Doornfontein

Last updated

Doornfontein
South Africa Gauteng location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Doornfontein
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Doornfontein
Africa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Doornfontein
Coordinates: 26°11′S28°03′E / 26.183°S 28.050°E / -26.183; 28.050
Country South Africa
Province Gauteng
Municipality City of Johannesburg
Main Place Johannesburg
Area
[1]
  Total0.46 km2 (0.18 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total4,484
  Density9,700/km2 (25,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
   Black African 97.2%
   Coloured 1.1%
   Indian/Asian 0.4%
   White 1.2%
  Other0.1%
First languages (2011)
[1]
   Zulu 34.1%
  English18.7%
   Northern Sotho 8.5%
   Southern Ndebele 6.7%
  Other32.0%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2094
PO box
2028

Doornfontein is an inner-city suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, located to the east of the city centre, Region 8.

Contents

History

The area, whose name means "thorn fountain", was originally the southern part of a farm owned by Frederick Jacobus Bezuidenhout, and was proclaimed a public diggings after the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886. The suburb was laid out in the late 1880s by Thomas Yeo, and became the first residential suburb of Johannesburg. In 1897 the freehold of the suburb was bought by the Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Company (JCI), owned by the mining magnate Barney Barnato. [2] The suburb (and Berea) were developed by the company and the district became known as "Millionaire's Row". The JCI also built Norman House, a striking mansion home for Barnato. [3] The property was situated near to the Irene Church with its front entrance on End Street. [3] In his biography of Barnato, Harry Raymond wrote that "as a practical proof of his faith in the permanency of the Gold Fields of the Rand he decided to build a large home for his own dwelling place and tenders were called for its erection." [3] Afterwards the house was the residence of the mining magnate, John Dale Lace. [3] It was subsequently converted into an institution known as Dale Lace house, a residence for senior citizens. The building has since been demolished. [3]

Following the Anglo-Boer War, many of the wealthier residents moved north to Parktown, and Doornfontein, or "Doorie", became home to many Jewish immigrants. During the Great Depression large parts of Doornfontein were bought up by property speculators and turned into slum housing or "yards". These areas were cleared in the mid-1930s and became light industrial manufacturing areas. [4]

In 1967, Adam Leslie, a Jewish theatrical personality took over a small theatre on End Street that had been designed by Sir Herbert Baker for Lady Farrar, wife of Sir George Farrar. [5] [2] The building had previously housed the South African College of Music, with a foundation stone laid in 1906. Leslie converted the building into a music hall with 200 seats and hosted musical revues. [2] The music hall closed after Leslie sold the building in 1975 due to personal health issues. [2] Mannie Manim, co-founder of the Market Theatre was responsible for transforming an old Doornfontein house into the Arena Theatre. [2] At the Arena, Manim formed a theatrical group, The Company with Danny Keogh, Barney Simon, Vanessa Cooke and Janice Honeyman. [2] The theatre was eventually demolished as the Technikon Witwatersrand expanded. [2]

Features

Large areas of Doornfontein are now occupied by the Technikon Witwatersrand, which is now a part of the University of Johannesburg, Ellis Park Stadium and Johannesburg (Athletics) Stadium. The Johannesburg meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has been situated at 3 Gordon Terrace since the late 1950s. The area had undergone substantial transport renewal in 2008 in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in soccer, especially the introduction of a key route of the new rapid transit bus system. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillbrow</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

Hillbrow is an inner city residential neighbourhood of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is known for its high levels of population density, unemployment, poverty, prostitution and crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Johannesburg</span> Aspect of history

Johannesburg is a large city in Gauteng Province of South Africa. It was established as a small village controlled by a Health Committee in 1886 with the discovery of an outcrop of a gold reef on the farm Langlaagte. The population of the city grew rapidly, becoming a municipality in 1898. In 1928 it became a city making Johannesburg the largest city in South Africa. In 2002 it joined ten other municipalities to form the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Today, it is a centre for learning and entertainment for all of South Africa. It is also the capital city of Gauteng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barney Barnato</span> British businessman who made his fortune in South Africa

Barney Barnato, born Barnet Isaacs, was a British Randlord and diamond magnate, one of the entrepreneurs who gained control of diamond mining, and later, gold mining in South Africa from the 1870s up to World War I. He is perhaps best remembered as being a rival of Cecil Rhodes.

