Before the establishment of the elite and affluent Bryanston, it was a rich cultivation and farming area.
According to the Heritage Portal, the Bryanston settlement area was founded in the early 20th century with the establishment of small farms such as Driefontein and Rietfontein along the Braamfontein Spruit and the Klein Jukskei River.
The area remained relatively underdeveloped in comparison to its neighbour, Rivonia, which became well established with small farms. As the Bryanston population grew, South African Railways established a bi-weekly bus service for the residents.
Bryanston was officially established in 1961 as a suburb of Sandton. However, following a revision of the boundaries after apartheid, it was merged with Johannesburg to form part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
The area now includes Riverclub (including the golf course), Bryanston and Randburg.
According to Bill Hedding, founder of the then Sandton Heritage Association, Bryanston had a certain ‘London connotation’ and thus it was given London street names. Bryanston was named after a village in the UK.
