Bronkhorstspruit lies fifty kilometres east of Pretoria on the way to Mpumalanga. It is considered a dormitory town for the city of Pretoria. It hosts the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Nan Hua Temple houses the South African headquarters of the Humanistic Buddhist order.
Bronkhorstspruit Dam - known as "Bronkies" to the locals - lies just outside the town and is an ideal place for watersport enthusiasts where one can enjoy a range of recreational watersports. There is also a large variety of accommodation as well as swimming pools and restaurants.
- Bronkorstpruit Dam for a large range of activities
- the Nan Hua Temple complex is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere
In 1858, a group of Voortrekkers settled in the Bronkhorstspruit creek, which was originally called Kalkoenkransrivier ('Turkey Cliff River'). In June 1897, the South African Republic gave its approval for the town, then already named Bronkhorstspruit by locals after the Bronkhorstspruit River.
There is disagreement about where the town got its name from. Some believe it was named after the farmer JG Bronkhorst, while others say that it was named after the plant, bronkors (Afrikaans for watercress), that grew in the region of the creek. One of the first battles of the Anglo Boer War took place nearby.
