95-743: Dawn Park is a suburb of Boksburg close to Vosloorus . This Gauteng location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Boksburg 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
190-703: 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. The Lodge supported the formation of the District Grand Lodge but was subsequently very unhappy about the part played by the District Grand Master as a member of the Reform Committee. After the 1899-1902 recess, the Lodge extended its premises, incurring
285-466: A 233-yard-long (213 m) tunnel. The shorter and steeper route was selected. While a gradient of 1 in 20 (5%) is not insurmountable by light trains with orthodox adhesion locomotives, safety and economical considerations led to the decision to install a rack track on the section up the escarpment between Waterval Onder and Waterval Boven. The rack track was built to the Riggenbach system which
380-628: A debt which was to take 30 years to liquidate. In spite of this the Lodge fully supported masonic appeals and was one of the two lodges in the Transvaal to qualify (in 1934) as a Hall Stone Lodge, based on its support for Grand Lodge's 'Masonic Million Peace memorial' appeal. In the aftermath of the Second World War the Lodge went through a somewhat stagnant period but recovered by the end of the 1950s. In 1970 it decided to sell its premises as restoration had become uneconomical and this led to
475-711: 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: 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
570-703: A factory in Boksburg. 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,
665-408: A fingerprint on the letter that matched the one on the corpse. The body in the lake had finally been identified. In May 1969, the inquest on Catherine Burch was reopened. Although the police had solved this bizarre murder, the actual cause of death could still not be established and was recorded once again as 'unascertained'. At least 37 people died, and 40 others were injured when a fuel tanker that
760-470: A length of 562 kilometres (ca. 350 miles), was opened on 6 November 1894 and is still in use today. The railway company employed about 3000 people. Of these, about 1500 were employed in the construction of the Pretoria - Delagoa Bay Line. It adopted the 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) ( Cape Gauge ) of the neighbouring Cape Government Railways . On 19 February 1896, a train loaded with dynamite
855-798: A member of the Afrikaner Bond and of Cecil Rhodes 's cabinet, the Cape Colony's own CGR built its own line to Pretoria. The CGR would operate the ZAR portion of the line for two years before handing it over to the NZASM. On 7 May 1892, the line was completed from Bloemfontein to the Vaal River Bridge (the border of the ZAR); on 15 September 1892, the line from the Vaal River Bridge to Germiston (65 km) opened; and on 1 January 1893, Pretoria
950-413: A plastic bag containing a woman's toothless head. It was in an advanced state of decomposition, making the features unrecognizable, and clearly had been in the water for some weeks. Forensic pathologists and artists spent the next 24 hours putting together a set of drawings of the victim's face. These were published on 18 December and the police were confident that it would be merely a matter of time before
1045-537: A public library and swimming pool. The oldest mosque in the Gauteng area was also to be found in this suburb, but a 2003 fire destroyed it completely. In 2003 a new mosque, Masjid Al-Noor, was erected. 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. The Boksburg Lodge No. 2480
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#17328025129551140-514: A small dam at the outlet of the vlei. Work on the dam was not proceeding satisfactorily, so Montague White, appointed Mining Commissioner of the Boksburg Goldfields in 1888, was asked by President Kruger to look into the matter. White said soon after arriving in Boksburg that the place was one of the "most uninviting spots" he had ever seen. Two things dear to him were needed: a stream or well-ordered sheet of water and trees, instead of
1235-423: A wall socket. As the door opened, Burch flicked the switch, electrocuting himself. Moments later he was dead. It took another 10 days for the final strand in this tragedy to be unravelled. Proof positive was needed to link the dead man and woman together. This proof came from a letter, written by Catherine Burch, which Catherine van Coppenhagen handed to the police. An expert in the police fingerprinting bureau found
1330-1026: 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. Allied services include Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Human nutrition/Dietician, Radiology (X-ray department), Social Work, Psychology, Optometry (Eye Clinic), Orthopaedic Centre (Orthotic & Prosthetic devices) and Medical (Maintenance of Hospital equipment) workshop. Boksburg boasts
