Bryanston may seem like a modern suburb, perfectly suited to the affluent professionals who call it home, but what most residents of this leafy suburb do not realise is that this well-known area of Johannesburg is rich in history which stretches back to the 19th century.

Bryanston formed part of Driefontein Farm which was established in the 1840s and now includes most of what is Riverclub (including the golf course), Bryanston and Randburg.

Driefontein Farm was first owned by LP van Vuuren, then purchased by JJC Erasmus and after that by Johannes Lodewikus Pretorius. Pretorius became the first owner officially registered by the Deeds Office in Pretoria in 1859. He owned 3 422 morgens (2 931 hectares) stretching from the present day suburbs of Witkoppen to Craighall.

Around the mid-1800s, prospector Pieter Jacobus Marais, on his way to Pretoria, made camp next to the Braamfontein Spruit in what is today known as Bryanston Ext 7. While camped there, Marais tried his luck at panning the small watercourse and to his delight, found traces of gold. Years later, prospectors such as George Harrison made use of this information to discover the main reefs of Johannesburg.

During the 40s, a township was established on the farms Driefontein and Rietfontein. These townships were under the chairmanship of Sir Abe Bailey who had his London home in Bryanston Square, hence the name Bryanston.

“This immediately gave the township a London connotation and it was natural therefore to look to London for suitable street names. All but three of the streets in Bryanston are named after streets, squares or other places in and around London. The three exceptions are Payne and Vlok streets near the library and Homestead Avenue where the original homestead was located,” said Bill Hedding, founder of the now-defunct Sandton Heritage Association.

“By the time World War II came to an end, there were about 70 houses built. With the return of the ex-servicemen, building started again.”

Bryanston resident for over 50 years, Steven Jacobs can remember the days before the hustle and bustle. “I remember the fruit orchards very well. These started disappearing when the developers moved in, but Bryanston has kept its charm quite well. The only thing that bothers me these days is the general sense of congestion in the suburb,” Jacobs said.

In 1969, Bryanston was established as a suburb of Sandton, but after municipal boundaries were revised, following the end of Apartheid, it was merged with Johannesburg to form part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

The Sandton Chronicle would like to thank the Heritage Portal for the historical insight they provide on our suburbs.

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