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Parktown

Coordinates:26°10′S28°1′E/ 26.167°S 28.017°E/-26.167; 28.017
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(Redirected fromParktown, Gauteng)
For other uses, seePark Town (disambiguation).
Parktown
Parktown is located in Gauteng
Parktown
Parktown
Parktown is located in South Africa
Parktown
Parktown
Parktown is located in Africa
Parktown
Parktown
Coordinates:26°10′S28°1′E/ 26.167°S 28.017°E/-26.167; 28.017
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceGauteng
MunicipalityCity of Johannesburg
Main PlaceJohannesburg
Area
[1]
• Total3.79 km2(1.46 sq mi)
Population
(2011)[1]
• Total6,936
• Density1,800/km2(4,700/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
•Black African68.4%
•Coloured2.5%
•Indian/Asian9.3%
•White18.6%
• Other1.2%
First languages(2011)
[1]
•English39.3%
•Zulu18.5%
•Southern Ndebele8.9%
•Afrikaans6.0%
• Other27.3%
Time zoneUTC+2(SAST)
Postal code(street)
2193

Parktownis a wealthy suburb ofJohannesburg,South Africa,and is the first suburb north of the inner city (both chronologically and geographically). It is affectionately known as one of theParks,others includingParkview,Parkwood,Westcliff,Parktown North,ParkhurstandForest Town.Parktown is one of Johannesburg's largest suburbs, neighbouringHillbrow,BraamfonteinandMilparkto the South;BereaandHoughtonto the East;KillarneyandForest Townto the North, andWestcliff,MelvilleandRichmondto the West. Originally established by theRandlordsin 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 theUniversity of the Witwatersrandincluding theeducation campus,medical schoolandWits Business School.It is located in Region F of theCity of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

History[edit]

In 1890 Edouard Lippert bought a substantial tract of the Braamfontein Farm. He rebuilt the farm house located on a ridge and named itMarienhofafter 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, Lady 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 theMagaliesbergmountains and Pretoria in the North. She persuaded her husband to build a house there and Frank Emley was commissioned to build their mansion,Hohenheim.Parktown quickly became the new elite suburb. Soon, many wealthy entrepreneurs (seeRandlord) 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 theJameson Raidagainst theSouth African Republicwere based. Today the suburb is home to many Victorian and Edwardian homes, and a number of designs bySir Herbert Baker.

In the late 1960s, 56 of the stately homes were 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 theM1 motorway,a major artery running north to south through the center of the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.

Parktown West[edit]

Rhodes Avenue. A typical Parktown street with theJacarandatrees in full bloom

Parktown Westis the section of Parktown, West of Jan Smuts Avenue. It 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.[citation needed]

Architecture[edit]

In addition to Sir Herbert Baker, many other architects were influential in building this historical suburb, including Bertram Richard Avery, Frank Emley,James Cope Christie,Francis Fleming and Charles Aburrow. 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. James Cope Christie's style is eclectic drawing strong influences from Victorian styles andArt Nouveau.Charles Aburrow's designs were strongly Victorian whilstBertram Richard AveryandFrank Emleyfavoured theEdwardianstyle.

Economy[edit]

Parktown also has a business district with a number of office blocks and commercial ventures.Transnet Freight Rail(previously Spoornet) has its head office in the Inyanda House in Parktown.[2]

Mansions[edit]

Northwards, Johannesburg 26.17720S, 28.03650E

TheParktown Mansionstell many stories of the history of Johannesburg as they were the homes of some of the most influential residents 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[edit]

  • Parktown Boys' High SchoolSchool built 1922 designed by P W D (Cleland),
  • Deutsche Schule Johannesburgopened in Hillbrow 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,
  • Holy Family College (Parktown Convent)built 1905 James F. Beardwood,
  • Rand Meisieskool
  • Roedean Schoolbuilt 1903 designed Baker and Masey.
  • The National School of the Arts
  • John Orr Technical High School
  • Roseneath Primary School

List of hospitals and clinics[edit]

Notable residents[edit]

Arts and culture[edit]

Modern-day Parktown and its surrounds form a centre of Arts and Culture in Johannesburg. The Linder Auditorium, located on theWits Education Campusis home to theJohannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra,Johannesburg's only full-time professional orchestra. Just next door, the Williams Block houses theJohannesburg Youth Orchestra Company.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[edit]

Parktown is also home to a diverse range of churches including a Dutch Reformed church, a beautiful 1904 Baker and Masey Anglican church, St. Georges, and the Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of 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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Sub Place Parktown".Census 2011.
  2. ^"Contact UsArchived2013-07-23 at theWayback Machine."Transnet Freight Rail.Retrieved on 15 April 2013. "Physical Address Inyanda House 15 Girton Road Parktown 2193"

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toParktown.
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