1425-561: Is now the Boksburg Lake, and is surrounded by lawns, trees, and terraces. 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 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
1520-634: Is still owned and actively used by Transnet. Several of the NZASM locomotives have survived and now form part of the Outeniqua Transport Museum 's collection. In 1916, shortly after the establishment of the Union of South Africa , the Central South African Railways was merged with the railways of the former English Cape ( Cape Government Railways ) and Natal ( Natal Government Railways ) Colonies, resulting in
1615-576: The Volksraad of the ZAR by President F.T. Burgers as far back as 1872. The Portuguese supported the idea, since it would open a trade route from Portuguese East Africa into the interior. In 1883, Major Joachim Machado was sent to the Transvaal to report on a proposed route through the Komati River and Crocodile River valleys towards the Highveld and Pretoria. The resulting agreement was for
1710-560: The Oosterlijn progressed slowly by comparison. In May 1890, the rapid population growth of Johannesburg and the need to ship in heavy mining equipment required a railway to reach the city. In June 1890, the ZAR assented to the building of a line between Pretoria and the Vaal River bridge. Construction began two months later, but the NZASM had financial problems and the project stalled. Through an agreement made by James Silverwright,
1805-644: The Orange Free State . The British Empire eventually recognized the independence of these republics in 1852 and 1854. The relationship between the British and the Boers remained strained throughout the 19th century, especially as a result of the First Boer War (1880–81). Both republics were located in the interior of what is now South Africa , with no route to the coast that did not pass through
1900-717: The Second Boer War broke out, the Pretoria-Pietersburg rail line was expropriated from its British owners by the ZAR government and placed under the control of the NZASM. The PPS locomotives were all manufactured in the UK. In 1899 shortly after the outbreak of the South African War, also known as the Second Boer War (1899–1902), the government of the ZAR exercised its rights in accordance to
1995-742: The Zuiderlijn , the Zuid-Oosterlijn , and the Zuid-Westerlijn . In 1882, George Pigot Moodie, Surveyor General of the ZAR, suggested that the Oosterlijn needed to reach Ermelo through the Cape River Valley rather than through Nelspruit . This was all later rendered moot, as the discovery of gold in 1884 in the Cape Valley near Barberton required the building of a branch line to the mines. The cost of construction
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#17328025129552090-641: The Zuidwesterlijn was extended to Fourteen Streams (near Warrenton ), and today the line is served by the Blue Train . The NZASM did not classify locomotives into specific classes - the eight types used in their fleet were known by their weight. At the end of the 19th century, the German locomotive industry was growing rapidly and had outpaced that of the United Kingdom . Since the NZASM
2185-625: The "Black Jack" officers who patrolled the township failed to detect a few people creeping in and hiding in the dense township. One such person was the Nobel prize-winner and former President Nelson Mandela . It is rumoured that Mandela hid in Stirtonville, with authorities hot on his heels. Years later, Mandela returned to this area, where he was given the Freedom of the City. During the 1960s, all
2280-558: The 41-km link between Heidelberg and Union Junction (9 km from Germiston) opened. In November 1894, the ZAR and Great Britain agreed to meet in Swaziland, with President Kruger and the British High Commissioner Sir Henry Loch as signatories. Neither Kruger nor Loch's countries recognized each other diplomatically, and therefore a passenger wagon was wheeled onto the bridge in between and
2375-517: The British-held Cape Colony and Colony of Natal . Paul Kruger, president of the ZAR, decided that an alternative trade route to the ocean was a priority for the ZAR. The Witwatersrand Gold Rush after 1886 resulted in the rapid industrialization of the ZAR, making access to the ocean even more important, and allowed the suddenly cash-flush republic to invest in large-scale infrastructure projects. It will set an indelible seal upon
2470-793: The East and with Germiston in the west. The R554 Connecting Boksburg with Springs and Brakpan in the east and with Alberton in the west. 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. Netherlands-South African Railway Company The Netherlands–South African Railway Company ( Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorwegmaatschappij ; Nederlands-Suid-Afrikaanse Spoorwegmaatskappy ) or NZASM (also sometimes called SASM in South Africa)
