Before the incident, the tree stood almost 50m high for many, many years, according to its owner, Werner Kirchhoff, who is a retired land surveyor, town planner and historian.
Kirchhoff explained that his property is actually built on land which was once part of the original Syferfontein Farm, one of the first 10 farms that Johannesburg was built on.
“The original French Huguenots, who were part of the Voortrekkers in the Great Trek, used to sling little canvas bags at the back of their wagons where it wouldn’t get wet,” Kirchhoff said.
“These bags contained acorns which the Huguenots had originally brought with them [from France] to Stellenbosch, the wood of which was used to make their vats for their wine.”
The historian further explained that when the Huguenots settled on these pre-Johannesburg farms, they planted these acorns. “The original Syferfontein homestead was somewhere in this vicinity and I am sure this tree is the last remaining of those oak trees,” Kirchhoff stated.
He added that, according to his research, a neighbouring farm owner planted similar oak trees along what is now Melrose Street in 1890, but these hadn’t grown as big as the oak on his property when he moved there in 1996.
“Therefore, I am quite certain this tree is the oldest oak in the area, if not the biggest in town,” Kirchhoff said.
Fortunately, apart from the entire crown of the tree landing upside down in his swimming pool, there wasn’t any severe damage to Kirchhoff’s property. The tree should be able to recover due to only the top part of it being damaged.
Director of Active Tree Felling, Alexis Baikoff, who was there with his team to remove the damaged part of the tree, explained that the fork at the top of the tree had been weakened by a fungus which had taken root due to dampness and it was that branch where the lightning had probably struck.
