See where Randlords lived

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Johannesburg’s gold barons, or so-called Randlords, used the services of famous architects like Sir Herbert Baker to build their palaces that can still be seen around Parktown, Westcliff and Houghton. 

Here’s how:
Visit the kindergarten. A nice walk is to park near the zoo in upper Park Road, to walk up Jan Smuts Drive and then turn left into The Valley Road. It’s a lovely road with broad sidewalks where you can admire the house where Lord Kitchener’s so-called “kindergarden” used to gather. They were young Oxford graduates who came to serve in the Transvaal Administration after the Anglo-Boer War. Head straight towards Rannoch Street and back to the car.
The inner circle. Want to see the houses from the inside? The Parktown & Westcliff Heritage Trust has tours on Saturday for around R30.
Contact: 011 4822 3349; www.parktownheritage.co.za

Go! says: If you’re in Durban, set a morning aside to take a stroll through the city centre and see how many Art Deco buildings you can spot. Victoria Embankment and West Street are good places to start; contact the Durban Art Deco Society for a map and suggested routes(www.durbandeco.org.za).
(Jan 09, p40)

 

Published 20 May 2010

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