2565-560: The Good Hope, Ferndale and many more. There now arose a pressing need for a more sophisticated coal distribution system than using teams of ox wagons. The mine owners strongly advocated a railway line between Johannesburg and Boksburg, but this was opposed by the wagoners. President Kruger managed to persuade the Volksraad to approve the building of a "tram" line, ostensibly to transport passengers only! The Rand Tram (so named as to appease
2660-616: The Lodge providing the greater part of the cost of the Central East Rand masonic centre, completed in 1976. An outstanding personal contribution to Freemasonry in the Transvaal was made by the WM in 1907/8, Bro R S Rigg, who was successively DG Registrar, President of the Board of General Purposes and Deputy District Grand Master between 1925 and 1940. He was also very active in the additional Orders, including being District Grand Master of
2755-779: The Mark and the first Provincial Prior for the Transvaal in the Knights Templar. Reference: 'A Century of Brotherhood' by A A Cooper & D E G Vieler. 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 is buried in the Elspark's South Park cemetery. On 30 November 1988
2850-614: The NZASM's shortest line leaving the ZAR, but was the also the furthest distance inland. In 1888, the Cape Colony and Orange Free State governments agreed to build a railway between Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein . The Cape government paid for the line and it was built by the Cape Government Railways (CGR). The section from Port Elizabeth to Colesberg was already complete, and the line from Colesberg to Bloemfontein opened on 17 December 1890. The building of
2945-575: The Portuguese to construct the section from Delagoa Bay to the border at Komatipoort , while the ZAR would be responsible for the continuation of the line to Pretoria. The Portuguese line from Delagoa Bay had already reached the border on 14 December 1887, but the first train from Delagoa Bay only entered Komatipoort on 1 July 1891, when the NZASM's contractors completed the bridge across the Komati River. The line from Komatipoort to Nelspruit
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3040-456: The Pretoria - Maputo line, a second, much shorter line was laid down between Pretoria and Johannesburg. It adopted the 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) of the neighbouring Cape Government Railways . In addition to the Randtram and Pretoria - Delagoa Bay Lines the NZASM operated another 4 lines: A 1 kilometre track at Elandsfontein near Johannesburg provided a connection between
3135-534: The Rand with the coast. Until the line from Ladysmith reached Newcastle , the governments of Natal and the ZAR agreed to extend the line from Newcastle to the Rand. The line reached Newcastle on 15 May 1890, and was immediately extended to Charlestown , the last town in Natal leading up to the ZAR border. The railway, which climbed 452 m in the 57 km between Newcastle and Charlestown, was opened by President Kruger of
3230-560: The Randtram line. Since the railway classified its locomotives according to their weight, these tank locomotives were known as the 10 Tonners . As the Randtram line was expanded to the west and east to become the Reef line between Roodepoort and Springs, the 14 Tonners remained in service on that line, even though their range of operation was somewhat limited by their small coal and water carrying capacities. The first locomotive, No. 1, named Transvaal , entered service on 18 July 1889. It hauled
3325-475: The Separate Amenities Act, a by-then largely ignored law that re-established Whites-only toilets, parks and sports facilities. The two Townships found enthusiastic corporate support. A number of multinational companies like Colgate-Palmolive, American Cyanamid and Unilever provided buses to ferry shoppers to stores in neighbouring towns, cancelled expansion plans and ran advertisements denouncing
3420-592: 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 is connecting Boksburg with Johannesburg in the north-western part and Harrismith in the south-east. The N12 is the east–west national route that is connecting Boksburg with Daveyton in the east and with Johannesburg in
3515-705: The State Secretary of the South African Republic , Eduard Bok . The Main Reef Road linked Boksburg to all the other major mining towns on the Witwatersrand and the Angelo Hotel was used as a production post. A railway was built by the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM) to link Boksburg to Johannesburg in 1890. The first coal mine was called Gauf's Mine after the Manager Mr J.L. Gauf. Others were
