Edenvale, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Edenvale is a town on the East Rand in Gauteng
, South Africa
. It started out in 1903, after the Anglo Boer War as a small settlement named Rietfontein which sprung up around the Rietfontein Gold
Mine. It was made a municipality in 1942. It was initially populated by Cornish mineworkers. Modern Edenvale has become a very well known part of Greater Johannesburg. It lies about halfway between the O.R. Tambo International Airport and the Johannesburg city centre and is located roughly 12KM by road from Sandton and roughly 9KM from the closest Gautrain
station. This makes it a very comfortable spot to live as it is quite close to all the major parts of Johannesburg. Edenvale is a very quiet town which ranges from the middle class areas such as Eastleigh to the upper class areas such as Dowerglen or Edenglen.
In 1995, after the local government elections, Edenvale was amalgamated with some surrounding areas, including Modderfontein, Rabie Ridge Extensions 4 and 5
, Chloorkop and the western part of Tembisa
to form the Lethabong municipality, as part of the short-lived transitional Khayalami Metropolitan Council http://allafrica.com/stories/199810200131.html, which also included Midrand and Kempton Park
/Tembisa
. This arrangement ended in 2000, and Edenvale is now part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which includes much of the East Rand, while Modderfontein and Rabie Ridge became part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
. Even though Lethabong is defunct, it is still found on some maps, including Google Maps
.
In the recent five to six years the area to the north of Edenvale (Modderfontein) has expanded significantly. Two malls have been erected, Greenstone and Stonebridge mall, as well as an array of complexes and townhouses, in an area now called Greenstone Hill
and Greenstone Park, just above Illiondale. This recent, yet rapid influx of infrastructure and added commercial business has bankrupted businesses in Van Riebeeck avenue (also known as Edenvale town) forcing numerous store owners to liquidate their funds.
Edenvale is known for being an Afrikaans speaking area. Much of that has changed as it has been widely diversified by Southern African foreigners, mainly: Zimbabweans, Zambians and Malawians. It also hosts a large population of Portuguese and Italian inhabitants.
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It started out in 1903, after the Anglo Boer War as a small settlement named Rietfontein which sprung up around the Rietfontein Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
Mine. It was made a municipality in 1942. It was initially populated by Cornish mineworkers. Modern Edenvale has become a very well known part of Greater Johannesburg. It lies about halfway between the O.R. Tambo International Airport and the Johannesburg city centre and is located roughly 12KM by road from Sandton and roughly 9KM from the closest Gautrain
Gautrain
Gautrain is an mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport...
station. This makes it a very comfortable spot to live as it is quite close to all the major parts of Johannesburg. Edenvale is a very quiet town which ranges from the middle class areas such as Eastleigh to the upper class areas such as Dowerglen or Edenglen.
In 1995, after the local government elections, Edenvale was amalgamated with some surrounding areas, including Modderfontein, Rabie Ridge Extensions 4 and 5
Rabie Ridge, Gauteng
Rabie Ridge is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2. around the Midrand area, it is a township formed due to forced removals of the colored community from alexandra....
, Chloorkop and the western part of Tembisa
Tembisa
Tembisa is a large township situated to the north of Kempton Park on the East Rand, Gauteng, South Africa. It was established in 1957 when Africans were resettled from Alexandra and other areas in Edenvale, Kempton Park, Midrand and Germiston.-Etymology:...
to form the Lethabong municipality, as part of the short-lived transitional Khayalami Metropolitan Council http://allafrica.com/stories/199810200131.html, which also included Midrand and Kempton Park
Kempton Park, Gauteng
Kempton Park is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality in the Transvaal, Kempton Park no longer has its own municipal government, and has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 2000...
/Tembisa
Tembisa
Tembisa is a large township situated to the north of Kempton Park on the East Rand, Gauteng, South Africa. It was established in 1957 when Africans were resettled from Alexandra and other areas in Edenvale, Kempton Park, Midrand and Germiston.-Etymology:...
. This arrangement ended in 2000, and Edenvale is now part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which includes much of the East Rand, while Modderfontein and Rabie Ridge became part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa...
. Even though Lethabong is defunct, it is still found on some maps, including Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
.
In the recent five to six years the area to the north of Edenvale (Modderfontein) has expanded significantly. Two malls have been erected, Greenstone and Stonebridge mall, as well as an array of complexes and townhouses, in an area now called Greenstone Hill
Greenstone Hill
Greenstone Hill is a suburb on the East Rand of Gauteng Province in South Africa. It has only recently been developed although much of the surrounding areas such as Edenvale and Modderfontein have been developed and established for quite some time.-Transport:...
and Greenstone Park, just above Illiondale. This recent, yet rapid influx of infrastructure and added commercial business has bankrupted businesses in Van Riebeeck avenue (also known as Edenvale town) forcing numerous store owners to liquidate their funds.
Edenvale is known for being an Afrikaans speaking area. Much of that has changed as it has been widely diversified by Southern African foreigners, mainly: Zimbabweans, Zambians and Malawians. It also hosts a large population of Portuguese and Italian inhabitants.
External links
A history of Edenvale: http://www.sahometraders.co.za/south-africa/Gauteng/Witwatersrand/Edenvale.asp- http://www.edenvale.za.net Edenvale
- http://www.greenstonemall.co.za/contact.htm Greenstone
- http://www.stoneridge.co.za/ Stonebridge mall
- http://www.countryroads.co.za/content/edenvale.html
- http://www.edenvale.za.net/history/background.htm