Upcoming Tours
Dolobran – A Rare Opportunity (For Members Only)
Name of Tour
Dolobran – A Rare Opportunity
Type of Tour
House Tour
Date
Saturday, 1 October 2022
Time
13.30 and 15.30
1h 45 min
Cost
R350
Max. People
45
Description
Many people have spotted the old house at the top of Oxford Road – the one with the onion dome – and wondered what it looks like inside.
Now is your chance to find out!
For the first time in many years, the JHF is offering its members in good standing a rare opportunity to visit Dolobran.
Dolobran is an amazing residence designed by James Cope Christie for Sir Llewellyn Andersson. It’s an astonishingly eclectic structure incorporating design elements gathered from various places where the Andersson’s had lived before. The tour includes the entire property: gardens, coach house and the main residence.
Although Dolobran isn’t a grand mansion on the scale of Northwards or Villa Arcadia, it’s surely the most enchanting of all the Parktown homes with its wonderful stained-glass windows, gables and cupola. The views across the Valley Road and Forest Town to the Johannesburg Zoo are pretty good too!
But Dolobran is not just a stately home. It remains the private home of Mr and Mrs Andersson – the third generation to live here. As such, it is a great privilege to visit and trust that all our visitors will treat the home with respect.
There will be two tour sessions available. The first starts at 13:30 and the second starts at 15:30. Only 45 tickets will be available for each session.
Visiting Dolobran is a dream come true so please book soon to avoid disappointment.
Guides
Brian McKechnie, Joy Campkin Smith and Flo Bird
Contact Number
060 813 3239
Meeting Place
16 Victoria Avenue corner Jubilee Road, Parktown. Park in Jubilee Road. Car guards will be on duty.
Special Notes
Please note – for this tour, booking is only possible through the office: mail@joburgheritage.org.za / 060 813 3239. Bookings will only be confirmed upon proof of payment.
Purple Carpets: Jacaranda Views from Beauvais and the L. Ron Hubbard House
Name of Tour
Purple Carpets: Jacaranda Views from Beauvais and the L. Ron Hubbard House
Type of Tour
Self-drive + House Tour
Date
Saturday, 8 October 2022
Time
14h00
3 hours
Cost
R150 for members, R250 for non members
Max. People
50
Description
It’s Jacaranda season and we invite you to enjoy the splendid purple canopies from 2 classic homes with awesome views, located on different sides of the Linksfield Ridge.
Beauvais is the grand mansion with Cape Dutch gables prominently located on the lip of the ridge, just to the west of Sylvia’s Pass. It was originally built for Percival White Tracey, who had made a fortune mining diamonds – first in Kimberley, and later in Cullinan. When it was built in 1907, it was located so far out of town that the grand mansion was cheekily dubbed ‘Tracey’s Folly’. The appalling gravel tracks that lead to the house were so bad, Tracey burst several tires while inspecting the works.
During the ten years that the family lived at Beauvais, it was the scene of glittering social functions, as well as tragedy. We’ll hear more about the Traceys and the subsequent owners of one of Johannesburg’s most magnificent homes. The view to the north is also quite spectacular.
The other home we’ll visit is also known for one of its former residents – L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. Located on the other side of the ridge, in Cyrildene, this is a stunning mid-century modern residence that’s been lovingly restored to its 1950’s glory, complete with linoleum flooring, American diner-style kitchen, period fixtures, and beautiful timber interiors (from a Burmese teak front door, to the parquet flooring, to the sandblasted pine wall panelling).
Designed by Frank L. Jarret in 1951 for timber merchant Manos Broulidakis, this house is rich in history and boasts stunning views over Bez Valley to the south.
Your meeting point will be confirmed upon booking and you will need to drive yourself the short distance from one house to the other.
Guides
Nici Noble, Clare van Zwieten, Adam Golding, Brendan Hart, Yasmin Mayat
Contact Number
060 813 3239
Meeting Place
Meeting point will be shared upon booking
Special Notes
L Ron Hubbard Home: 40 Hannaben St, Cyrildene or
Beauvais: 11A Grace Rd, Observatory
Stairway to Heaven - Jacaranda Views from the Westcliff Stairs
Name of Tour
Stairway to Heaven – Jacaranda Views from the Westcliff Stairs
Type of Tour
Walking Tour
Date
Saturday, 15 October 2022
Time
14h00
2.5 hours
Cost
R150 for members, R250 for non members
Max. People
40
Description
To celebrate Jacaranda Season, we invite you to tackle the famous Westcliff stairs for incredible views over a sea of purple.