3610-645: The Transvaal from the Eastern Cape, on the other. Close to the entrance of the township, was the Asian trading market known as Kalamazoo. The Hercules Mine Shaft was the deepest shaft in the world. The headgear and structures were demolished in 2007. The Julewe community soon started schools and churches, and the Boksburg Coloured School, now known as Goedehoop Primary, is the oldest school in Boksburg, as it opened in 1905, with Mr G W Van Rooyen as
3705-495: The ZAR and the Governor of Natal on 7 April 1891. When it reached Laing's Nek Pass, a 674-m tunnel was built to move it through. The NGR (Natal Government Railways) line had already reached Charlestown on 7 April 1891, but President Kruger did not give them permission to extend their line into the ZAR before the Oosterlijn was finished to Delagoa Bay. The Delagoa Bay line was commissioned on 1 January 1895. In accordance with
3800-532: The ZAR government and NZASM agreed that the government would cover half of the costs and guarantee the NZASM's interest. The route was surveyed during the first half of 1894, and on 18 September of that year, the Volksraad granted the permit to start construction. Construction began on 18 July 1895, and after the work was delayed by the Jameson Raid , the line opened to near Potchefstroom on 11 July 1897, and finally began serving Klerksdorp on 3 August. In 1897,
3895-598: The ZAR with Lourenço Marques on Delagoa Bay in Portuguese East Africa (now Maputo in Mozambique). A commission was established in 1874 to create a plan for the construction of this railway. After initial success in raising capital and acquiring a railway concession from the Portuguese government, the project was stalled by the outbreak of the First Boer War. After the end of the war in 1881
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3990-414: The above list, only the major settlements on the line are named; the station names are not given. The line was officially inaugurated on 1 January 1895. Today the line runs through the South African provinces of Gauteng and Mpumalanga . These two provinces, which previously made up the Transvaal Province , contain part of the territory of the former ZAR (along with Limpopo ). After the completion of
4085-476: The advancement of cultural and economic ties between the Netherlands and South Africa. The ZASM also purchased a building in Amsterdam to house the organization's archives and collections, including a part of the NZASM's archives. This building is now used by a variety of organizations under the common banner Zuid-Afrikahuis (South Africa House). A great deal of the NZASM's infrastructure including bridges, drains, houses, and stations still exists and in many cases
4180-412: The barren area of muddy pools which he found. White was able to persuade a reluctant President to build a larger dam than was originally envisaged, because he visualised the ugly vlei being transformed into a beautiful lake fringed with trees. However, after completion, the new lake stood empty for nearly two years and became known as "White's folly". In 1891 the rains came, there was a cloudburst north of
4275-418: The black residents were moved to a new township on the border of Boksburg and Germiston, called Vosloorus and the Asian residents to Actonville, and Stirtonville became the sole residential area of the coloured community. The community decided to rename their suburb to Reiger Park, in 1962. Two years later, town council agreed to change the street names, which were mainly African in origin. The Reiger Park Stadium
4370-467: The case which sank to the bed of the dam. It may have been the head. Immediately the area was cordoned off and police frogmen searched frantically for several days but nothing was found in the drained dam. Finally the police concluded that the "something" was, in fact, a foetus which had been devoured by underwater insects and larvae. The finder was Mr Joseph Whiteside Cole of Germiston. Then, on 17 December, two boys fishing at Zoo Lake in Johannesburg hooked
4465-411: The company being seized by the British. The NZASM was formally dissolved in 1908, and the final financial statements were presented to shareholders in 1909. The company also published a book, In Memoriam , about the history of the NZASM in 1910. The money from the company's liquidation was used to establish the Zuid-Afrikaansche Stichting Moederland (ZASM) in 1908. The ZASM is an organization dedicated to
4560-456: The concession granted to the NZASM to place the company under government control. Towards the end of the war, the company, along with the rail company of the Orange Free State (OVSM), was placed under military control by the British, and in 1904 the NZASM and the OVSM were merged into the Central South African Railways. After protracted negotiations, NZASM's shareholders and creditors were given some compensation for debts and losses incurred by
