History of Randburg

Randburg is a metro area in the northwestern suburbs of Johannesburg, and consists of 32 suburbs that were amalgamated on 1 July 1959. The name Randburg is derived from the South African currency, the Rand, which replaced the pound sterling in 1959, just before South Africa became a republic.
The history of Randburg goes as far back as settlements by Boer pioneers in the 1850s and 1860s. The first farms were Klipfontein, Driefontein, Olievenhoutspoort, and Boskop. These four farms were then sub-divided among the sons of the early settlers. Driefontein, which was the original farm, extended from the northern boundary of Bryanston to the the present Braamfontein, which belonged to one J L Pretorius. In 1886 when he died, the farm was divided among his sons who later sold their portions. A portion of the farm was subsequently bought by the widow of Jacobus Brink of Pretoria. One of the first true Randburgers was her son Daniel Brink, who started farming on a portion of Driefontein in 1906. The portion was so large that it was later sub-divided into the suburbs of Kensington B, Beverley Gardens, Brian Brink and Vandia Grove. Randburg's first windmill - in Milner Street - was erected in 1924 by Daniel Brink and is still in the possession of one of Brink's descendants.

Charles Rocher bought a portion of the farm Driefontein and renamed his estate Bordeaux after the French city where his family had originated. Later, he sold it to a property company.

A portion of Boskop was bought by the famous Rand entrepreneur, John Dale Lace on which the house of the Labuschagnes was built. Dale Lace and his wife converted the house into their country residence as this was most fashionable among the elite at that time. The house was named Hy-Many House.

The possible lure of gold led numbers of speculators in England to invest money in plots in Johannesburg North which was a couple of hours on horseback from Johannesburg. This is where Abe Bailey and colleagues were investing. Which is why names like Carlton Road, Church Street, and Pritchard Street sprang up in the veld to give the impression that the township was part of the Golden City. Randburg's history is inextricably linked to that of Johannesburg. The area was gradually developed and, in 1928, stands could be obtained for as little as R50 an erf - a deposit of R10 and monthly payments of R1 a month in today's money. A fair sized home cost approximately R1 200. A tram ticket to downtown Johannesburg cost five cents.

Many Afrikaners, preferring wide open spaces to city life, flocked from Johannesburg to settle in the north west. Not long afterwards, development started which made life a little easier and in 1955/56, electricity was supplied to limited areas. Commerce, services and trade began to flourish. In the 1950s the area had less than 9 000 inhabitants in nine suburbs and by 1959 there were 13 Townships. Then came the question - should this area be incorporated into Johannesburg or should it become an independent municipality? Most of the residents insisted on their own town. It was decided that a competition be held to find a name for the new town. The prize was 100 pounds. Editors of six newspapers, as well as Mr Nienaber of the Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, and Mr Thys van Lille of the SABC were to be adjudicators. A total of 700 names were submitted. In all, 12 names which included the word "Rand" were proposed. The three chosen as final proposals were Randburg, Mooirand and Randstad. Six lucky people who proposed Randburg shared the 100 pounds.

On 23 May 1956, a town council action committee was formed with the goal of establishing an independent town separate from the then North Western Area Committee of the Peri-Urban Council. Robert van Tonder, who settled in Ferndale in 1952, was elected chairman. An independent magisterial district was created in 1975 and the Magistrate's Court was established. District headquarters for the SA Police was housed in a new building in 1978.

Over the past 30 years, developers and investors seized the opportunities in the eastern section of Randburg - opportunities that are being created afresh in the new and bigger Randburg West. It is here, where developers and investors have the opportunity to take a second bite at the apple, that the framework has been created for sustained growth and development in the fields of property development, light industries, township development, retail outlets, and service industries. With a clear vision for the future of the Randburg of tomorrow, a number of planning studies in which the precise details of future residential trends, manufacturing and industrial requirements, retail developments, and recreational needs, have been planned. With this vision of Randburg's development over the next couple of years and beyond, future residents and investors are welcomed in advance. With so many residents, investors, and businesses showing their loyalty to the town, a dynamic period lies ahead for Randburg. Randburg is being planned for the people who live and work in it.

The vibrant town of Randburg as we know it today, came into existence during the Great Trek when Afrikaans farmers still owned the vast majority of farms around Johannesburg.
The area which now constitutes Randburg was initially inhabitated by Boers who had come to the area as a result of the Great Trek. JL Pretorius was the original owner of a farm called Driefontein, which extended from present day Bryanston to present day Braamfontein. In 1886, when JL Pretorius died, the farm was subdivided amongst his nine sons, a lot of whom sold their farms to outsiders. In 1906, Daniel Brink started farming on a portion of the Driefontein farm which was much later to be subdivided into the suburbs of Brian Brink, Vandia Grove, Kensington 'B' and Beverley Gardens. One of his farms windmills is still in existence today on a property in Milner Street!

Charles Rocher also bought a portion of Driefontein and renamed his estate Bordeaux after the French city from where his family had originated. In the early 1930's Bordeaux was bought from Rocher by a property company.

Another farm which was to become part of present day Randburg was called Boskop and was owned by J Labuschagne in 1860. An area of this farm was demarcated and named Klipfontein on 6 June 1865. Other owners of sections of Boskop were bought by CJ Smith and A Erasmus after 1883. In 1903, a huge portion of Boskop was sold to an established Rand enterpreneur named John Dale Lace and included the old house of the Labuschagnes. Lace converted this house into a country residence - a fashionable practice amongst the Johannesburg elite of the time. Lace then sold his portion to Tom Kelly in 1929. Kelly restored the home and named it "Hy Many". This house is still in existence today.

Another section of the Klipfontein farm was bought by Scotsman William Gray Rattray in 1891. He renamed his portion Craighall after his birthplace in Scotland. Still another portion of Klipfontein was bought by business tycoon Sir Abe Bailey and he renamed his portion Ferndale.

The history of Randburg has strong ties to the History of Johannesburg as a whole, which started when Gold was discovered in the area. The area of Randburg was not a part of Johannesburg's boundaries and did not share in the gold rush, only starting real development in the 1920s. By 1928, pieces of land were being sold in the Randburg area for just R50 each! (The cost of an average house at the time was R1200.) Johannesburg and its surrounding areas experienced a large influx of people during the Great Depression (1928-1934). South Africa was experiencing a four year drought at the time as well which drove even more people from the rural areas into the cities. Still, the area now constituting Randburg didn't even have electricity until 1955. The introduction of electricity in that year caused commerce and trade to flourish in the area. During the 1950s there were less than 9000 inhabitants in 9 suburbs. In 1958 the first newspaper for the North, called "Noord Nuus", was published.

It is uncertain what the motivation was for buying land in Johannesburg North because it was far from the gold digging area, but several speculators put out the rumour that it was fashionable to own land in Johannesburg North and this has not changed to this day.

On 20 April 1959, it was decided that a competition would be held to find a name for this newly developed area. 700 names were submitted some being Fairydale, Serena, Titania, Uniekburg, Venus, Wonderstad, Zuriel, Randburg, Randstad, Mooirand, Aandstilte, Banket, Celeste, Demos and Ego. The six entrants who proposed the name of Randburg shared the 100 Pound prize.

Randburg had since 1956 been trying to be classed separately to Johannesburg be it's own Municipality. In 1956 a committee representing Randburg held a meeting to vote on Randburg's status. The board voted to have a seperate town and applied for municipal status which was granted on 1 July 1959.

Then in 1968 Johannesburg tried to incorporate Randburg in its municipal area, but the Van der Spuy committee rejected the proposal and Randburg remained independent and increased Randburg's jurisdiction to 86 km squared. Today Randburg is 100 km squared.

In 1972 the town council formulated its first masterplan for Randburg's development, in accordance with the the town's motto "Planning for People". This plan has laid the foundations for Randburg's tremendous growth and development. Despite this huge growth, more opportunities are arising in the Western side of Randburg which is now being developed at a rapid pace.

In January 1975, Randburg became an independent magisterial district with it's own court. South African Police headquarters were established in 1978.

It is only since the recent municipal elections that Randburg has lost its independent stature and its own municipality.

The town currently consists of around 30 000 homes and 220 000 residents. The average growth rate of the area since 1980 is around 25%.

Young people choose Randburg to buy properties in its new upmarket areas, while the more established suburbs of Greenside, Linden, and Emmarentia are still regarded as extremely valuable property. With restaurants and shopping centres on almost every corner, Randburg is a very popular area.

The area that is known today as Randburg was formed by the four farms of Klipfontein, Driefontein, Olievenhoutspoort and Boskop, and the earliest people that settled there were Boer pioneers in the 1850s and 1860s. The farms were subdivided over the years, the first of which was Driefontein, which was subdivided into the suburbs of Kensington B, Beverly Gardens, Brian Brink and Vandia Grove. An additional portion of the farm was bought by Charles Rocher and named Bordeaux, which was to become one of the early pioneers of Cape deciduous farming. The farm Boskop also had an important role in the history of Randburg with a part being proclaimed as Klipfontein, and in 1891 a part of it was renamed Craighall, with another part being called Ferndale.

Sanlam Centre in Randburg was first shopping mall built in the country. This shopping centre was renamed to Randburg Square in about 2005.

Information from:
(Information from Randburg published by History of South Africa Community Publications cc, edited by Thea Jackson).
http://www.amethyst.co.za/
Randburg Sun, 7 September 2001

Photos of Randburg
http://www.amethyst.co.za/JhbSuburbs/Randburg/Randburg.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Randburg is a large town in Gauteng, South Africa . It wa once a separate municipality but its municipal government has since become a part of the City of Johannesburg.

Randburg's residencial population tends to be more affluent than most Johannesburg dwellers. Randburg is well known for its vast number of shopping centres and entertainment areas, including the Cresta Centre, Brightwater Common, Sanlam Shopping Centre and various others.

Randburg has an up-market business sector.

Randburg contains 32 suburbs, most of them residential. These include Darrenwood, Linden, Cresta, Aldara Park, and others. There are many self-catering chalets, hotels, guest houses and lodges to be found in Randburg.

In the 1950s Randburg was a low-density residential area inhabited by mostly Afrikaans-speakingpeople.

In 1959 Randburg was granted municipality status. A plan was drawn up to develop a central business district with retail, civic and office uses. in the early 1960s retail activity comprised a shopping strip along Jan Smuts Avenue and Hendrik Verwoerd Drive arterials. A new plan in 1972 resulted in an outdoor mall, built in 1976.

When Cresta Centre opened in 1976 in the Randburg vicinity, it attracted many shoppers. However, urban decay set in.

In 2004, Johannesburg approved plans to declare the Randburg CBD a city improvement district (CID) and to transform the area into a safe, clean, attractive, user-friendly and desirable commercial area.

In the 1850's and 1860's settlements by Boer pioneerswere already occuring.

The first farms were
Klipfontein
Driefontein
Olievenhoutspoort
Boskop.
These four farms were sub-divided among the sons of the early settlers.
Driefontein, which was the original farm, belonged to J L Pretorius.
In 1886 when he died, the farm was divided among his sons who later sold their portions.
A portion of the farm was bought by the widow of Jacobus Brink of Pretoria.
Her son Daniel Brink was one of the first true Randburgers
He started farming on a portion of Driefontein in 1906, which was so large that it was later sub-divided into the suburbs of
Kensington B
Beverley Gardens
Brian Brink
Vandia Grove.
 
Randburg's first windmill - in Milner Street - was erected in 1924 by Daniel Brink and is still in the possession of one of Brink's descendants.

Randburg's history is woven in with that of Johannesburg.

In 1928, stands could be obtained for as little as R50 an erf - a deposit of R10 and monthly payments of R1 a month in today's money.
A fair sized home cost approximately R1 200.
A tram ticket to downtown Johannesburg cost five cents.
 
1950s - less than 9 000 inhabitants in nine suburbs

959 - 13 Townships.

A decision had to be made as to whether they should be incorporated into Johannesburg or become an independent municipality.

Most of the residents voted for establishing their own town, so it was decided to hold a competition to chose the name for the town. The prize was 100 pounds. A total of 700 names were submittedl, 12 of which included the word "Rand".

The three chosen as final proposals were Randburg, Mooirand and Randstad. There were 6 people who submitted the name Randburg,and they shared the 100 pounds.
http://www.joburghappenings.co.za/randburg_homepage.htm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History of Randburg
In the 1950s Randburg was a low-density residential area inhabited by a primarily Afrikaans-speaking population, according to the report. When it was electrified in 1956-57, some commercial development took place and retail development began to emerge along the major arterials.
In 1959 Randburg was granted municipality status for 13 northern suburbs of Johannesburg, following a request by 24 "influential residents" to establish an independent municipality. A plan was drawn up to develop a central business district with retail, civic and office uses.

Retail activity in the early 1960s comprised a shopping strip along Jan Smuts Avenue and Hendrik Verwoerd Drive arterials, the report says. However, the steep roads restricted pedestrian traffic because of "shoppers' reluctance to walk uphill".

Consequently, the Randburg council commissioned a new plan in 1972 and an outdoor mall was built in 1976, in an attempt to "shift activity patterns in the area by 90 degrees and take advantage of the relatively flat topography in the east-west direction" of the CBD.

The new mall was complemented by the construction of a new civic centre to house the municipality and other major commercial developments. The future of Randburg looked bright.

Yet another plan was commissioned in 1985 for the expansion of the CBD. The plan envisaged that the new CBD would stretch from Bond Street in the north to Republic Road in the south and as far as Main Street in the west. However, the report says this ambitious plan was never realised and "only a limited number of blocks managed to attract commercial development".

Decay sets in
In the 1980s two major property trends negatively affected the Randburg CBD, notes the report. The development of "large, enclosed malls under single ownership with well-maintained pedestrian environments" in Johannesburg's northern suburbs, made the outdoor Randburg Mall seem increasingly unfashionable and progressively less attractive. When Cresta Centre opened in 1976 in the Randburg vicinity, it successfully attracted many shoppers.
Randburg initially had enjoyed an advantage as one of the few decentralised office nodes, but the development of office parks were stiff competition with their strong security, privately landscaped surroundings and generous parking.

The mini-bus taxi industry moved into Randburg at the same time. Illegal ranks were established in almost every vacant plot of land along the major arterials, notably on the council site west of Jan Smuts Avenue and on the top of the Hilltop site west of Jan Smuts Avenue and Hendrik Verwoerd Drive.

Informal trading sprung up around the taxi ranks, which negatively affected the surrounding formal shops. Grime took root.

The then Northern Metropolitan Local Council moved out of the old civic centre, which had been an important activity in the Randburg CBD, after local government restructuring in 2000. Eventually, squatters invaded the building, leading "to further environmental degradation".

Steps forward
After the two illegal taxi ranks on Jan Smuts Avenue and at the Hilltop site were closed, a number of disputes erupted between residents, businesses and taxi owners. However, a new R8,9-million taxi rank at the Randburg Mall was opened in October 2001, paving the way for the City of Johannesburg to initiate developments in the area.
In 2004, Johannesburg approved plans to declare the Randburg CBD a city improvement district (CID) and to transform the area into a safe, clean, attractive, user-friendly and desirable commercial node, an incentive to attract back business and investment.

The upgrade, a joint effort by the City and the local business community, will ensure "more effective management of public areas, address issues of crime and grime, promote business confidence and play an overarching role in the promotion of the area, particularly the mall".

In March 2003 Kagiso Urban Management, the Randburg CID's implementing agent, carried out a survey of the perceptions of the area's stakeholders and users. It found that safety, security and the public environment had to be tackled urgently by the CID, which would be done over three years.

To boost these efforts, the Johannesburg Property Company, the company that manages the City's properties, has commissioned a plan to develop a civic precinct on the council-owned site bounded by Jan Smuts Avenue, Hendrik Verwoerd Drive and Selkirk Road.

The plan entails "reintroducing civic services into the existing council buildings, introducing new administrative and service functions to be accommodated in new buildings and the restructuring of the site to ensure a more appropriate and coherent balance of built and open spaces".

The JDA's Ntsubane is optimistic that despite the problems experienced in Randburg, the revitalisation efforts will attract back business. "The revitalisation is an incentive for business to stay."

-- Joburg News Agency
http://www.jda.org.za/2005/feb7_randburg.stm