Johannesburg

In this piece, journalist Lucille Davie evaluates Johannesburg’s development by contrasting her 2015 Saturday Star column with an update from 2026. The original article captures an era of civic optimism and emerging creative districts. A decade later, the trajectory has shifted significantly. Davie’s current assessment details a decline in public infrastructure and municipal governance, illustrating a city confronting systemic service failures. However, this comparison reveals that while state-led interventions have largely faltered, private sector and community-driven initiatives have emerged to fill the vacuum.

14 March 2015 - Jozi rewired

This crazy city of ours throbs along at a pace that is sometimes breathtaking, sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes just plain exhausting. What would it look like as the perfect city?

In an article last year in The Guardian on “The 10 things a perfect city needs”, Paul Mason saunters through what makes a perfect city.

He reckons it should have theatres where you can “look across the stalls to celebrities”, bicycle lanes and trams, and a heavily regulated taxi system as efficient as the smartphone taxi service Uber.

The perfect city must be happy with its Victorian and Edwardian architecture and re-imagined old factories and warehouses; it must be ethnically mixed, tolerant and women-friendly.

Mason cites a city in northern Spain that “plasters the streets with ever-more inventive propaganda against sexual harassment, domestic violence and general sexism”.

If the city must have slums, they should be organised and policed and be stepping stones to upward mobility. It must have a democratic political culture that sees residents out...

We write as the residents of Young Avenue – the people who actually live here, who wake up on this street every morning, who sweep its pavements, plant its gardens, and who are working tirelessly to remedy the situation at the abandoned Department of Public Works properties that have become the subject of Daily Maverick's recent coverage (click here to view).

We appreciated the attention brought to the state’s failure at 17 and 35 Young Avenue. That story needed telling, and we are glad it was. But we write because both pieces left us with a profound sense that the fuller, truer, more human story of this street was not told – and we believe it is a story worth telling.

17 Young Avenue (Google Street View)

Young Avenue is not a street in decline. It is a street of strong community that is actively confronting its challenges – and that is a very different thing. Yes, there are problem properties: numbers 9 and 30, whose owners are not complying with municipal bylaws and whose conduct we have repeatedly reported to the relevant authorities. The overwhelming majority of homes on this street, however, are beautiful, lovingly maintained, many of them heritage properties that residents have poured their hearts and savings into restoring over the past decade.

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On 11 April 2026, a gathering convened by the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation brought together historians, collectors, archivists, and friends to celebrate the lives and work of Dr Oscar Norwich (1910–1994) and Rose Norwich (1921–2024)—two individuals whose combined efforts have left an enduring mark on the recording and understanding of Johannesburg’s past.

The event, held at Northwards and hosted by curator Neil Viljoen, followed the passing of Rose Norwich in 2024 at the remarkable age of 103. In the months thereafter, executor David Nathan facilitated the donation of selected materials from the Norwich archive to Johannesburg Heritage, ensuring that their work continues to inform and inspire.

Northwards (The Heritage Portal)

The donation includes photographs, early pamphlets, Johannesburg art prints (including works by Arthur Cantrell), sketches, research papers, and a working consolidated copy of the 1906 Goad Insurance Plan of Johannesburg. These now join Rose Norwich’s important architectural study, Synagogues on the Witwatersrand before 1930, already held in the collection.

The Norwich postcard collection—one of the most evocative visual records of the city—has been deposited with the Wits University Historical Papers. Meanwhile, Oscar Norwich’s significant African map collection, assembled over decades, was acquired during his lifetime by Stanford University and is now widely accessible through the David Rumsey Map Collection.

A Life of Collecting, Researching, and Sharing

Oscar Norwich, a Johannesburg surgeon by profession...

In the article below, Oscar Norwich, Johannesburg historian and collector, explores the life of Johannesburg pioneer, Theodore Reunert. He also unpacks the history of Windybrow, the mansion Reunert built in Doornfontein. The piece first appeared in the 1989 edition of the old Johannesburg Historical Foundation's journal 'Between the Chains'. Thank you to the Norwich family for their kind permission to publish this article.