4655-439: The dam one night and the next morning the citizens awoke to find a large lake filled and running over. Ever since then, it has been a popular and attractive feature of Boksburg and an integral part of its central area. After the discovery of gold in the late 1800s, people of all races flocked to Boksburg; some hoped to get rich, others just wanted employment. Most workers initially resided in the Boksburg North area but another area
4750-423: The entire mining area unsafe. Immediately to the north of Boksburg Township was a large muddy vlei fed by a small stream from the North-East. This vlei was the only watering place for stock between Middelburg and Johannesburg and the government received strong representations from transport riders and others for improved watering facilities near the public outspan west of the town. It was accordingly decided to build
4845-449: The establishment of the South African Rail and Harbour Administration or Spoornet. In 1980, Spoornet was renamed to Transnet , and it was granted company status in 1990. The NZASM archives may be found in the South African National Archives in South Africa; the Dutch National Archives in the Netherlands; and in the archives of the Zuid-Afrikahuis and the Dutch Economic History Archive (NEHA), both in Amsterdam. The NZASM photos in
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#17328025129554940-450: The expense. In 1885, the Cape railway reached Kimberley , and the following year, when the ZAR had difficulty obtaining a £5,000 loan and McMurdo struggled to build the Delagoa Bay line through the swamps near Delagoa Bay, President Kruger and the Cape government proposed extending the Kimberley line to near the Rand. No agreement was reached, and therefore the Zuid-Westerlijn started as a domestic rather than an international line. Gold
5035-431: The farm Leeuwpoort in 1894 for £100,000. The mynpacht (mining lease) was controlled by JCI, who established E.R.P.M. Ltd, which is still carrying on mining operations after 120 years. JCI also developed many residential suburbs over the years. Gold was also found at Elsburg, 8 km to the southwest. Elsburg was a recognized stopping point for coaches and wagon traffic. The first Government offices were at Elsburg and what
5130-404: 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, of the results of the assay. The result was the proclamation, on 10 March 1887, of the two farms as public diggings. Carl Ziervogel, who had been trying to sell Leeuwpoort, now opened
5225-401: The first gold mine on the East Rand, the Ziervogel Gold Mining Company. Cornish miners were brought out to work the diggings. Unfortunately, it soon transpired that heavy expenditure was necessary for development, and as the Directors were unable to finance this, the mine closed down. Mr Abe Bailey of the Barnato Group, which owned the Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Company (JCI), bought
5320-411: The first train on the Randtram line when it was opened on 17 March 1890, and was retired in December 1903, by which time it had covered a distance of 113,309 miles (182,353 kilometres). By 1899 the Randtram Line had expanded to a length of 82 kilometres (ca. 51 miles). In order to have an outlet to a harbour, a railway line from Delagoa Bay in Portuguese East Africa to Pretoria had been proposed to
5415-401: The freedom, the independence, the nationality of the Republics, and will put an effectual barrier on the extension of British dominion over the Vaal and Orange Rivers, it will make it perfectly immaterial to us whether the Liberals or Conservatives in England, or Molteno or Patterson at the Cape, are in power. In 1874 the Volksraad of the ZAR decided that a railway would be built connecting
5510-417: The growing industry, on 20 July 1888 the ZAR government granted a concession to the NZASM to construct a 16 miles (26 kilometres) railway line from Johannesburg to Boksburg . The line was opened on 17 March 1890, with the first train being hauled by a 14 Tonner locomotive. It became known as the "Randtram", even though it was actually a railway in every aspect and not singularly dedicated to tram traffic. This
5605-428: The line carried 3,975 passengers boarding at Klersdorp station, more than 270 tons of freight, and around 1,848 horses, livestock, and vehicles. Income was £5,976, but expenses were £6,779. At the beginning of 1898, to help the gold mining industry, railway tariffs were lowered, despite losses growing to £13,047 by the end of that year. In 1905, after the NZASM was merged into the Central South African Railways (CSAR),
5700-402: The names and descriptions of any women recently reported missing. A number of replies were received, but none matched the description of the victim. Also, the victim's fingerprints did not match any on record. A public appeal for information led to the anticipated crop of hoaxers as well as those genuinely eager to assist. Despite front-page headlines, country-wide publicity and numerous appeals by
