Historic Duntreath home in Westcliff gutted by fire

A heritage home in Westcliff known as Duntreath was destroyed by a fire in the early hours of Thursday morning, reports Rosebank Killarney Gazette.

The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF) announced on their Facebook page that Duntreath, which was awarded a blue plaque last year, had been destroyed.

JHF said on their website that the house was built from koppie stone on the steep slope of the East Westcliff Ridge. It was designed by Herbert Baker, and overlooks the Johannesburg Zoo and the forested northern suburbs.

Duntreath in 1911. Photo: Alan Yates/architecture.com

Duntreath. Image: Alan Yates/architecture.com

Spokesperson for Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, Robert Mulaudzi, said they received a call concerning the fire around 4.45am and arrived on scene at 5.15am.

“The fire was extinguished around 10am. The cause of the fire is still subject to investigation. No injuries were reported,” said Mulaudzi.

Duntreath in 2013. Image: The Heritage Portal

Blue plaques, assigned by the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, are awarded to properties rich in either remote or recent history, fine architecture, or to honour people, places and/or events.

Duntreath’s blue plaque. Image: The Heritage Portal

The plaque provides an explanation of the historical significance, and is a distinctive blue colour, made from either china, ceramic or fibre glass. Some even contain QR codes so that more information on them can be found online, explains The Heritage Portal.

Essentially, it implies the history of a certain place is protected, but also gives residents and visitors a bit more insight into an otherwise overlooked area, especially in bustling Johannesburg.

Additional reporting by Nica Schreuder. 

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