Parktown
Encyclopedia
Parktown is a suburb of Johannesburg
, South Africa
, the first suburb north of the inner-city. It is affectionately known as one of the Parks, others including Parkview
, Parkwood, Westcliff
, Parktown North
, Parkhurst
and Forest Town
. Parktown is one of Johannesburgs largest suburbs, neighboring Hillbrow, Braamfontein
and Milpark to the South; Berea
and Houghton to the East; Killarney
and Forest Town
to the North, and Westcliff
, Melville
and Richmond to the West. Originally established by the Randlords in the 1890s, Parktown is now home to many businesses, hospitals, schools, churches and restaurants, whilst still maintaining quiet residential areas. It is also home to three of the five campuses of the University of the Witwatersrand
including the education campus, medical school and Wits Business School. Parktown is now divided into Parktown and Parktown West with Jan Smuts Avenue
forming the dividing line. It is located in the previous metropolitan Region 4
of Johannesburg.
mountains and Pretoria in the North. She persuaded her husband to build a house there and Frank Emley was comissioned to build their mansion, Hohenheim. Parktown quickly became the new elite suburb. Soon, many wealthy entrepreneurs (see Randlord
) were building mansions along the ridge, and showing off their newfound affluence with parties, croquet on the lawns, and lavish dinners.
Parktown was where many conspirators of the Jameson Raid
against the South African Republic
were based. Today the suburb is home to many Victorian and Edwardian homes, and a number of designs by Sir Herbert Baker.
In the late 1960s 56 of the stately homes where demolished to make way for the Johannesburg College of Education (Now Wits Education Campus). In 1975 many more were demolished and properties reduced for the construction of the M1 motorway, a major artery running North to South through the center of the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg
The Parktown Mansions
tell many stories of the history of Johannesburg as they were the homes of some of the most influential resident of the early city. Whilst there are a number of mansions still standing in present day Parktown, a vast majority were destroyed during the late 1960s and 1970s to facilitate the construction of the M1 motorway and the increasing popularity of Parktown as a business district.
Remaining Baker mansions in Parktown include Northwards, Villa Arcadia, Bishopskop, The Stonehouse and Brenthurst. Other important mansions include Dolobran designed by J.A. Cope Christie and North Lodge designed by J.H. Aldwyncle.
. The Johannesburg Children's Theatre is across the Road from the Education Campus, housed in two Parktown mansions and the South African Ballet Theatre and South African Youth Ballet are a few blocks away in Braamfontein on the Johannesburg Theatre's property.
The Johannesburg Freemasons' Hall, home to many of Johannesburg oldest masonic lodges is also in Parktown.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, 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...
, the first suburb north of the inner-city. It is affectionately known as one of the Parks, others including Parkview
Parkview, Gauteng
Parkview is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It borders the suburb of Greenside and overlooks Zoo Lake, a park which lies on the opposite side of Jan Smuts Avenue from the Johannesburg Zoo. All of its streets are named after Irish counties....
, Parkwood, Westcliff
Westcliff, Gauteng
Westcliff is an affluent suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It has many old mansions, and views over the Northern Suburbs. It is the site of the Westcliff Hotel.- External links :*http://www.westcliff.co.za Westcliff Hotel...
, Parktown North
Parktown North, Gauteng
Parktown North is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is one of the older residential areas of the Northern Suburbs, having been created as a residential area for the poorer relatives of the Randlords who had built their mansions on Parktown Ridge during the early days of the Rand gold rush...
, Parkhurst
Parkhurst, Gauteng
Parkhurst is a small, but dense northern Johannesburg suburb, Gauteng Province, South Africa of about 2000 households and 4000 residents.Although, it is mainly residential with many people working from their home, there are two main business roads - 4th Avenue which has the restaurants, cafes and...
and Forest Town
Forest Town, Gauteng
Forest Town, as the name implies, is a leafy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It lies between the busy thoroughfares of Jan Smuts Avenue and Oxford Road, and is bordered to one side by the Johannesburg Zoo....
