pioneer Museum.

MELROSE HOUSE
Named after the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland, Melrose House was built in 1886 by prosperous Pretoria businessman George Jesse Heys. Today this elegant house museum stands as a superb example of the transition of Victorian to Edwardian architectural styles and interiors. The interior is characterised by colourful stained glass windows, paintings by English artists, carpets in rich colours, ornate ceilings and fireplaces, as well as valuable porcelain ornaments, the majority of which belonged to the Heys family.

Lord Roberts requisitioned Melrose House as headquarters of the British forces, after the invasion of Pretoria in June 1900. Instructions were issued from here for more than 18 months, determining the strategy of the British forces in the field. The Peace Treaty of Vereeniging which ended the Anglo-Boer War (1899 - 1902) was signed in Melrose House on 31 May 1902.

CHURCH SQUARE
The focal point of Pretoria’s city centre is Church Square. In the central gardens stands an imposing statue of President Paul Kruger. It was sculpted by Anton van Wouw to honour the “old lion” of the Transvaal, who achieved world fame when his small Zuid-Afrikansche Republiek took on the might of the British Empire in 1899. Several impressive buildings face onto the square, including the old republican Raadsaal (council chamber) and the Palace of Justice, which was used as a military hospital during the Anglo-Boer War and now houses the Transvaal Supreme Court.