5795-421: The negotiators returned to their home countries. As the agreement was signed a year before the line's opening, it appears that this short rail line was completed before the Volksrust-Standerton line was built, and that it was used to transport railway construction goods to the area. The government of Natal paid for the line. They were eager to pay the costs since they anticipated profits that would more than cover
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#17328025129555890-455: 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
5985-445: The police again interviewed Burch's mother (the first time being on 4 October). She initially denied that her son was staying with her, but eventually broke down and admitted that he was in a room in the back yard and gave the police a key. When the police unlocked the door, they found Ronald Burch standing in the middle of the room wearing home-made bracelets made from tins to which he had soldered electrical wires that were plugged into
6080-424: The police, the identity of the victim remained a complete mystery. A second piece of the puzzle unfolded at Wemmer Pan, Johannesburg, on Saturday 7 November. In the middle of a School Rowing regatta a suitcase floated to the surface, and when opened, proved to contain the Boksburg Lake victim's dismembered legs. It was also thought, by the man who pulled the case from the water, that there had been "something else" in
6175-405: The principal. By 1911, the township was renamed Stirtonville, after the superintendent of the area. As a precaution, and to monitor the number of residents in the area, residents of Stirtonville each received a residential permit, while people who wanted to visit family or friends residing in the township, had to obtain a temporary day-pass, in order to enter the township. Even the strict control of
6270-435: The project was resumed, this time with renewed enthusiasm due to the threat of British domination over the Boer Republics. In 1884 a concession was granted to a group of Dutch investors, and this was followed by the official establishment of the Netherlands–South African Railway Company on 21 June 1887 in Amsterdam in the Netherlands , funded by Dutch , German , and Boer investors. The Pretoria - Delagoa Bay line, with
6365-401: The racist Council. The economy of the town suffered and several businesses had to close down. Boksburg was the largest of 104 municipalities in South Africa to fall into Conservative hands. The Boksburg Lake (& Wemmer Pan & Zoo Lake) murder: On the morning of 27 October 1964 a young teacher, Mr Robert Bekker, made a grisly discovery. On the western shore of Boksburg Lake, in a suitcase
6460-404: The route. When the line reached Waterval Onder , they had a choice between a lengthy detour with sharp curves and costly deep cuttings, embankments and viaducts, to comply with the agreed upon gradient of 1 in 50 (2%), or a shorter 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile-long (7.2 km) section, which would entail a gradient of 1 in 20 (5%) over a distance of 2.1 miles (3.4 kilometres) in one place, as well as
6555-438: The terms of an agreement forged on 3 February 1894, between the ZAR government and the NGR, the NGR built the 250-km link between the Natal-ZAR border and the existing NZASM rail network. The first portion of 210 km between the border and Heidelberg opened on 27 April 1895, and the remainder opened on 15 November of that same year. On 1 December 1895, the 4-km link between the border and Charlestown opened, and that 15 December,
6650-408: The terrain was mountainous. In the Elandspruit Valley, where the river formed a 295-foot-high (90 m) waterfall, the adjacent cliffs presented a natural barrier to the continuation of the railway from the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld up to the Transvaal Highveld. In terms of construction, the climb up the escarpment was arguably the most difficult section to be encountered by the railway builders on
6745-402: 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. At its first meeting, the new Council decreed that it would begin rigorously enforcing
6840-502: The transport riders) opened in 1890, between Johannesburg's Park station and Boksburg station. The line was subsequently extended to Brakpan and Springs, where large deposits of superior quality coal had been discovered. Also, deposits of high grade fireclay were discovered in Boksburg, which gave impetus to development of a fireclay manufacturing industry. All this helped the importance of the gold mining industry. Coal mining came to an end in 1895 after underground fires broke out, rendering
