Sandton’s Hidden history
SANDTON – Sandton's oldest monument reveals its humble past.
Sandton has become a symbol of affluence and extravagance, with flashy new skyscrapers popping up on what seems to be a monthly basis.
However, this modern playground for the rich and powerful had very humble beginnings and evidence can still be found tucked away in a corner of the suburb.
The Esterhuysen family owned the farm Zandfontein in the middle of the 19th century and it’s on a portion of this farm that some of the modern skyscrapers of Sandton have emerged.
Sarah Welham of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation fears that some of the historical sites may be under threat from developers.
“The Esterhuysen Monument is a hugely important part of Sandton’s history as it marks the final resting place of the first white person, the Voortrekker J C Esterhuysen, to settle in the area now known as Sandton.”
She added that Esterhuysen died 135 years ago and the monument was erected by the family in 1938 and the land on which it stands was donated to the people of Sandton by the developers, Schachat Cullum in 1980.
“This was Sandton’s first historical monument,” said Welham. “Not far away, on the Glazer Family Estate, lies one of the descendants of the Esterhuysen family, Veldkornet F C Esterhuysen, who died in the Anglo-Boer War. His grave is under threat from developers and needs to be preserved at all costs.”
The Esterhuysen Monument can be found on a small piece of land tucked away near the top of South Road in Sandton.
The Sandton Chronicle would like to thank the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation for assisting in the writing of this article.
Below are a few passages from various old Sandton Historical Association journals providing some background on the heritage site:
“Just as we go to press comes the news that the graves of the Esterhuysen family in Sandown, Extension 24, are finally to become Sandton’s first historical monument . On 30th October, 1982 there will be a ceremony at the monument when the Mayor of Sandton will receive from the developers, Schahat Cullum, the deeds to the stand on which are buried Jan Christoffel Esterhuysen and his wife Maria Buitendag and others.
“The 30th October, 1982 was an important day for Sandton. This was the day when the Esterhuysen Monument in Sandown was finally handed over to the Sandton Municipality. We had been hoping for this, often in despair, for eight years and now at last Sandton has its own historic monument as a tribute to its Voortrekker pioneers. Many members of the Esterhuysen family travelled to Sandton to be present on the occasion.”
Details: www.joburgheritage.co.za
