Roodepoort

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General Information

Roodepoort is an area in Johannesburg, Gauteng and serves as a major residential area for residents who work in nearby Johannesburg and other surrounding areas.

In 1884, brothers Fred and Harry Struben, having discovered gold on the farm Wilgespruit at the western end of the Witwatersrand. were granted concessions to mine the area. When George Harrison's find that Langlaagte came to light and the gold fever took hold, the Strubens brothers were joined by a swarm of gold diggers. Though the area bore little gold and their mine was unprofitable, the ramshackle town that grew around it became Roodepoort municipality in 1904. Roodepoort became a city after incorporating yhe towns of Hamberg, Florida and Maraisburg.

The area increasingly caters for students and so has developed a vibrant night life with a range of restaurants and clubs in the area.

The most popular attraction in Roodepoort is the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden (previously named Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens). The gardens are home to a pair of Verreaux's Eagles who live in the cliffs surrounding a small waterfall in the gardens.

Activities and Attraction

Roodepoort offers a wide variety of activities for energetic souls:

Confidence Reef - The unpredictable reef worked by the Struben brothers since 1884
Florida Lake - Flanked by rolling lawns, a large lake often the host of regattas, triathlons and rowing competitions.
Roodepoort Museum - Exibition covering lacal history, discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand and the development of Roodepoort from mining camp to city
Stationary Museum - One of the lkargest collections of miniature oil engins in Southern Africa
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens
Kloofendal Nature Reserve
Chinese Dragon Boat Racing