The Wilds was established in 1924 on a donation of land by the Houghton estate township Co. to the City. It was landscaped with indigenous flora first displayed at the 1936 Empire Exhibition, and attractive water features were added in the 1950s. The City dedicated the park to the memory of Jan Smuts after his death in 1950. The elegant pedestrian bridge was built in 1965, and the impressive greenhouses were a gift from JCI in 1966. The Wilds was declared a National Monument in 1981.