| Notes |
- Owing to the steady increase in the farming community in that district Richard Charles O?Neil, on the instigation of the surrounding settlers and farmers, approached the Government of the Transvaal Province with the view to obtain permission to form a township. This permission was granted and in 1889 the farm, Tweefontein, at that time owned by Richard Charles O?Neil, was surveyed and Richard Charles O?Neil asked to name the township. He decided to call the place Belfast in view of the fact that his Grandfather, the first O?Neil to settle in South Africa, was born in Belfast, Ireland.
During 1902, i.e. just after the Boer War, Belfast was declared a Municipality and Morris Peter Quigley O?Neil, a brother of Richard Charles O?Neil, the founder of Belfast,
was nominated and accepted as the first Mayor. This position was however, declined by O?Neil to a certain Mr William Hanna, who became the first Mayor of the town.
The first Town Council consisted of Messers W. Hanna, M.P.Q.O?Neil, George Hall, P. Tingbergen and J. Vermooten.
SOURCE: Belfast_History_record_Oneil.pdf
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