In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie unpacks the captivating story of the Jameson Raid, a major event in the history of Johannesburg and South Africa. The piece was first published on the City of Johannesburg's website on 27 October 2011. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie provides some wonderful history of Mapungubwe, one of South Africa's iconic World Heritage Sites. The piece was originally published on the website southafrica.info on 21 April 2004. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
South Africa’s first kingdom, Mapungubwe in Limpopo province, dating back 800 years and situated in a game reserve, is to open to the public in June.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie chats to leading figures from South Africa's heritage community to unpack the meaning of the term heritage. The article was originally published on the Brand South Africa website on 25 September 2013. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie profiles South African heritage icon Flo Bird. The piece was originally published on the City of Joburg's website on 4 October 2002. Click here to read more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie describes the restoration of the Credo Mutwa Cultural Village in 2006. The article was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 27 January 2007. Click here to view more of Lucille's work.
The first phase of the restoration of the Credo Mutwa Cultural Village in Soweto is almost complete, with the mythical figures coming alive again with the help of one of the original builders.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie explores the fascinating history of a few of Joburg's Fire Stations. The piece was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 13 November 2003. Click here to view more of Lucille's work.
For over a decade journalist Lucille Davie has tracked the Rand Steam Laundries Saga (click here to read a compilation of her articles). Below is the latest installment highlighting the majestic adaptive reuse of the site. Click here to view more of Lucille's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie traces the fascinating history of various South African War battles in the Magaliesberg. The piece was originally published on the City of Joburg's website on 10 December 2009. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie highlights the remarkable work of archaeologist Revil Mason. The piece was originally published on the City of Joburg's website on 19 November 2009. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie tells the story of the infrastructure preparation for the 2010 World Cup and reveals the fascinating history of soccer in Johannesburg. The article was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 14 February 2007. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie unpacks the history of St Alban's Church in Ferreirastown and describes its restoration in 2012. The article was originally published on the City of Joburg's website on 19 February 2012. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie explores one of Johannesburg's architectural delights: Circa gallery. The piece was originally published on the City of Joburg's website on 6 February 2009. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie explores Brenthurst, arguably Johannesburg’s most splendid garden. The piece was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 2 February 2004. Please note that tours of the garden are no longer available. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
It took a house plan to get Marc Latilla hooked on history.
The pony-tailed author, DJ and music professional recently launched his book, Johannesburg Then and Now. It’s a treasure for Joburg enthusiasts: a leisurely stroll down what the early gold prospectors built on a stretch of veld over 130 years ago, juxtaposed against what those buildings and sites look like now. The Then and Now books are a worldwide series, profiling cities like Melbourne, Rome, Charleston, and Cape Town.
Tracey's Folly is one of Johannesburg's great historic mansions. In the article below, jounalist Lucille Davie unpacks the history of the magnificent property. The piece was originally published on the City of Joburg's website on 7 January 2010. Click here to view more of Davie's work. Main image via Yeudakn on Wikicommons.
Percival Tracey always got home in his car, but not in the usual way.
If you want to literally touch Johannesburg’s gold mining days, check in with James Findlay’s Collectable Books and Antique Maps store, recently re-located from his Saxonwold home to the basement of the Rand Club in the inner city.
The dignified old club is the perfect place for his collection of antique memorabilia. The grand Edwardian edifice is a bit of an antique itself: built in 1904, it was the third gentlemen’s club on the site and is rumoured to have been chosen by that now infamous capitalist and imperialist, Cecil John Rhodes.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie tells the wonderful story of the rediscovery of the grave of Enoch Sontonga, composer of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. The article was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 11 January 2002. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
Phillip Tobias passed away in 2012 aged 87. Lucille Davie was lucky enough to sit down with him in 2009 and chat about his remarkable life. Below is an article she wrote after the in-depth interview. It was originally published on the City of Joburg's website on 19 November 2009. Click here to view more of Davie's work. The image above shows the Tobias bust at the Sterkfontein Caves.
In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie tells the story of the creation of the Fietas Subway mural. The article was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 10 November 2010. The mural is impressive but it has not been given the respect it deserves. In 2018 it is a shadow of its former self covered in graffiti and advertising.
In the article below, well known journalist Lucille Davie tells the epic story of the battle to save the Markhams Building from demolition in the late 1970s. The piece was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 15 February 2012. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
