James Ball

Every week, tens of thousands of people cross the William Nicol Bridge (over the Braamfontein Spruit) as they drive to the Sandton CBD without realising that they are within metres of a hugely significant historical site. In 1853, more than three decades before the discovery of the largest gold field on earth, a prospector by the name of Pieter Jacobus Marais panned for and found gold in the Spruit a short distance from where the bridge now stands. This was one of the earliest discoveries of gold on the Witwatersrand!

A Gautrain bus crosses the bridge (The Heritage Portal)

In August 2015, residents of Sandton gathered to commemorate the find by unveiling a blue plaque on Panners Lane in River Club. The road was renamed Panners in the 1970s to commemorate Marais’ historic find. The story of the discovery has been around for a while but it is only in the last few years that it has reached a new audience due to the fantastic research and articles on the history of the area compiled by Malcolm Wilson (click here to view).

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[Originally published in September 2015] Last week Jacques Stoltz reported that the massive Gauteng Provincial Government Precinct (Kopanong Precinct) may finally be moving ahead. The project involves the 'rehabilitation, development and management' of twenty-one buildings in the historic heart of Johannesburg at a projected cost of R5 billion. This is certainly exciting news but what is more exciting for us is that this is just one (by far the biggest of course) of many projects transforming the CBD. A quick survey of projects could easily lead an observer to conclude that a new chapter in the history of the Inner City is upon us!

Scale Model of part of the Kopanong Precinct (Jacques Stoltz)

In 2014 the Atterbury Group completed the R1.2 billion award winning Newtown Junction. The project is truly massive and brings much needed amenities to residents and visitors of the Inner City. For many years we heard Newtown residents complain that they had to travel outside the city (or a long way within it) to do their shopping. Newtown Junction fills a massive need in this regard and also adds solid entertainment facilities. The huge number of parking bays will certainly help draw more visitors to the precinct as well. Nedbank will be the anchor tenant for the office component of...

This is an article that we have been wanting to write for years. We have always been amazed how the six storey Markhams building was once the tallest building in the city and thought it would be fascinating to trace the record breakers over the decades. The list is definitely a work in progress and we will need your help to generate a complete picture. Feel free to add your comments below the article. [Updated 2019]

While one could go back further, our list begins with the Palace Buildings located on the corner of Pritchard and Rissik Streets and built in 1889 (demolished in the 1950s). The five storey building was a landmark for decades, reaching 28.35m into the sky.

The Palace Building (Mining & Magnates)

In 1897, a new landmark building rose above the mining town... the six storey Markhams building, located on the corner of Eloff and Pritchard Streets (still standing today - well at least the facades and clock tower). It would hold the height record until 1902/3. [we still need to get an accurate height measurement]

The Markhams Building

After the War, construction began on the new...

On 19 October 1986, a Tupolov Tu-134 plane travelling from Zambia to Mozambique crashed 65km from Maputo on the South African side of the border near the town of Mbuzini. The plane was carrying Samora Machel, the President of Mozambique, as well as high ranking Mozambiquan government officials and was manned by a Soviet air crew. Of the 44 passengers, 34 including the President died in the crash.

The official Commission of Inquiry into the accident, chaired by Judge Cecil Margo, highlighted pilot error while other reports claimed that a false beacon planted by South African agents was the catalyst for the crash. Speculation and debate on such a painful episode will, no doubt, continue.

In the 1990s a monument to commemorate the crash was commissioned. It was unveiled by Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique in January 1999. Since then the Samora Machel Monument has hosted various commemoration ceremonies and has been promoted as a major tourist attraction. Last month we visited the site and to say we were impressed is an understatement. The monument is incredibly powerful, the museum is enlightening and the staff are welcoming and informative.

The Samora Machel Monument and nearby museum (The Heritage Portal)

Perhaps our positive experience was due to low expectations created by negative online reviews. Many of the reviews on...

The authors of NZASM 100, the definitive study of the railway architecture of the Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NZASM), describe the tunnel at Waterval Boven as ‘probably the best-known and most famous of all NZASM structures’. We visited this Provincial Heritage Site recently and it is certainly a sight to behold. Add the overall natural beauty of the area and the view of the stunning Elands Waterfall and it is not surprising that the site is a major tourist attraction.

