4 March 1890
Gerard Leendert Pieter Moerdijk, of Dutch descent, was born in the Waterberg district, Transvaal (now Limpopo Province). He was one of the first Afrikaans architects and pioneered new designs for churches, adapting them to South African requirements and using local materials. He designed approximately ninety churches, numerous houses, halls and public buildings, and the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria.
References
Potgieter, D.J. et al. (eds) (1970). Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town: NASOU, v. 7, p. 482.
Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.