Roodepoort ( locally / ˈ r ʊər d ə p ʊər t / ROOR -də-poort ) is a city in the Gauteng province of South Africa . Formerly an independent municipality , Roodepoort became part of the Johannesburg municipality in the late 1990s, along with Randburg and Sandton . Johannesburg's most famous botanical garden , Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens (now renamed Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden ), is located in Roodepoort.
9-626: Kloofendal Nature Reserve is a municipal nature reserve in Roodepoort , South Africa. It is one of the first nature reserves in Johannesburg . It is also recognized as the place where gold was first mined in Johannesburg. The old gold mine can be visited by appointment. There are hiking trails and a small dam . Many small mammals are found at Kloofendal, including: Kloofendal is home to many species of birds and in particular: The Confidence Reef
18-541: A large hospital, various office parks and two hotels are found in the new CBD. Roodepoort still has a large industrial sector along the Main Reef Road ( R41 ) to Randfontein . A number of logistical firms work from the area as well as other light industry. The city has a large golf course called Ruimsig Country Club in the suburb Ruimsig. Another smaller golf course is the Jackel Creek Golf Estate. In between
27-530: Is a 300 hectares (3.0 km ) botanical reserve with grass parks, natural cliff face and waterfall. Another large greenspace is the Kloofendal Nature Reserve , a 128ha park with trails, amphitheatre, dam and small wild mammals . Further to the south is Florida Lake with its bird life and related aquatic activities. Although Roodepoort has traditionally been regarded as being part of the West Rand , it
36-629: The Struben brothers' Confidence Reef bore little gold and their mine was unprofitable, the ramshackle town that grew around it became the Roodepoort Municipality in 1904. Incorporating the towns of Hamburg, Florida and Maraisburg, Roodepoort became a city in 1977, and has since developed as one of Johannesburg's most predominantly Afrikaans (language of Dutch origin) speaking districts. Roodepoort has seen large population growth due to Johannesburg urban sprawl . There are two major malls in
45-681: The area - Clearwater Mall, the most upscale in Roodepoort, and Westgate Mall, the largest and oldest. Also found in the area is the Hillfox Centre and the Strubens Valley strip malls, which are both large retail centres. The CBD of the city has shifted from its historical center to a location adjacent to the N1 highway & 14th Avenue interchange in Constantia Kloof . Regional headquarters of banks,
54-507: The farm Wilgespruit at the western end of the Witwatersrand , were granted concessions to mine the area. When George Harrison's find at Langlaagte came to light and gold fever took hold, the Struben brothers were joined by a swarm of gold diggers. Other areas such as Maraisburg were prospected and mined by A.P. Marais and at Florida , the owners were van der Hoven, Bantjies and Lys. Though
63-596: The two, there is a links golf course Eagle Canyon. Further south in Roodepoort is the CMR Golf Club. Roodepoort Athletics Stadium is also found within the city. It has three mega private gym facilities owned by Virgin Active and Planet Fitness. The Roodepoort area has numerous parks and green areas. Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden , formerly known as the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden,
72-701: Was discovered by the brothers Fred and Harry Struben on 18 September 1884. This led to an influx of prospectors to the Witwatersrand , culminating in the discovery of the Main gold reef in 1886 . The first payable gold on the Rand was extracted by the Strubens on this site but the Confidence reef bore little gold and their mine was unprofitable. The mine was declared a National Monument on 29 July 1983. Roodepoort In 1884, brothers Fred and Harry Struben , having discovered gold on
81-771: Was not made part of the West Rand District Municipality , instead being integrated into the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality , following the post- apartheid re-organisation of local government in the late 1990s. Roodepoort is home to several private and state schools, including Ruimsig Montessori International School, Crawford International, Trinity House, Charter College, Allen Glen High School, West Ridge High School, Horizon View Primary, Ridgevale Primary School, Hoërskool Roodepoort, Hoërskool Die Adelaar, Princess High School, The Kings School West Rand and Ruimsig Academy. In 2001, Monash University Australia opened
#157842