SPRINGS

 Largely an industrial area, known for its wealth of gold and coal. The town boasts the HF Verwoerd Theatre, one of the few live theatres on the Witwatersrand outside the Pretoria/Johannesburg area. The Pam Brink Stadium, home of the Eastern Transvaal Rugby Union, is situated near the civic centre and seats 20 000. The modern Civic Centre is a popular venue for the performing arts.

 Springs, City Centre 1968

SPRINGS PARK Lovely park area built on a converted mine dump. Set out in lawns with a meandering rivulets and cascading waterfalls. Covered picnic spots.
ALEXANDER DAM The home of the Murray Park Yacht Club, but casual sailing is permitted. During Nov. to Feb. yachting is suspended due the weeds. Walks marked around the dam.

GERMISTON

 Mainly an industrial  town and railway junction, site of the largest gold refinery in the world. John Jack, a travelling Scot who decided to try his hand at prospecting, discovered gold with incredible ease on the farm Elandsfontein. With his partner, August Simmer, Jack bought the farm and floated a mining company called Simmer and Jack in 1887, around which the city of Germiston grew.

 President Street

 

The Illuminated Fountain in the shape of a mine headgear, in Johann Rissik Street, is one of the town's well known landmarks. Gosforth Park Race Course is an important racing venue and headquarters for the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of South Africa. The Hermann Immelman Stadium, with its tartan track, is one of the most modern sports complexes in the country, hosting a wide variety of sports.

HARTBEESPOORT DAM

 A popular recreational spot 35 km to the west of Pretoria in the Magaliesberg mountain range. This dam, covering 12 km², formed by the Crocodile and Magalies Rivers, hosts a variety of water sports and is popular amongst anglers. There are beautiful views from the road which skirts the dam and crosses the dam wall via a small tunnel. Facilities in the area include caravan and camping sites, a hotel, lodges, tea gardens. Numerous recreational resorts offer walking trails, picnic sites and sports facilities. The Cableway offers panoramic views of the whole area from the highest point in Magaliesberg. Hot air balloon flights are available; transport is provided from Johannesburg.

 Hartbeespoort Dam * Western Transvaal /1973/
The damming of the Crocodile River amidst delightful scenery in the Magaliesberg Range has created a popular inland resort some 21 miles from Pretoria.

HARTBEESPOORT ZOO AND SNAKE PARK
On shores of dam. A small zoo with variety of animals, reptiles and birds. Snake, seal and chimpanzee shows held Sundays and public holidays at 12h00 and 15h00. Visitors may take 20 minute ferry trip around dam from small jetty in the zoo.

KEMPTON PARK

 20 km north-east of Johannesburg, a thriving industrial centre. Jan Smuts International Airport, named after Field Marshal the Right Honourable JC Smuts, former Prime Minister and Statesman, is the principal airport in the country. International flights to five continents. The Modderfontein explosives factory, located in the municipality, serves the various gold mines in the vicinity.

CHIP FACTORY TOUR 
Demonstrates the production of potato chips, from peeling to packaging.
BLAAUWPAN DAM
In Bonaero Park. A popular dam among windsurfers. Facilities around the dam as well as a bird sanctuary.

 

Holiday Inn, Kempton Park 1620, South Africa

BREWERY TOUR
A 2-3 hour tour shows the brewing and bottling processes of beer, including a sample of the product.
DRIES NIEMANDT SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL GROUNDS
Facilities for various sports, including a golf course and a country club. A small dam with picnic and barbeque facilities. Rondavels available for special functions.

BOKSBURG

 Within a major gold producing area, this town grew around the gold mining industry.  Also a large coal producing area. Boksburg Lake, created in 1888 as a watering place for cattle, is now a major attraction. It has good sailing and recreational facilities, surrounded by terraces, lawns and trees. Also Artists in the Sun, tribal dancing, pipe band and a miniature train. Cinderella Dam offers yachting and windsurfing. Flea Market held on the first Saturday of each month in front of the Boksburg Civic Centre. Besides a variety of items on sale, numerous food stalls and entertainment available. 

Boksburg from the air. Yachtings on the Cinderella Dam. Boksburg Lake. A view from the Townhall Gardens. Progressive Industries.