Windybrow is the last remaining example of the stately mansions built in Doornfontein during the last decade of the previous century. Although it is not actually situated in Doornfontein, Windybrow is nevertheless closely associated with this suburb’s early history. Doornfontein became the city of gold’s first millionaires’ row for it was here that the mining magnates built their first houses on spacious erven set in a rural atmosphere. However when Parktown was laid out the Randlords, as the magnates were called, moved to the new suburb and after 1910 Doornfontein and its early environs gradually deteriorated.

View over Doornfontein with Windybrow at the base of Pullingers Kop (Barnett's Views of Johannesburg and Suburbs)

Theodore Reunert was one of the early Johannesburg pioneers who built his home in...

In the article below, Oscar Norwich, Johannesburg historian and collector, explores a few early gaols in Johannesburg and then reveals the history behind the Johannesburg Fort. The piece first appeared in the 1983 edition of the old Johannesburg Historical Foundation's journal 'Between the Chains'. Thank you to the Norwich family for their kind permission to publish this article. The Old Fort forms part of the Constitution Hill complex today.

Johannesburg's first gaol was situated opposite the early Height Hotel in Commissioner Street. It was hastily and primitively constructed, consisting of a three-roomed prison supported by wooden and mud poles with walls of brick and a thatched roof. In the beginning it served as a hospital as well and the prisoners looked after the sick.

Dr. Hans Sauer, Johannesburg's earliest District Surgeon, in his book Ex Africa, 1937, describes a major surgical operation performed by himself with Colonel Ignatius Ferreira (of Ferreira's Camp fame) administering a chloroform anaesthetic under Sauer's supervision. The patient was involved in a wagon accident, having sustained severe injuries to his shoulder. Dr. Sauer reports that because it was a long-standing injury, mortification had set in and he had to amputate the whole arm including the scapula (shoulder blade). Apparently the operation was entirely successful and the patient was discharged from the hospital six weeks later minus an arm and a shoulder blade but otherwise well.

Another interesting reference to this first Johannesburg gaol is an artistically executed drawing of its demolition dated 11th January 1888, by...

In 1936, Johannesburg hosted the British Empire Exhibition and for this illustrious major event, the JMT – Johannesburg Municipal Tramways, ordered 50 modern trams from Metropolitan Cammell in Birmingham, England. These streamlined double-deck trams represented the last word in modern tramcar design. Seating was provided for 32 passengers on the lower deck and 44 upstairs – total 76. Standing capacity also allowed for another 16 passengers.

These trams initially entered service between the city centre and Milner Park Showgrounds. After the closure of the Exhibition, they were used on all JMT routes except Crown Mines. 
 
The trams quickly became a familiar sight on Johannesburg’s streets, their distinctive streamlined appearance marking a new era in public transportation for the city. Residents appreciated the enhanced comfort and efficiency these British-built vehicles offered, and their reliability helped improve daily commutes for thousands of passengers.  The main image shows, one of the new trams in the tram shed.

Tram at the Malvern terminus, east of the city

Streamliner in Market Street

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In the article below, Sarah Welham, founder of the Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries, looks at the sad story behind one of the earliest gravestones in Braamfontein Cemetery. Clara Goad was the young wife of pioneering architect Frederick George Goad, whose early death left her young son orphaned by the age of eight.

Some may not think about the architects who have built Johannesburg. In the very early days, there were a number who arrived in this growing town and left their stamp on it, albeit a stamp that has practically disappeared from our skyline. Two of these were Frederick George Goad and Francis Lennox Canning who had been in partnership since 1884 in Queenstown and Bloemfontein.

In Bloemfontein, Canning designed the beautiful 4th Raadsaal and he and Goad had worked together on The Presidency, the home of the President of the Orange Free State in President Brand Street.

