SAPS Museum:
The History of the Compol Building in Pretoria
The Compol Building in Pretorius Street is one of the oldest
buildings in Pretoria. It was built in the 1890s and designed by
Sytze Wierda. In 1913, it was taken over by the South African
Police (SAP) and served as the headquarters for the SAP from
June 1925 to July 1959. It is said that the Compol Building was
built at a cost of 5 000 pounds. The Compol Building was
initially known as the New Government Buildings.
Since 1913 various sections of the police have occupied parts
of the building. In 1933, the Deputy Commissioner of the
Transvaal Division, including the Crime Investigation Department
(CID), moved into the building and occupied the ground floor
which was previously occupied by the staff of the Deeds Office
and the Surveyor-General. Room 16 on the ground floor served as
the charge office for the Detective Unit and provided entrance
to the building from Fountain Avenue (Volkstem Avenue). This
room will now be used as a reading room for visitors to the
Museum Archive.
Early in 1934, the SAP moved into all four floors of the
Compol Building. The name of the building was subsequently
changed from the New Government Buildings to the South African
Police Headquarters. The name change came into effect on 1
April 1934. Some of the sections that were accommodated at the
new South African Police Headquarters by 1942 included the
following:
| Ground floor: |
CID |
| 1st floor: |
The Pay Section and other financial
sections |
| 2nd floor: |
The Central Registry, the library, staff
officers, and the Records Section |
| 3rd floor: |
Ballistics, the docket room, the photo
room, and dark rooms |
In July 1959 the police vacated the Compol Building and moved
to Wachthuis in Pretorius Street. Wachthuis officially became
the new headquarters of the SAP on 1 August 1959.
In 1963, it was decided that the whole Compol Building would
be used to accommodate the Security Branch. The Department of
Census and Statistics was located at the building at the time.
The Security Branch moved into the Compol building on 26
November 1963.
At the end of 1967 the Security Branch vacated the Compol
Building and moved to Wachthuis. However, the Ground floor,
however, was still occupied by the Northern Transvaal Division
of the Security Branch. In September 1967, the following
sections of the SAP moved into the Compol Building:
| 6 September: |
The Divisional Commissioner and
his staff moved into the 2nd floor. |
| 8 September: |
The District Commissioner and
his staff moved into the 3rd floor. |
| 12 September: |
The staff of the SAP Training
Museum moved from their offices in Pretoria Central to the
1st floor of the Compol Building. |
The Security Branch vacated the Compol Building, which they
shared with the Museum, in around 1995.
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