We start at the historic Hope School – originally a mansion known as Pallinghurst, the home of Raymond and Hope Schumacher. The route then takes us up to Pallinghurst Road, down the stairs to Wexford Avenue, across to Westcliff Drive and up to Tyson Road.
Along the way, we’ll enjoy both the stunning views and some remarkable modernist houses of the 1930’s, with their elegant simplicity, geometric shapes, and innovative steel and concrete construction techniques.
We’ll also meet some of the famous personalities who lived in the area, including sculptor Moses Kottler and a well-known photographer, who had a tenant that wrote a blockbuster novel…
The tour concludes with a visit to Kanonkop and a final climb up the stairs to Woolston Road before heading back down to Pallinghurst Road for our return to the Hope School.
Please note: this tour is very steep and requires a decent degree of fitness. Wear good walking shoes and bring along water and sun protection.
Guides
David Gurney and David Fleminger
Contact Number
060 813 3239
Meeting Place
Hope School, Pallinghurst Road, Westcliff
The Anglo Boer War - Challenging the British Empire
Name of Tour
The Anglo Boer War – Challenging the British Empire
Type of Tour
Self-Drive and Walking
Date
Saturday, 22 October 2022
Time
13h30
2 hours
Cost
R150 for members, R250 for non members
Max. People
35
Description
Join us to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the Anglo-Boer War with a fascinating trip into the past.
We start our journey at Breezeblock, Brixton’s friendly neighbourhood café, for a quick cappuccino and an overview of the conflict.
A short self-drive then takes us to the Oud Stryders Monument on Cottesloe Hill, where tour guides SJ de Klerk and Sarah Welham share the trials and tribulations of some of the 150 men and women who congregated here on 3 December 1938. Until recently, this was the only monument in Johannesburg to Boer Burghers. As such, it is a microcosm of this war containing a variety of engraved plaques and tablets to Boer ‘Bittereinders’, internees, and the prisoners of war who were sent to far off camps in St Helena, Ceylon, India, and Bermuda.
Another short drive takes us to the historic Braamfontein Cemetery, where the remains of 509 Imperial soldiers were interred.
It’s a great opportunity to relive those far off days when two little Boer Republics challenged the might of the British Empire.
Bring along drinking water, a folding chair and protection against the sun. Comfortable closed walking shoes are recommended for protection against the weeds.
Guides
SJ de Klerk and Sarah Welham
Contact Number
060 813 3239
Meeting Place
Breezeblock Cafe, 29 Chiswick Street, Brixton
Modderfontein’s Explosive History: A Tale of Dynamite, Gold and War
Name of Tour
Modderfontein’s Explosive History: A Tale of Dynamite, Gold and War
Type of Tour
Walking Tour
Date
Saturday, 29 October 2022
Time
9h30
2.5 – 3 hours
Cost
R180 members, R280 non-members
Max. People
40
Description
Johannesburg’s rapidly growing gold mining industry needed dynamite and, in 1894, one of Alfred Nobel’s factories was established at Modderfontein. This facility grew in leaps and bounds to become the largest dynamite factory in the world, later evolving into the AECI chemical manufacturing complex.
Join us for a delightful walking tour of Modderfontein that includes a history of the dynamite factory and the residential area that developed around it.
We start at The Dynamite Company Museum and then make our way around the old village as we tell tales of explosives and powerful personalities, such as Alfred Nobel, Paul Kruger and Robert Baden-Powell.
Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water, a sun hat and sunscreen.
The ticket price includes a donation to the Modderfontein Conservation Society.
Guides
Keith Martin and Clare van Zwieten
Contact Number
060 813 3239
Meeting Place
Meet at Franz Hoenig Haus (next to the museum). Parking is available in the grounds. Address: 2 Main Street, Modderfontein.