. Parktown is one of Johannesburgs largest suburbs, neighboring Hillbrow, Braamfontein
Braamfontein
Braamfontein is a central suburb of Johannesburg, in South Africa. It is well located, straddling Jan Smuts Avenue and Empire Road. The Nelson Mandela bridge is a landmark that connects Braamfontein to the city...
and Milpark to the South; Berea
Berea, Gauteng
Berea is a suburb of Johannesburg, in the South African province of Gauteng. It is located in Region 8....
and Houghton to the East; Killarney
Killarney, Gauteng
Killarney is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. A relatively wealthy area, located west of the M1 freeway, Killarney is a densely built-up area, and it has numerous apartment blocks, as well as a large shopping mall, Killarney Mall. Neighbouring suburbs include Houghton Estate, Riviera, and...
and Forest Town
Forest Town, Gauteng
Forest Town, as the name implies, is a leafy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It lies between the busy thoroughfares of Jan Smuts Avenue and Oxford Road, and is bordered to one side by the Johannesburg Zoo....
to the North, and Westcliff
Westcliff, Gauteng
Westcliff is an affluent suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It has many old mansions, and views over the Northern Suburbs. It is the site of the Westcliff Hotel.- External links :*http://www.westcliff.co.za Westcliff Hotel...
, Melville
Melville, Gauteng
Melville is a Bohemian suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. It is the location of many restaurants and bars, which are mostly frequented by students from the nearby University of Johannesburg, located in Auckland Park. It is also one of the city's gay villages.The suburb was proclaimed on...
and Richmond to the West. Originally established by the Randlords in the 1890s, Parktown is now home to many businesses, hospitals, schools, churches and restaurants, whilst still maintaining quiet residential areas. It is also home to three of the five campuses of the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
including the education campus, medical school and Wits Business School. Parktown is now divided into Parktown and Parktown West with Jan Smuts Avenue
Jan Smuts Avenue
Jan Smuts Avenue is a major street in Johannesburg, South Africa. It begins in Randburg, and passes through important business areas like Rosebank. It passes the Johannesburg Zoo, Zoo Lake and Wits University before becoming Bertha Street, and the Nelson Mandela Bridge near the Johannesburg CBD. It...
forming the dividing line. It is located in the previous metropolitan Region 4
Region 4 (Johannesburg)
Region 4 was an administrative region of the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006, situated almost exactly in the middle of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area. It contained the north-western suburbs of Johannesburg as well as western Randburg to the north and Florida to the...
of Johannesburg.
History
In 1890 Edouard Lippert bought a substantial tract of the Braamfontein Farm. He rebuilt the farm house located on a ridge and named it Marienhof after his wife, Marie. The ridge overlooked a massive plain and on this he planted the Sachsenwald Forest to supply the needs of the mines and fast developing city. He saw the promise that the ridge had for development as a township and partitioned the land into plots. In 1892, when Florence Phillips rode north from the dusty mining town of early Johannesburg and found the ridge. The view extended from Sachsenwald forest in the West to the MagaliesbergMagaliesberg
The Magaliesberg is a mountain range extending from Pretoria in the north of the Gauteng Province to a point south of Pilanesberg, in the North West Province, South Africa...
mountains and Pretoria in the North. She persuaded her husband to build a house there and Frank Emley was comissioned to build their mansion, Hohenheim. Parktown quickly became the new elite suburb. Soon, many wealthy entrepreneurs (see Randlord
Randlord
Randlord is a term used to denote the entrepreneurs who controlled the diamond and gold mining industries in South Africa in its pioneer phase from the 1870s up to World War I....
) were building mansions along the ridge, and showing off their newfound affluence with parties, croquet on the lawns, and lavish dinners.
Parktown was where many conspirators of the Jameson Raid
Jameson Raid
The Jameson Raid was a botched raid on Paul Kruger's Transvaal Republic carried out by a British colonial statesman Leander Starr Jameson and his Rhodesian and Bechuanaland policemen over the New Year weekend of 1895–96...
against the South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
were based. Today the suburb is home to many Victorian and Edwardian homes, and a number of designs by Sir Herbert Baker.
