Today in History: The Struben Mine Shafts declared a National Monument
The Kloofendal Nature Reserve is situated in the suburb of Kloofendal, Roodepoort on the western side of Johannesburg, midway between Westgate and Clearwater Mall.
The Struben brothers, Fred and Harry, discovered the Confidence Reef on 18 September 1884, and sparked off a flood of prospectors to the Witwatersrand, eventually resulting in the discovery of the main gold reef in 1886.
The old shafts are now a National Heritage Site and part of the Kloofendal Nature Reserve, which is situated in the suburb of Kloofendal, Roodepoort on the western side of Johannesburg, midway between Westgate and Clearwater Mall. The entrance is on Galena Street, between Topaz and Ouklip Roads. The mine is enclosed and can only be visited by special arrangement.
The Kloofendal Nature Reserve is a 110-hectare reserve within easy reach of the centre of Johannesburg and consists of pristine Highveld vegetation with craggy quartzite outcrops.
The Struben Mine Shafts were declared a National Monument under old National Monuments Council legislation on 29 July, 1983 and produced the first payable gold which was extracted by the Struben brothers on the Rand.
Information sourced from: South African History Online.
