Arts, Culture & Heritage
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Blue Plaque Sites

The Wilds

Table of Contents

About The Wilds

Developed by the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation in consultation with the City of Joburg

Address

Houghton Drive, Houghton
24 January 2019

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THE WILDS The Wilds was established in 1924 on a donation of land by the Houghton estate township Co. to the City. It was landscaped with indigenous flora first displayed at the 1936 Empire Exhibition, and attractive water features were added in the 1950s. The City dedicated the park to the memory of Jan Smuts after his death in 1950. The elegant pedestrian bridge was built in 1965, and the impressive greenhouses were a gift from JCI in 1966. The Wilds was declared a National Monument in 1981.

Photo courtesy: Kabelo Mokoena (Sunday Times)

Explore Joburg

A culmination of research gathered over many years, the Online Johannesburg Heritage Register is being launched on Nelson Mandela Day 18 July 2025.

Among the many heritage sites featured is Chancellor House, the downtown offices of Mandela and Tambo Attorneys in the 1950s. After having been vacant and shuttered for more than a decade, this iconic building is being revived and brought to life once again as offices for the Community Development Department, which oversees the City’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Services.

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