博克斯堡 城镇

Boksburg is a city on the East Rand of Gauteng province of South Africa. Gold was discovered in Boksburg in 1887. Boksburg was named after the State Secretary of the South African Republic, W. Eduard Bok. The Main Reef Road linked Boksburg to all the other major mining towns on the Witwatersrand and the Angelo Hotel (1887) was used as a staging post.

Boksburg has been part of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 5 December 2000, which forms the local government of most of the East Rand.

The Mining Commissioner Montague White built a large dam which, empty for years, was dubbed White's Folly until a flash flood in 1889 silenced detractors. The 150,000-square-metre dam is now the Boksburg Lake, and is surrounded by lawns, trees, and terraces.

History

Prior to 1860, the present municipal area of Boksburg and its immediate environs comprised mainly the highveld farms called Leeuwpoort, Klippoortje, Klipfontein and Driefontein. Carl Ziervogel bought the farm Leeuwpoort in 1875 and for 300 morgen (approx. 257 hectares) of barren, rocky veld he paid £75. In September 1886 Pieter Killian, a young Afrikaans prospector, discovered quartz reefs on Leeuwpoort.

He also discovered quartz reefs on the farm Vogelfontein, named after Adolf Vogel.

Samples of the quartz were sent to Pretoria for assaying, which confirmed the presence of gold. Killian advised Dr W.E. Bok, Secretary of State for the Transvaal Republic,

Mayors

Although Boksburg was the third mining town founded on the Witwatersrand, after Johannesburg and Germiston, it was the first to inaugurate its mayor.

Boksburg was incorporated into the greater Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in 2000 and therefore no longer has its own mayor since that date.

Historical buildings

Historic hotels

Angelo Hotel (1887) – Main Reef Road

Boksburg North Hotel – Cason Road

King's Hotel – Church Street

Transvaal Hotel – Buitekant Street

Masonic Hotel – Market Street

Central Hotel – Commissioner Street

East Rand Hotel – Station Street

Masonic

The Boksburg Lodge No. 2480 was one of the twelve lodges constituting the District in 1895. A number of Freemasons gathered in Boksburg in November 1892, and having decided to form a lodge, voted as to whether it should be 'English' or 'Scottish'. The former prevailed by the narrowest of margins (13 to 12). By courtesy of the Landdrost the Lodge was able to meet in the Court House for two years but no time was wasted in finding a 'permanent' home, which was built and ready for occupation by 1895. Initially the Lodge was so active that within 12 months it resolved that the membership should not exceed 100.

Infamous incidents

Political assassination

Chris Hani, leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC), was assassinated outside his Dawn Park home in 1993 and was buried in the Elspark's South Park cemetery.

Consumer boycott

On 30 November 1988, the town councils of Vosloorus and Reiger Park staged a consumer boycott in Boksburg. The boycott by Black and Coloured residents followed the reintroduction of petty apartheid measures by the Conservative Party (CP) controlled town council. In the local elections of October 1988 the CP won 12 of 20 council seats.

Tambo Memorial Hospital

The Tambo Memorial Hospital, previously known as Boksburg Benoni Hospital, is a regional hospital situated in Boksburg. It is one of the oldest hospitals in Gauteng, opened in 1905 as the Boksburg-Benoni Hospital, a joint hospital of the State and East Rand Proprietary Mines.Tambo Memorial Hospital has about 640 beds with a staff complement of approximately 1100. The hospital provides service in Benoni, Boksburg, and part of Germiston to a population of >1 million. All basic services are provided to in and outpatients. Specialist services include Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Rheumatology, ENT, HIV and Podiatry.

Economy

Boksburg boasts a diversified industrial and mining centre. It has become one of the most important gold-producing towns on the Witwatersrand.

The following industrial companies have head offices in Boksburg:

Macsteel

Fraser Alexander

EL Bateman

Boksburg is home to the East Rand Mall which is one of the largest and most popular malls in Gauteng.

Global consumer goods manufacturers Unilever and Colgate Palmolive have factories in Boksburg. Africa's biggest consumer brand company Tiger Brands also has a factory in Boksburg.