6935-421: The victim's identity was established. In fact it took almost four years before a positive identification was made. This was in spite of the fact that the victim's daughter, Catherine Cronje, gave the police the correct identification of the victim (Mrs Catherine Burch) and was certain that the victim was her mother. However, her family and fiancé talked her out of visiting the mortuary. Almost a year later an inquest
7030-548: The west. The N17 is another east–west national route connecting Boksburg with Springs in the east and with the southern parts of Johannesburg in the west. The R21 is a North-South Freeway, with its terminal in Vosloorus in the south and connects with the OR Tambo International, Kempton Park and Pretoria in the north. The R29 is an east–west regional route that is connecting Boksburg with Benoni in
7125-508: Was a Dutch company financed by 50% Dutch and 47% German capital, most of its locomotives were German-built. Out of 258 locomotives in the fleet, 249 were designed by the German firm Maschinenfabrik Esslingen , six by the British manufacturer Manning Wardle , and Louis Smulders & Co. out of Utrecht , Netherlands. Although most of the locomotives were built by their developers, 26 of the Esslingen locomotives were built by Smulders. When
7220-601: Was a ladies man and had been married and divorced three times before he met Catherine Cronje, whom he married shortly after her divorce in 1962. After Catherine's disappearance, Burch resigned from his job, told his wife's employer that she had taken ill suddenly and would not be returning to work, collected the salary owing to her and then vanished. The police later established that early in 1965 Burch had moved to 65 Berea Road, Bertrams in Johannesburg, where he lived with his widowed mother for some months. On 27 November 1968,
7315-403: Was a middle-aged woman's decapitated torso, covered in plastic, brown paper and a sheet. Although there were numerous stab wounds in her chest and back, a postmortem revealed that these had been inflicted after her death. The victim had first been battered and then had her throat cut. She had been in the water between 24 and 48 hours. Immediately, a call went out to police stations in the region for
7410-633: Was a railway company established in 1887. The company was based in Amsterdam and Pretoria , and operated in the South African Republic (ZAR) during the late 19th century. At the request of ZAR president Paul Kruger , the NZASM constructed a railway line between Pretoria and Lourenço Marques in Portuguese East Africa (now Maputo in Mozambique ). The British conquered the then Dutch Cape Colony in 1806. The new administration
7505-401: Was built upon a cemetery, mainly used for Chinese mine workers; the remains were never removed. Reiger Park has developed a fearful reputation, mainly due to gang violence. Today it is a community focussed on change and remaining positive to build a bright future. The township has over 100 formal and informal churches, four primary school, two high schools, and some community facilities, including
7600-614: Was carrying and transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exploded on 24 December 2022. The truck got caught beneath a bridge close to Tambo Memorial Hospital. The explosion caused damage to nearby houses. The driver of the vehicle was subsequently arrested on 25 December 2022 but released without appearing in court on 28 December due to lack of evidence against him. 2023 Boksburg gas leak claimed 17 lives in Angelo, an informal settlement in Boksburg on 5 July 2023. The Tambo Memorial Hospital , previously known as Boksburg Benoni Hospital,
7695-421: Was completed by 20 June 1892. Waterval Boven was reached on 20 June 1894 and Balmoral, near Witbank , on 20 October 1894, connecting with the line which had simultaneously been built eastwards from Pretoria. The construction of the railway line from Delagoa Bay to Pretoria was beset with difficulties, both in terms of disease and engineering. Malaria claimed many lives among the construction crews, and some of
7790-481: Was connected to Cape Town as well as Port Elizabeth. Upon completion of this railway line, it became possible to import heavy machinery, both for gold mining and for the construction of the western portion of the Oosterlijn . The Zuid-Oosterlijn was the last of the three NZASM lines connected to foreign rail lines and the coast. After the discovery of gold, the Cape Colony and the Colony of Natal raced to connect
7885-529: Was discovered in August 1886 on Rietvlei Farm near Klerksdorp , and therefore the Randtram line was built between Krugersdorp and Springs . On 18 August 1884, the Volksraad decided to build a line between Krugersdrop and Klerksdorp. This line, the Zuid-Westerlijn , was an extension of the Randtram with the same gauge. NZASM was not eager to build the line since they realized it would be unprofitable. Eventually,
