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History: The Queen’s Fort, sometimes known as the Bloemfontein Fort, is situated to the south of the centre of the city. Partly hidden by large pine trees, it stands on a koppie to the left of Church Street, opposite the Basuto War Memorial.
On 3rd February, 1848, British sovereignty was declared over the Trans Gariep. In July the British Resident, Henry Douglas Warden, was threatened by a Boer commando under A. W. J. Pretorius. Warden ordered defensive works consisting of trenches and sangars to be constructed on the ridge near the spring. They became known as Fort Drury. Nevertheless, Warden was obliged to retire.
At the Battle of Boomplaats near Trompsburg, Sir Harry Smith, governor of the Cape Colony, defeated the Boers and advanced to Bloemfontein where he rein stated Warden as Resident.
Sir Harry Smith realised the defencelessness of Bloemfontein and decided to build a new fort in a more strategic position on the hill to the south-east of the spring.
He started at once with the troops at his disposal and by 6th October, 1848, the ramparts were constructed and the stone wall on them was built. The fort was completed early in the following year and an area of 400 metres round it was reserved for military purposes. The fort was called Queen’s Fort after Queen Victoria.
The fort was hardly an imposing complex of buildings. Four nine-pounder and three six-pounder guns were mounted on the walls. W. W. Collins refers to the guns as ‘antiquated, obsolete and useless iron guns mounted on unwieldy iron stands, and carriages’. Inside the fort there was a powder magazine which collapsed during heavy rains in 1850.. In front of the fort against the hill on the left, were the officers’ quarters and stables. The fort was manned by two companies of the 45th Regiment, one company of the ‘Cape Corps’ and 25 artillerymen.
When the Republic of the Orange Free State was established the fort was taken over by the Republican Government. It was not used and all efforts to have it maintained failed. Consequently when Capt. F. W. Albrecht was appointed in command of the Orange Free State Artillery in 1879, it had to be entirely rebuilt —a slow and troublesome process.
Albrecht’s first task was to house his men who were living in tents. In 1882 the Volksraad granted him R5 000 which he used to build barracks for the men. Then he had to provide shelter for horses and the first stable was completed in January, 1888. It was only after this that the restoration of the fort itself could be tackled, for which purpose R2 600 was voted in the same year. Convicts were transferred from all parts of the Republic to work on the fort. In 1891 a further sum of R3 600 was voted for a waiting room, provisions store, magazine and so on. This enabled Albrecht, who supervised the work himself, to complete the fort in 1892. The second stable was added in 1896.
In this way Albrecht completed the headquarters for his artillery shortly before the Anglo-Boer War, but Bloemfontein was evacuated early in the war and the fort was taken over by the British troops. A part of it was converted into a hospital and the remainder served as quarters for the Royal Engineers. After the war the E. Division of the South African Constabulary under command of Colonel Pilkington occupied it. After the Rebellion of 1914/15 Gen. C. R. de Wet and many rebels were held here during their trial. In 1930 the old fort was taken over by the Department of Defence and assigned to the Free State Command as its headquarters. It ceased to serve this purpose in 1940 and on 6th June, 1942, it became the headquarters of the 23rd Battalion of the National Volunteer Brigade. It now forms part of the Orange Hospital.
Bronze Plaque 1932
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Condition: Good
Construction Date: 1913-02-00
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Catalogue: , No: Nil, Significance Category: