Dunnottar is full of history
carlos...@za.abb.com
This is a repost originally from Ulf.
http://www.deat. gov.za/soer/ reports/ekurhule ni/Report/ AppendixF%
20Summary% 20of%20Known% 20Arts,%20Cultur e%20and%20Herita ge%20Site.
Heritage sites in the Nigel-Duduza area
During the 1880s the farm Varkensfontein belonged to Petrus Johannes
Marais (Lang Piet). He formed a company to exploit the gold
possibilities and the prospector, who was reading Sir Walter Scott's
novel The fortunes of Nigel when he struck gold in 1886,
named it the Nigel Gold Mining Company. A township was proclaimed in
1912. Some street names were taken from the novel. Nigel was raised to
municipal status in 1930. It is said that the cypress trees in the
town were grown from seeds brought from the garden of Gethsemane in
Jerusalem. One of the most important industries is the
manufacturing of rolling stock for Spoornet.
118. Aeronautical Museum
Tel (011) 360-6000
Situated at Dunnottar airport and flying school, a popular venue for
air shows.
119. Train museum
Tel (011) 360-6000
This is a private train museum with historical material.
120. Gen Alberts farmstead
Farm Honingfontein 339, Nigel, 12 km south of Devon on Balfour Road.
Large singlestory
Victorian house at the crest of a hill with a graveyard, containing
the grave of Gen Alberts.
Heritage sites in the Springs-KwaThema area
James Brooks surveyed the farm The Springs in 1883. It was 700
hectares and consisted of portions of remainders of other farms, and
thus state property when these farms were surveyed accurately. The
surveyor gave the name because there were a number of springs on the
property. Geduld, which now forms part of Springs, was granted to A J
Kraft in 1867. After the discovery of coal the first village was
established in 1887. The railway from Johannesburg and Boksburg was
opened in October 1890 and the first coal used in Johannesburg came
from the Springs-Boksburg mines.
Towards the end of the 1890s coal mining began around Witbank and the
mines at Springs gradually closed down.
The first gold options on Geduld were taken up in 1895. Gold-mining
investors acquired this farm in 1890 and mining began in 1908. In 1904
a township had been laid out and named Springs It acquired municipal
status in 1912. Gold mining developed greatly,
particularly after the 1930s, with eight important mines in the area.
At one time the town was the most important gold-producing area in the
world. Since that time there has been rapid industrial development and
mining is no longer essential for the town's prosperity.
Springs is today an important manufacturing centre.
121. Springs Civic Theatre
Tel (011) 360-2290
Cnr 2nd Avenue and 7th Street. The only professionally managed theatre
in the East
Rand, this centre is a vibrant professional and amateur venue for the
performing arts.
122. Springs Library and Gallery
Tel (011) 360-2291 5th Street
An extensive, permanent collection of visual arts, including a large
display of artworks by
various leading South African artists of the 20th century.
123. Tlamoha College
Tel (011) 736-4408
Sam Ngema Drive, Kwa-Thema
Tourism students of this College have initiated various tourism
activities in the
Ekurhuleni Metro area, including researching the cultural history of
Kwa-Thema.
124. Tibbot Memorial
Ermelo Road
A cenotaph to a son lost during the subsidence a the Great Eastern
Mine in 1907
125. War Memorial
Cnr 1st Street and 1st Avenue
A memorial erected for all soldiers who lost their lives during World
War 1 and 2
126. Voortrekker Monument
Cnr 6th Street and 4th Avenue
Sandstone memorial in memory of the Great Trek
127. Pioneer Park
Tel (011) 360-2142
This park contains a replica of a Dutch windmill. The park was
constructed on the site of
a reclaimed mine dump and is very popular as a picnic area over
weekends.
128. War cemetery
Tel (011) 360-2158
Set in highveld farmland, this war cemetery is the last resting place
of hundreds of soldiers who lost their lives during World War II.
There are graves of black and white
soldiers alongside each other.
129. Art Deco buildings
The central business district of Springs boasts one the largest
ensembles of Art Deco
buildings in South Africa.
130. KwaThema Indaba Tree
The Indaba Tree was the meeting place where the elders of the
community met to discuss matters of importance during the early years
of KwaThema. The local heritage
site was officially launched on 24 September 2000.
131. Central Fire Station
Built 1937-1938 in Art Deco style. One of the architectural gems of
Springs. Declared a national monument on 17 October 1997.