Arts, Culture & Heritage
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Blue Plaque Sites

Trig Beacon Oxford Road

Table of Contents

About Trig Beacon Oxford Road

Developed by the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation

Address

114 Oxford Road, Melrose Estate
January 2025

Inscription

TRIG BEACON OXFORD ROAD 114 Oxford Road, Melrose Estate The Witwatersrand Goldfields System of Triangulation was established in 1890 by Edward Melville. In 1928, Dr van der Sterr expanded the system northward from Randjeslaagte, introducing the standardized 1.2m concrete cylindrical beacon with removable iron vane. Before GPS technology, surveyors relied on these trigonometrical beacons placed at elevated locations to determine geographical coordinates. By chance this survey beacon was located very close to a stone cairn which stood on the centre island of Oxford Road and marked the division of the farms Braamfontein, Klipfontein and Syferfontein.

Photo courtesy: Kabelo Mokoena (Sunday Times)

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