Union of South Africa

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

The self-governing former colonies of Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal, Orange River Colony, united in a legislature in 1910, with its capital at Pretoria and the seat of government at Capetown.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Union of South Africa” mean?

The self-governing former colonies of Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal, Orange River Colony, united in a legislature in 1910, with its capital at Pretoria and the seat of government at Capetown.

Is “Union of South Africa” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.