Information on Parktown, Gauteng, South Africa

Conference Venues South Africa brings you information on Parktown situated in the Gauteng Province of South Africa.

Click here for Conference Centres in Parktown

Parktown History

In 1890 Edouard Lippert bought a considerable tract of the Braamfontein Farm. He rebuilt the farm house located on a ridge and named it Marienhof after his wife, Marie. The ridge overlooked a large plain, and on this he planted the Sachsenwald Forest to meet the needs of the mines and fast developing city. He saw the promise that the ridge had for development as a township and partitioned the land into plots. In 1892, Lady Florence Phillips rode north from the dusty mining town of early Johannesburg and found the ridge.

The view extended from Sachsenwald forest in the West to the Magaliesberg mountains and Pretoria in the North. She persuaded her husband to build a house there, and Frank Emley was commissioned to build their mansion, Hohenheim. Parktown quickly became the new elite suburb. Soon, many wealthy entrepreneurs were building mansions along the ridge and showing off their newfound affluence with parties, croquet on the lawns, and lavish dinners.

Parktown was where many conspirators of the Jameson Raid against the South African Republic were based. Today the suburb is home to many Victorian and Edwardian homes, and a number of designs by Sir Herbert Baker.

In the late 1960s, 56 of the stately homes where demolished to make way for the Johannesburg College of Education (Now Wits Education Campus). In 1975 many more were demolished and properties reduced for the construction of the M1 motorway, a main artery running North to South through the center of the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg

Towns and Suburbs of the Gauteng province of South Africa

Alberton , Arcadia , Auckland Park , Bardene , Bartlett , Bedfordview , Benoni , Boekenhoutskloof , Boksburg , Bonaero Park , Bredell , Bronkhorstspruit , Brooklyn , Bruma , Brummeria , Bryanston , Centurion , Chartwell , Club View , Constantia Park , Cradle of Humankind , Cullinan , De Wagensdrift , Die Wilgers , Dinokeng , Donkerhoek , Edenvale , Elandsdrift , Eldoraigne , Erasmuskloof , Erasmusrand , Fairland , Farrarmere , Ferndale , Fourways , Gallo Manor , Garsfontein ,Germiston , Glen Austin , Glen Marais , Glenvista , Groenkloof , Halfway House , Hartbeespoort , Hatfield , Heidelberg , Hennopspark , Honeydew , Houghton , Hyde Park , Illovo , Irene , Isando , Jet Park , Johannesburg , Kameeldrift , Kempton Park , Klippoortjie , Knoppieslaagte , Kromdraai , Krugersdorp , Kyalami , Lakefield , Lanseria , Linden , Little Falls , Lonehill , Lynnwood , Lyttelton , Magaliesburg , Melrose , Melville , Menlo Park , Menlyn , Meyersdal , Meyerspark , Midrand , Mnandi , Modderfontein , Mondeor , Monrick , Montana , Morningside , Muldersdrift , Murrayfield , New Redruth , Newmarket , Nigel, Noordheuwel , Northcliff , North Riding , OR Tambo Airport , Ormonde , Parktown , Pretoria , Pretoria East , Pomona , Randburg , Randfontein , Randhart , Raslouw , Ravenswood , Riviera, Rivonia , Roodepoort , Rosebank , Rosherville , Ruimsig , Rust de Winter , Samrand , Sandown , Sandton , Sandhurst , Selection Park , Silver Lakes , Solheim , Springs , Sunninghill , The Reeds , Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark , Walkerville , Wapadrand , Waterkloof , Waverley , Weltevredenpark , Westcliff , Woodmead