Old postcard of the 4th Raadsaal (Artefacts)

Old Presidency (Wikipedia)

In Johannesburg, they designed several landmark buildings including the 2nd Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Old Arcade Building, the Second Rand Club, the Doornfontein Club and Bettelheim House.

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In the article below, Oscar Norwich, Johannesburg historian and collector, reveals the history behind Barnato Park, a grand home transformed into one of Johannesburg's historic schools. The piece first appeared in the old Johannesburg Historical Foundation's journal 'Between the Chains'. Thank you to the Norwich family for their kind permission to publish this article.

The Johannesburg Historical Society was inaugurated in 1969 by an exhibition in the Main Hall of the Johannesburg Public Library, displaying many facets of early Johannesburg. To coincide with this exhibition a number of the more photographically minded members of the Executive Committee embarked on the production of a recorded slide programme entitled "Glimpses of Old Johannesburg". To obtain information and pictorial records of the first and early schools of our City I undertook to research this aspect. This led me particularly to the early history of Miss Fanny Buckland, the development of Cleveland High School to become later the Barnato Park School for Girls and finally The Johannesburg High School for Girls.

It is reported that Miss Buckland arrived in Johannesburg in 1887, a few months after it had celebrated its first birthday. She was advised to call on a Mrs. A. D. Alexander with a view to making arrangements to teach her daughter, later Mrs. Isobel Levy. Her second daughter, the now well known Muriel Alexander, was far too young at that stage to attend school. Mrs. Alexander generously offered her one of her living rooms and also gave her permission to bring as...

Below is the transcript of a talk delivered by Oscar Norwich, Founder and Chairman of the Johannesburg Historical Foundation. It was broadcast over the English Programme of the SABC in October 1971. Thank you to the Norwich Family for giving us permission to publish.

As this is the first of a series of talks on the Johannesburg Historical Society, I felt that as Chairman I would attempt to indicate how the Society came into being, what it is, what are its aim and objects, its future research and lecture programme. Some two years ago a letter appeared in the Johannesburg “Star” inviting members of the Johannesburg Public to assist the writer of this letter to reconstitute an Historical Society of Johannesburg which had been defunct.

A public meeting was eventually held at which a number of interested people and representatives of various Businesses, Trades and Professions attended.

This renewed interest after a number of previous attempts to form such a Society had failed, suggested a series of preliminary meetings until eventually a Steering Committee was appointed to formulate a Constitution, outlining its main aims and objects. A properly constituted Executive Committee was eventually appointed and to launch the inauguration of this newly established Society, now officially named the Johannesburg Historical Society, the then Mayor of Johannesburg, Councillor Sam Moss, on the 23rd May 1969, opened an exhibition on old Johannesburg in the foyer of the Johannesburg Public Library illustrated by a series of interesting and historical photographs and objects.

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In the article below, Oscar Norwich, Johannesburg historian and collector, tells the story of the rise and fall of Barney Barnato, mining magnate of Kimberley and Johannesburg. Thank you to the Norwich family for their kind permission to publish this article. 

In the mid-1890s, when the share boom had reached its feverish climax, Barney Barnato was probably the richest and without doubt the most powerful financier in South Africa. His property and mine holdings had a market value of over £20 million and it was estimated that in the summer months of 1895 he earned five pounds for every minute of his working day.

Barney Barnato (Wikipedia)

Who was this flamboyant character who showed such sparks of financial genius? He was born Barnett Isaacs in the heart of London’s poor East End Jewish quarter at a corner of Middlesex Street, long known as “Petticoat Lane,” on the 5th of July 1852, a year to the day before Cecil Rhodes’ birth.

Barney’s brother Harry and sister Kate were raised in a slum area. Their father owned a shop and they had their schooling in the Jews Free School in nearby Bell Lane. Barney’s arithmetic was exceptionally good, and he left school soon after the age of 13.

Their father was essentially a practical, pious individual who closed his shop on the Sabbath, but frequently during the week, he...