Parktown is a wealthy 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 Johannesburg's largest suburbs, neighbouring 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. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

Belgravia is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

Berea is an inner city neighbourhood of Johannesburg, in the South African province of Gauteng. It is east and adjacent to the Johannesburg CBD. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

Fairview is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a small suburb found on the eastern edge of the Johannesburg central business district (CBD), with the suburb of Troyeville to the north, Jeppestown to the south and Malvern to its east. Commissioner Street, the main street in the CBD, has its eastern end in the suburb. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

Lorentzville is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a small suburb found on the eastern edge of the Johannesburg central business district (CBD), tucked between the suburbs of Bertrams and Judith's Paarl, with Troyeville to the south. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

Malvern is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Situated east of the Johannesburg CBD, it lies south of Kensington and north of the industrial suburb of Denver. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and lies just west of Bedfordview in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

Louis Botha Avenue is a major street in Johannesburg, South Africa. Originally part of the main road between central Johannesburg and Pretoria, it runs along through the north-eastern parts of the city from Hillbrow to Sandton, passing through numerous older suburbs, including Houghton and Orange Grove, before it becomes the Pretoria Main Road (R101) which passes the Alexandra Township and continues to Midrand and Pretoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rand Afrikaans University</span> Former South African university (1967–2004), now incorporated into University of Johannesburg

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel family</span>

The Joel family of England was headed by three brothers, Jack, Woolf and Solomon, who made a fortune in diamond and gold mining in South Africa. Their father was Joel Joel (1836–1893) and their mother Catherine "Kate" Joel née Isaacs (1840–1917), a sister of Barnett Isaacs, later known as Barney Barnato.

Randlords were the capitalists who controlled the diamond and gold mining industries in South Africa from the 1870s up to World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Joel</span>

Solomon Barnato "Solly" Joel, born in London, England, moved to Cape Colony in the 1880s where he made his fortune in connection with diamonds, later becoming a financier with interests in mining, brewing and railways.

JCI or Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Co. Ltd. was founded in 1889 by the British entrepreneur Barney Barnato. JCI was a major force in South African mining for over 100 years. Using his investments in the Kimberley diamond fields, particularly his 25% share in De Beers, Barnato foresaw the value of and invested in the potential of the Witwatersrand gold mines. At first he bought small but rich mines near Germiston – the New Primrose, named after his daughter, and others in the same region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parktown mansions</span> Houses in Johannesburg, South Africa

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. The first of these mansions, Hohenheim was designed by Frank Emley and was built for Sir Lionel Phillips and his wife Lady Florence Phillips. The name Hohenheim had been used originally by Hermann Eckstein, one of the first Rand Lords to name his house after the place of his own birth. When Phillips became the head of Eckstein & Co, he moved in to Eckstein's house but due to the expansion of the city decided to build the new Hohenheim in an enviable site further from the mine workings. Sir Lionel Phillips was banished from the Republic for his involvement in the Jameson Raid. It is perhaps fitting that the next occupant of this famous house was none other than Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, the author of the best selling book 'Jock of the Bushveldt'. The house was demolished but a plaque remains in honor of this building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnato Park High School</span> Public school in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Barnato Park High School is a co-educational school located in Berea, Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built on the site of the mansion that had been designed for Barney Barnato, the mining millionaire.

Linksfield is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a suburb lying north-east of the Johannesburg CBD and is surrounded southerly by Linksfield Ridge, easterly by Linksfield North and Bedford, St Andrews and Senderwood. Linksfield itself is located in Region E of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. On the southerly side and over the ridge are the areas of Cyrildene, Observatory and Morninghill, but these suburbs are not visible to Linksfield as they are hidden behind the Linksfield Ridge.

Bezuidenhout Valley is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The area lies to the east of the Johannesburg CBD and is surrounded by the suburbs of Kensington to the south and Observatory to the north. It is located in Region E of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. It is colloquially known as the Bez Valley.

Parlshoop is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, around 4 km west of City Hall. It borders Langlaagte to the north and Homestead Park to the northeast. The name comes from the village of Paarlshoop, the oldest private township on the Witwatersrand.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Sub Place Doornfontein". Census 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Musiker, Naomi. "Jewish contributions to the upgrading of the Johannesburg inner city". Jewish Currents. 2012
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Norman House - Gone but not forgotten The Heritage Portal. 15 April 2016
  4. James North Freedom rising - 1985 Page 74 "One of the oldest neighborhoods, the legendary and picturesque Doornfontein, stubbornly survives as a pocket of some integration. Doorie, as its residents fondly call it, is the other side of Nugget Street, just east of the central city. "
  5. Walking tour of West Park Cemetery South African Jewish Report. 11 November 2013
  6. Upgraded R77m train station unveiled IOL