Jock Of The Bushveld Birthplace

In the southwest of Kruger, a plaque near Ship Mountain marks the spot where historians believe Jock of the Bushveld was born in 1885. Jock was the bull terrier who ran with Percy FitzPatrick’s ox wagons through the Lowveld, and the book FitzPatrick wrote about him in 1905 made the dog famous. It is a quick stop on a drive out of Pretoriuskop, best for readers of the book.

What to expect

There is not much to see beyond the marker itself, so treat it as a pause rather than a destination. The setting does the work: the road here is known as the Voortrekker Road, or the Jock of the Bushveld Road, and Ship Mountain, a gabbro outcrop shaped like an upturned hull, rises nearby. Local legend has saddlebags of gold buried at its foot. A German adventurer named Adolf Soltke, who died in the area after a shooting accident, is buried close to the birthplace.

Practical details

• The plaque is just off the H2-3 near Ship Mountain, along the Voortrekker Road southeast of Pretoriuskop Rest Camp.
• Pretoriuskop, the nearest camp, is the oldest rest camp in Kruger.

Good to know

Bronze plaques were put up in 1983 by the Lowveld Diggers’ and Transport Riders’ Society wherever Jock’s original route crosses today’s roads, so look out for others on your drive. FitzPatrick hauled supplies between Delagoa Bay (now Maputo) and the goldfields at Pilgrim’s Rest and Barberton.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Kruger Park birding guide (krugerpark.co.za), krugerpark.co.za, Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, Graskop.co.za.