Commandant H S Grobler During November 1929 Bethal granted honour to Commandant Grobler during his seventieth birthday, for his outstanding contribution to the community of Bethal. Commandant Grobler settled in the area of Bethal in about 1875. Of the years he says that the hills teemed with blue wildebeest, ostrich, flamingo in the swamps, and even lions were found here, he said. He was veldkornet* and later commander of the Bethal Commando. He represented Bethal during the peace conference at Vereeniging in 1902. Furthermore, he was Provincial Councillor and Member of Parliament for Bethal, Transvaal and after 1910, of the Union. Back then he said: "All that I could give for my people I have given.” The following excerpt is from the “Logbook” of the High School: The first aeroplane in Bethal As far as can be determined, the first aeroplane to land at Bethal happened on January 28, 1920. A speech delivered before the Magistrates Office 31 May 1928 - Commissioning of National Flag The local newspaper “De Echo” reported about this as follows: Interest in speech at Magistrate’s Office Bethal Honour the National Flag ``Men, women and children on Union day gathered in front of the Magistrate Court, for the first time in South African history to see the hoisting of the National Flag; to salute and honour it.” The Flag Committee had a program specially drawn up for the day, and Rev. Liebenberg opened the celebrations with a prayer and after that, the meeting [attendees] and school children sang together Psalm 146. Mr Theo Jooste had then hoisted the flag … a hooting and a volley salute shots fired by the local cadets. 131
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