Fossils dating back more than 2-million years have been unearthed in recent decades near Johannesburg proving the existence of pre-human life in this part of the world, but when were the first brick buildings built, and how many still survive?
The first structures to go up on the highveld plains that made up the site of early Johannesburg were a mix of tents and mud huts, followed by iron and wood houses. Of course, none of these houses stood for long, as the town grew rapidly, and buildings were quickly demolished to make way for the next wave of expansion, a pattern that has lasted up until the 1990s, when conservationists finally managed to persuade the government to preserve the city's heritage.
Within the borders of the Gandhi Square Precinct, there are a number of these heritage buildings, some dating back as far as 1897, which still stand to this day and carry a whole lot of history along with them.
Source reference:
joburg.org.za
Built in 1906
The Rand Club is the oldest private members' club in Johannesburg, South Africa, founded only a year after the city of Johannesburg itself was formed. Construction on the current, third, clubhouse was completed in 1904.
Built in 1906