The Red Valley back in the day
Roodepoort, which means "red valley" is a residential area which gets its name from the red soil in the area
According to SA History website, and Joburg City culture website, it all started back in 1884, when Fred Struben discovered the first payable gold in the area, at what he called the Confidence Reef, a large rocky outcrop in the centre of Roodepoort, and from that the city developed.
At the time the area was settled by scattered Boer farmers on nine farms. Four of the farms; Roodepoort, Vogelstruisfontein, Paardekraal and Wilgrespruit, were soon declared public diggings. Roodepoort, which means “red valley” is a residential area that gets its name from the red soil in the area.
Jan Bantjies secured the prospecting rights on the farm Roodepoort and the next year, gold was discovered. The diggers needed a place to pitch their tents and so the farm Roodepoort opened up its land. A shantytown sprang up and four mining towns, Roodepoort, Florida, Hamberg and Maraisburg, were proclaimed between 1886 and 1888.
In 1886 the main reef at Langlaagte in Johannesburg was discovered. The gold at Confidence Reef, mostly surface gold in quartz rock, soon ran out, but by then a settled community was established in Roodepoort.
In 1963 the Roodepoort-Maraisburg municipality was changed to Roodepoort and city status was granted in 1977.
Some of Roodepoort’s famous landmarks is known as the Roodepoort Museum, Old library, Roodepoort Civic Fountain, en theater. The Old House on the corner of 3rd Street and Boundary Road consists of an early three-roomed wood and iron structure, which soon had a verandah and railing added to become an attractive cottage. The old municipal offices in Berlandina Street, an attractive plaster and stone building now used as a Roodepoort branch library. It was declared a national monument in 1985. Another national monument is the old Roodepoort Town School in Rex Street, on the site of the original building erected in 1894.
The museum covers local history, the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand and the development of Roodepoort from mining camp to city. Roodepoort’s history can be traced back to the Stone Age. The first settlements were established by black cattle farmers and after the Great Trek of 1834 to 1840, some of the farmers who had left the Cape Colony, settled in the interior.
The Civic fountain that was dedicated to “The Fallen Members of the South African Security Forces” was incorporated into the design of the actual Civic Centre building, with the same building style and materials evident. The building was opened on 4 July 1980, by the honourable W.A. CRUYWAGEN, the (then) Administrator of Transvaal. It is possible that the fountain was dedicated on the same day.
The fountain consists of three tiers (excluding base receiving fountain- pan), with each square, stacked upon each other in ascending size, it stands about 2.5 meters tall and the dedication plaque is affixed to the second (middle) tier of the fountain (on the West face) facing the building. The dedication plaque is made of black marble, and the following inscribed sandblasted thereupon; “Hierdie spuitfontein is opgerig ter nagedagtenis aan gesneuwelde lede van die Suid-Afrikaanse veiligheidsmagte wie se name op die ererol verskyn. This fountain was dedicated in commemoration of fallen members of the South African Security Forces whose names appear on the Roll of Honour”
The museum also shows all the different life-style periods. The Pioneers house depicts the typical lifestyle of these early settlers. The late Victorian house depicts life in the towns after the discovery of gold. The 1920’s and 1930’s display rooms depict the rapidly changing life-style of the period between the World Wars. A special display room houses the Museum’s collection of international decorative art objects, including the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
Another famous landmark is the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, that was founded in 1982, but has been a popular venue for outings since the 1800’s as it was known as the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden.
As Pittacus Lore stated, “A place is only as good as the people you know in it. It’s the people that make the place.”