Hechter Schultz Museum houses ethnographical collections of Southern Bantu. Also extensive collection of Bushmen beadwork and hunting equipment. North Rand Road (Road was built by Italian prisoners of war): Warehouse Disco; Hypermarket Complex - largest shopping complex in the southern hemisphere;  La Grange Bird Park; Fun Factory - incorporates an ice-rink, ten-pin bowling centre and Daytona 600 Grand Prix track.

BENONI

Gold was discover here in 1887. One of the most pleasant of the industrialised East Rand towns, with many parks, trees and open spaces. A series of lakes in the area offer variety of recreational facilities.

BUNNY PARK Children's park, 18 ha in extent, with a variety of farmyard animals and pets. Well-equipped playground, thatched rondavels, picnic and barbeque facilities.

FLEA MARKET Covered parking area, Civic Centre. Held on the last Saturday of each month. Many colourful stalls with a variety of handcrafts and homemade eats for sale.

Fountain at west entrance. Prince's Avenue. Town Hall.

 

LANE OF FAME Honours present and former residents who have brought publicity to the town, people who have rendered meritorious service and famous visitors. 

SPORT AND RECREATION Kleinfontein Lake is a popular fishing and boating venue. Danie Taljaard Park on the northern shore of the lake offers a well-developed recreation area with braai facilities, playground equipment and a 'lapa' which may be hired. Rynfield Dam, situated at CR Swart Park, is a venue reserved for speedboat and water-ski enthusiasts. Middle and Civic Lakes, close to Civic Centre, offer good angling opportunities. All the lakes have pleasant picnic area.

ROODEPOORT

Once a mining camp, the town is now a rapidly developing industrial centre and residential area close to central Johannesburg. Venue for the biennial international Roodepoort International Eisteddfod of South Africa. Florida Lake is a popular recreational area and includes the Hamerkoop Bird Sanctuary on the western shore. A number of trails lead through the Kloofendal Nature Reserve, 150 ha park with interesting walks and views from koppies over the surrounding area. 

 

 

A busy street in Roodepoort, Transvaal 1970

 

Roodepoort Museum First cultural and historical museum on the West Rand. Illustrates early pioneer life on the Witwatersrand, incorporating a Victorian house and a smithy. The emphasis is on gold discovery and the different types of gold bearing rock found in the area. The original mine workings at Wilgespruit may be visited by arrangement with the museum. 

Roodepoort Civic Theatre Excellent theatre facilities accommodating over 300 people. Presents opera, ballet, drama and musical recitals throughout the year.

VEREENIGING

A well endowed industrial town, rich in coal, forming part of the largest industrial complex in Africa. 58 km from Johannesburg, Vereeniging is also a popular resort situated on the northern banks of the Vaal River, with three smaller rivers within its municipal boundaries. The area is of significance to palaeontologists as it is a known abode of prehistoric man. A number of stone age rock engravings may be seen at Redan on the outskirts of the town.

 

VEREENIGING, Southern Transvaal  Situated on the northern bank of the Vaal River, this town associated with the peace treaty and link up of the railway line between south and north - lives up to its motto "Per pacem ad industriam - Through Peace to Industry".

 

VAAL RIVER AND DAM A popular recreational area for the Witwatersrand. The dam is deep and wide, and free of bilharzia. The willow-lined river banks provide many picnic and camping sites. Excellent water sports, especially water-skiing and motor boating, with good fishing opportunities. Numerous recreational resorts in the area.

 

PRETORIA

Basking amidst fertile valleys and ridges, Pretoria, named after the enterprising Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, is the administrative capital of the Republic. The original farming centre has gradually evolved into a serene  and spacious city. A green city of parks and gardens, Pretoria hosts an astonishing display of both exotic and indigenous flora, flowering trees and shrubs. It has substance, charm and atmosphere; the city has a dignity and character all of its own.

Scenes of Melrose House, gardens of the Union Buildings, Jacarandas by the City Hall, and Kruger Statue in South Africa's capital

Melrose House The site of the signing of the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging in 1902, ending the Anglo-Boer War. A beautiful example of Victorian architecture, built in 1886 by George Heys. An impressive collection of period furniture is displayed.
Union Buildings The magnificent sandstone buildings designed by  Sir Herbert Baker house the administrative seat of government and the national archives. Beautifully landscaped gardens and terraces in front of the buildings feature various memorials and statues. The indigenous bush area behind the Union Buildings, offers pleasant walks and prolific bird life.
City Hall A tympanum, in front of the building, symbolises the growth of the city. A colonnade of fountains and murals may also be seen. The huge clock tower houses a carillon of 32 bells.