Firsts

Mr. Jan Haar, a Hollander, was the first post master

A general dealer's store was opened by Messrs. Osborne and Chapman

A hotel by Mr. Carpenter. The first hotel was opened during 1887 by Mr. Paul Neubauer, facing the present Town Hall. Shortly afterwards, Mr. F. Jackson opened the present Masonic Hotel for his wife. The third hotel (Nobby's Hotel) was opened by Mr. E. B. Henrey, opposite the post office

During the same year Messrs. Osborne and Chapman, of Elsburg, dissolved their partnership, Mr. Chapman taking over the business at Elsburg. Mr. F. Osborne opened a general dealer's store at Boksburg opposite the old butchery of the late Mr. Fargher, with one Ehrenbacher as partner

Transportation

Boksburg is also served with a well developed transportation system. The city is very close to the OR Tambo International Airport. Although OR Tambo International is situated in Kempton Park, the southern quarter of the runway is in the northern part of Boksburg and the city of Boksburg is also served by the OR Tambo International Airport. The city is also served by the Metrorail line, the Springs-Johannesburg Line. Boksburg is served by 3 national routes and 3 regional routes, the N3, N12, N17, R21, R29 and the R554. The N3 is a northwest–southeast national route that connects the southern part of Boksburg with Johannesburg in the north-west and Heidelberg in the south-east.

ERPM Golf Club

ERPM Golf Club came into being in 1903 when 3 holes were built around the first school in Boksburg, a wood and iron structure that is still standing today. The building was also used as the first clubhouse and is situated on the right hand side of the first fairway.

In 1906, 18 holes were completed. The President at the time was Colonel Sir George Farrar DSO, who was instrumental in floating East Rand Property Mines Limited on 8 May 1893. The captain of the club was D McKay. The first recorded Club Champion was F N Critlends in 1913.

In 1992, the club was still controlled by the mine and soon thereafter the control and running of the club was solely in the hands of members.

ERPM/Boksburg Rugby Club

ERPM rugby club was established in 1903 by the ERPM mine. The club adopted the badge of the mine as its logo. The prominent part of the badge is the owl and the club nickname became Hooters. The mining rugby clubs, ERPM, Rand Leases, Simmer and Jack, Diggers and Pirates formed the core of the Transvaal Rugby Football Union. After the demise of the mine the name was changed to the Boksburg Rugby Club. The club presently form part of the Falcons Rugby Union.

Schools

Hoërskool Voortrekker (29 January 1920) – the first Afrikaans medium high school on the Witwatersrand

Boksburg High School (11 February 1920) – Boksburg High and Voortrekker shared premises in Nobby bar and Morris arcade before moving to their current premises

Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen (2 August 1958)

Christian Brothers' College (1935)

St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls (31 July 1923)

Sunward Park High School

Hoërskool Oosterlig (1992) – formed out of Commercial High/Handelskool 1917, the first high school in South Africa specialising in commercial subjects

Wit Deep Primary (1907)

Laerskool Hennie Basson – later became Oosrand, joined with Laerskool JM Louw

Laerskool Baanbreker

Notable people

Arts and entertainment

Dawid Engela (30 October 1931 – 25 November 1967) – broadcaster, composer and musicologist

John Ireland – multi-instrumentalist

Molly Lamont – actress, The Awful Truth

Jans Rautenbach (22 February 1936 – 2 November 2016) – screenwriter and Afrikaans film producer/director

Angelique Rockas – actress/producer/activist, founder of Internationalist Theatre UK

Jamie Uys (30 May 1921 – 29 January 1996) – Afrikaans and International Film producer/director

Tyla - musician

Judges

Judge Richard Goldstone

Judge Mahomed Navsa

Politicians

Gavin Buckley – Mayor of Annapolis, Maryland

Barend du Plessis – Minister of Finance

Academics

Glenda Gray – HIV Researcher

John McDowell – philosopher at University of Pittsburgh

Boksburg legends

Boksburg's First Mayoral Citizen: Benjamin Owen-Jones

On 1 December 1903, a Special meeting was held in the Council Chambers for the purpose of electing Boksburg's first Mayor. Prior to Captain Colley of The Health Board vacating the chair, he advised a sum of £2,892.17.3 had been transferred in favour of the Municipality. Once the formalities were completed, he then called or nominations for the Mayoral position. "Councillor J Morris J.P. moved that Councillor Benjamin Owen Jones be elected Mayor with Councillor Dobson seconding the motion" and so Boksburg