Vorna Valley

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Vorna Valley
Vorna Valley Vlei.jpg
South Africa Gauteng location map.svg
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Vorna Valley
South Africa adm location map.svg
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Vorna Valley
Coordinates: 25°59′54″S28°06′26″E / 25.99833°S 28.10722°E / -25.99833; 28.10722 Coordinates: 25°59′54″S28°06′26″E / 25.99833°S 28.10722°E / -25.99833; 28.10722
Country South Africa
Province Gauteng
Municipality City of Johannesburg
Main Place Midrand
Government
  CouncillorAnnette Deppe
Area
[1]
  Total3.44 km2 (1.33 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total12,446
  Density3,600/km2 (9,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
   Black African 53.4%
   Coloured 4.2%
   Indian/Asian 25.0%
   White 16.3%
  Other1.1%
First languages (2011)
[1]
   English 54.8%
   Zulu 9.3%
   Afrikaans 5.4%
   Tswana 5.0%
  Other25.5%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
1686
PO box
1686

Vorna Valley is a suburb of Midrand, South Africa. It is located in Region A of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

History

Vorna Valley derives its name from the Galaun family's home village of Varniai (Vornia), Lithuania. Jacob and Michle, father and mother of brothers Joseph, Israel, Louis, Harry, Abe, and sisters Leah, Malka and Tzira, lived in Lithuania. Jacob owned a butchery and leased a piece of land on which they kept cattle. Michle came from a cheese-making family. The Galaun family sold cheese as well as milk to supplement their income from their butchery.

Many Jewish youths from Lithuania emigrated due to the military conscription, poverty and anti-semitism. Harry Galaun moved to South Africa where he established himself as an established property developer and owned a bottle store and land known as Halfway House. Harry eventually established the township of Vorna Valley in the 1970s.

The main arterial road was named after Harry Galaun while other streets in the suburb were named after mainly South African artists, poets, writers, performers and influential people in the world of arts at that time. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Sub Place Vorna Valley". Census 2011.
  2. Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft (23 September 2003). "Memorial Service for the late Abe Galaun - 2003". African Jewish Congress. Retrieved 5 February 2014.