SOUTH AFRICA

Greetings from South Africa! Groete van Suid-Afrika!

The wonderful diversity of South Africa - from the magnificent wildlife and scenic splendour to the sophisticated metropolises:

• Johannesburg 
• Durban
• Bloubergstrand

The beach featured in the main picture is Bloubergstrand

• Eastern Transvaal - The eastern Transvaal still has more than a hint if wildness in its glorious visual scope. Mountains, valleys, rivers, waterfalls, pockets of primal forest and a colourful profusion of flowers and birds decorate the countryside. The savannah lands of the lowveld teem with wildlife, including the 'Big Five': lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo, offering an unparalleled experience.

• Garden Route - Between Mossel Bay and the Storms River, the Garden Route runs parallel to a coastline which features lakes, mountains, golden beaches, cliffs and dense indigenous forests. From sources high in the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains, ambercoloured rivers plunge into an ocean of mercurial moods. Surrounded by indigenous forests, the delightful town of George (principal town of the Garden Route) nestles on a coastal plateau at the foot of one of the highest peaks in the Outeniqua mountain range.

Received from Lynne, Cape Town

NELSPRUIT

Nelspruit lies in the fertile valley of the Crocodile River about 330 kilometres east of Johannesburg. Known as the capital of the great outdoors. The town was essentially created on 28 August 1884, when the Republican Volksraad approved plans to build a railway from the newly discovered Lowveld goldfields to Johannesburg. Kruger National Park is only 50 kms from this adventurer's paradise. Colourful commercial core of the lowveld. The area is noted for fruit production (citrus, mango, banana, avocado, macadamia and pecan nuts), wayside stalls and curio shops. With its sub-tropical climate, abundant sunshine and lush covered hills and valleys. The lowveld botanical gardens just outside of the town boasts a rare collection of plant species and the first man-made rain forests. Today the city's economy benefits from its proximity to Mozambique and Swaziland.

Postcrossing Postcard ZA-31777

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

Location North-eastern corner of the Transvaal, stretches from the Mozambique border in the north to Malelane in the south. The only National Park in the Transvaal. About 400 km north-east of Johannesburg.
Size Just under 2 000 000 ha - roughly the size of Wales.

This internationally renowned game and nature reserve supports the greatest variety of wildlife species found on the African continent.

Giraffes at a watering hole.

The park supports more species of wildlife than any other African game sanctuary: 137 mammal species, 49 fish species, 112 reptile species, 493 bird species. The park has the highest density of birds of prey in the world, including 15 eagle species. Mammals include lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, impala and zebra.

Guided wilderness trails are offered, facilitating closer contact with the untamed beauty of the bush. More than half a million wildlife enthusiasts visit the Kruger National Park each year throughout the year.

JOHANNESBURG

Gold was the catalyst which brought Johannesburg into being and the city's identity will always be closely linked with gold. Today, Johannesburg is a city contrasts. In the heart of the city, the mine dumps and headgear, ideally viewed from the top of the Carlton Centre, one of the highest buildings in the city, still serve as symbols of Johannesburg's boisterous past. The 202 m high observation deck on the 50th floor of the Carlton Centre provides breathtaking views.

Evening view of the 269 M Srtijdom Tower and of Hillbrow, the most cosmopolitan, bustling and populated square kilometre in South Africa. Hillbrow is famous for its multi-racial society where everyone enjoys themselves at the many restaurants, discos and night life goes on to the early hours of the morning.   

Johannesburg glass and concrete skyline symbolises the country's escalating industrial and urban thrust. Golf courses, botanic gardens and parks are dotted among the high-rise buildings. The modern, cosmopolitan metropolis of Johannesburg, packed with vitality and verve, offers an exciting pleasure repertoire, superb hotels, five star restaurants and excellent shopping centre. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the only one in the country, is filled with the tumult of financial negotiations.