The Waterval Boven tunnel formed part of the Eastern or Delagoa Railway which was of great strategic importance to the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) giving the young country access to a non-British seaport (essential to preserve political and economic independence in the face of British imperialism). After extensive planning, work on the tunnel commenced in October 1892. Two teams blasted and drilled their way through the rock and joined up in September 1893. Railway tracks were laid and the tunnel walls were lined with stone masonry for strength. This outstanding piece of engineering was completed in 1894 and a year later the Eastern Railway opened to much celebration throughout the ZAR.

The eastern entrance of the tunnel shortly after completion (NZASM 100)

The historic 211m tunnel is open to tourists who can walk through and admire the achievements of a...

In the mid to late 1950s the United Party controlled Johannesburg City Council (JCC) and the Nationalist Government were thrown into crisis when a white man was murdered outside the Mai-Mai Beerhall to the east of the City. Patrick Lewis, the Chariman of the Council’s Non-European Affairs Committee, provided the following description of the incident:

Two Europeans returning from the Turffontein Race Course one Saturday afternoon stalled the very old motor car they were riding in near the Mai–Mai Beer Garden in City and Suburban just at the time when patrons were pouring out after closing time. The Europeans ordered the passing crowd to push their car to get it re-started, but the Bantu objected to the terms in which they were addressed and an argument started culminating in blows being exchanged, and finally the one European was so seriously assaulted that he died, but the other managed to run away.

The Department of Bantu Administration and Development (BAD) responded to the incident by ordering the JCC to close all central beerhalls and build alternative facilities in African areas in line with the Government policy of Separate Development. In order to understand the disagreement between the Council and the Government it is important to trace the seeds of the controversy.

In 1937 the amendment of the Native (Urban Areas) Act made it legal for Africans to brew their own beer in locations or native villages where local authorities did not erect a beerhall. In 1938, rather than allow home brewing...

The Colosseum was an iconic Art Deco Building designed by the architect Percy Rogers Cook and developed by the entertainment mogul I.W. Schlesinger. It occupied an entire city block on Commissioner Street and formed part of the ‘Great White Way’ along with His Majesty’s, Shakespeare House, the CNA Building and others. The theatre could seat over 2 500 people and its ceiling gave the illusion of a star filled night sky above walls built to resemble fairy castles. Over the decades the theatre hosted hundreds of famous productions, actors and musicians. It was also one of the few establishments to hold a multiracial permit during apartheid (this area needs further research as there are differing accounts of the Theatre’s access policy).

In 1983, five years after the historic Markhams Building was saved from demolition, contractors circled the Colosseum waiting for the go ahead to begin work. Below is a summary of the three year battle to save the building based on the work of Nigel Mandy (ex chairman of the CBD Association and manager of the Carlton Centre during its heyday).

Colosseum Theatre at Night (Seventy Golden Years)

The number of large theatres located in the city centre declined during the 1970s and by 1981 only The Colosseum remained. It was too large to be used as a cinema and...

In 2014 we experienced the majestic spaces of an abandoned (but secured) apartment building in Yeoville. San Remo was designed by the well-known architect Harry Le Roith and completed in 1937. As you will see from the photographs below the staircase is mindblowing and the flagship apartments ooze class. From the roof you can see some illustrious neighbours including Helvetia Court and the famous Yeoville Water Tower. Forget the signs of neglect for a few minutes and enjoy a phenomenal journey through San Remo. [Originally published in 2014]

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In 2011 bold plans for the demolition of the Village Walk Shopping Centre and the redevelopment of the valuable site were announced (Village Walk is located in the heart of Sandton opposite the Johannesburg Stock Exchange). Many commentators were excited yet cautious when renders for a massive three billion rand mixed use development (shops, offices, hotels and gym) were released. Tenants were given notice and demolition was expected to take place in mid 2012. Shortly after this the project was shelved with Momentum Properties CEO Vuyani Hako conceding that the initial plans had been too ambitious (and expensive).

More modest plans have since been drawn up and it appears as though contractors will begin dismantling parts of the site very soon. With this in mind we decided to go Inside Village Walk and record the site for posterity. [Originally published February 2014]

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Sutton Place is a Tudor style complex located in the heart of Sandton Central, next door to Chadrien Place. In the coming years the potential of this land will be harnessed in a large mixed use development. This means that very soon photographs and memories are all we will have left of Sutton Place. Take a trip with us inside this soon to be forgotten property. [Originally published in March 2014]

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