In the late 1960s 56 of the stately homes where demolished to make way for the Johannesburg College of Education (Now Wits Education Campus). In 1975 many more were demolished and properties reduced for the construction of the M1 motorway, a major artery running North to South through the center of the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg
Parktown West
Parktown West is almost entirely residential and famous for its beautiful avenues lined with Jacaranda and Plane trees, also known as the 'itchy ball tree'. Commerce is only permitted along the Western side of Jan Smuts Avenue. Parktown West was being developed as early as 1903 with significant increase in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s.Architecture
In addition to Sir Herbert Baker, many other architects were influential in building this historical suburb, including Frank Emley, J.A. Cope Christie, Francis Fleming and J.H. Aldwyncle. Baker's Parktown houses drew influences from the Cape Dutch revival style, which he had mastered in the Cape and combined this with stone work using "koppie stone" which was quarried in the area, often from the grounds of the houses that he built. J.A. Cope Christie was more influenced by the traditional Victorian style which he combined with elements of Art Nouveau.Mansions
Parktown mansions
The mansions of Parktown are an important part of the history of the city of Johannesburg. They were the homes of the Randlords, accountants, military personnel and other influential residents of early Johannesburg, dating back as early as the 1890s...
tell many stories of the history of Johannesburg as they were the homes of some of the most influential resident of the early city. Whilst there are a number of mansions still standing in present day Parktown, a vast majority were destroyed during the late 1960s and 1970s to facilitate the construction of the M1 motorway and the increasing popularity of Parktown as a business district.
Remaining Baker mansions in Parktown include Northwards, Villa Arcadia, Bishopskop, The Stonehouse and Brenthurst. Other important mansions include Dolobran designed by J.A. Cope Christie and North Lodge designed by J.H. Aldwyncle.
List of Schools
- Parktown Boys' High SchoolParktown Boys' High SchoolParktown Boys' High School is a public high school for boys in Parktown, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Parktown Boys' is well known for its emphasis on holistic education and in 2009 was rated as one of the top performing state schools in South Africa, and in the top ten schools in...
School built 1922 designed by P W D (Cleland), - Deutsche Schule Johannesburg opened in Hilbrow in 1890 moved to Parktown in 1969,
- Helpmekaar Kollege, Johannesburg's first Afrikaanse school built 1921,
- The Key School, A school dedicated to the education of autistic children,
- Parktown Convent built 1905 James F. Beardwood,
- Roedean School built 1903 designed Baker and Masey.
List of Hospitals and Clinics
- Brenthurst Clinic
- Donald Gordon Medical Centre
- Johannesburg General HospitalJohannesburg General Hospital'The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital , nicknamed Joburg Gen is an accredited general hospital in Parktown, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. It has 1088 beds...
- Milpark Hospital
- Parklane Clinic
Arts and Culture
Modern-day Parktown and its surrounds form a centre of Arts and Culture in Johannesburg. The Linder Auditorium, located on the Wits Education Campus is home to the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburgs only full-time professional orchestra. Just next door, the Williams Block houses the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra CompanyJohannesburg Youth Orchestra
The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra is a youth symphony orchestra founded in 1976. It is a full size symphony orchestra based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is made up entirely of musicians in high school and those that have recently graduated, up to age 25....
. The Johannesburg Children's Theatre is across the Road from the Education Campus, housed in two Parktown mansions and the South African Ballet Theatre and South African Youth Ballet are a few blocks away in Braamfontein on the Johannesburg Theatre's property.
Places of Worship and Gathering
Parktown is also home to a diverse range of Churches including a Dutch Reform Church, a beautiful 1904 Baker and Masey Anglican church, St. Georges and the Temple of the Church of the Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Temple Emanuel, one of Johannesburg's last remaining Jewish Reform Synagogues is also located in Parktown.The Johannesburg Freemasons' Hall, home to many of Johannesburg oldest masonic lodges is also in Parktown.
See also
- Parktown North
- Parktown PrawnParktown prawnThe Parktown prawn aka Parkmore prawn aka Parkhurst prawn, Libanasidus vittatus, is a monotypic species of king cricket found in Southern Africa. Although a member of the cricket order Orthoptera, it is placed in the family Anostostomatidae, separate from that of the true crickets, Gryllidae...
- South African Minesweeper HMSAS Parktown (T39)HMSAS Parktown (T39)HMSAS Parktown was a minesweeping whaler of the South African Naval Services that was sunk during the Second World War. She was built as the whaler Southern Sky for the Southern Whaling and Sealing Company in 1929 and sold in 1936 to the Union Whaling Company, acquiring the new name Sidney Smith...
sank off Tobruk in 1942, named after the Johannesburg suburb of Parktown
External Links
- The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company
- The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
- The Johannesburg General Hospital