7980-427: Was first mined in the Transvaal. This started an era of company promotion and syndicate formation, with ground fetching high prices. Enterprises of all kinds were set up and Boksburg began to emerge from a mining camp atmosphere to a fully-fledged town. Coal ensured that the gold mining industry would grow to a formidable size. Originally, Boksburg was laid out in 1887 to serve the surrounding gold mines, and named after
8075-551: Was held in Boksburg, where the verdict was given as 'death unascertained'. The remains were buried in a pauper's grave. In August 1968, Catherine (now Mrs van Coppenhagen) decided that she would wait no longer and told a certain Police Captain, James Beeslaar, of her fears and convictions. He reopened the case and, in particular, started searching for the dead woman's husband, Ronald Burch, who had not been seen for four years. Burch, who had matriculated at Boksburg High School,
8170-412: Was in use on European mountain railways, with the rack laid between the rails. The line, also known as the Oosterlijn (East Line) from Pretoria to Lourenço Marques had a total length of 562 kilometres (ca. 350 miles), of which 472 kilometres (ca. 293 miles) formed part of the Oosterlijn. The full line followed the following route:* Border crossing between South Africa and Mozambique (*) In
8265-597: Was later established for all mine workers dubbed, Julewe, the Zulu word for place of work. The Government of the time declared that all coloured, Asian and black people should live in Julewe, which was situated between two wetlands and close to the Cinderella and Hercules Mine Shafts. Julewe was divided in two by the main road, Church Road, running through it, with black mine workers on the one side, and coloureds, who moved to
8360-626: Was named after Dr Bok. In 1887 the first auction sale of stands took place, at which prices of £5 to £25 were realized. Also in 1887 the Republican Government built the Post Office and the Mining Commissioner's office. Business and residential properties began to be built in the fledgling town in its first year of existence. In 1888 coal deposits were discovered right on the boundary of the new town, and here coal
8455-575: Was not universally accepted by the Dutch colonists and after the 1830s thousands of Dutch-speaking colonists (called Boers ) migrated to the interior of Southern Africa. This migration, known as the Great Trek , resulted in the establishment of 14 independent republics. By the mid 19th century these republics had merged into the two larger republics: The South African Republic (ZAR) and the Republic of
8550-631: 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
8645-399: Was rebuilt in 1897. Although Johannesburg Park Station has twice been reconstructed, the 1897 building was preserved and moved a short distance to Newtown where it still stands, unused, today. By 1899, the NZASM had constructed 1147 kilometres (ca. 712 miles) of railway. As a result of the rapid development of the goldfields on the Witwatersrand in the 1880s and the demand for coal by
8740-402: Was so significant, given the mountainous terrain, that the ZAR government objected. The local business Lewis, Marks & Watkins formed a syndicate to build the line and the work was contracted to Pettegrew & Co. After heavy rain damaged the bridge, the contractor went bankrupt and the syndicate was dissolved. NZASM took over construction and completed the line in 1896. The Zuiderlijn was
8835-666: Was struck by a shunter while being unloaded. The resulting Braamfontein Explosion was one of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions in history, resulting in more than 70 deaths and 200 injuries. In 1897, a new station was constructed in Johannesburg . The building was constructed in 1895 in Rotterdam and was used in the Amsterdam Exhibition before being dismantled and shipped to Johannesburg, where it
8930-487: Was the first working railway line in the Transvaal . The concession was extended the following year to continue the line eastward to Springs , where coal was known to exist, and westward via Roodepoort to Krugersdorp . The entire 49-mile (79-kilometre) line was opened to traffic on 10 February 1891. In 1889 and 1890, the NZASM obtained three tramway steam locomotives with an 0-4-0T wheel arrangement for use on
9025-481: Was to become Boksburg was but a suburb of Elsburg. With the real centre of mining being centred on Boksburg, however, soon President Paul Kruger ordered that a new town be laid out to accommodate the miners. Land for the new town was released by having the boundaries of the farms Leeuwpoort, Driefontein and Klipfontein moved back from where they met. The newly created farm was called Vogelfontein, on which 1000 stands of 50x50 feet each were created. The new town of Boksburg
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