Picture a tranquil haven nestled amongst Johannesburg’s bustling energy. That’s Craighall Park a suburb steeped in history.
Craighall Park is more than just pretty houses and leafy streets. It’s a living testament to Johannesburg’s past. In 1891 a Scotsman named William Rattray bought a piece of Klipfontein farm. This land would become Craighall Park and its neighbours Craighall and Blairgowrie. Rattray’s vision transformed the area. He dammed the Braamfontein Spruit creating a lake. This lake became a focal point attracting visitors to the Craighall Park Hotel. The hotel itself may have started as Rattray’s Victorian-style home. It offered a weekend getaway for Johannesburg residents. Imagine enjoying afternoon tea by the lake listening to military bands. The lake sadly silted up over time.
The story of Craighall Park’s streets is fascinating. Many names honour British dukes like Bedford Buckingham and Lancaster Avenues. One road cleverly changes names three times Norfolk Avenue becoming Cambridge Avenue then Grosvenor Avenue. This reflects the old farm gates that once separated the properties. The origins of other street names are less clear. Talbragar may have Australian roots while Waterfall reflects a nearby waterfall. Alexandra honours Queen Alexandra wife of King Edward VII.
Craighall Park wasn’t always a residential area. It was once farmland with dairies. One dairy was near Waterfall Avenue another by the Spruit. Cows grazed near the Spruit. Later after the lake silted tasty mushrooms appeared there. The suburb even had its own bus service. It was initially horse-drawn later upgraded to a bus that required passenger assistance on steep hills.
Early Craighall Park also boasted unique buildings. Innis Hall a Dutch gabled structure served as a dance hall and wedding venue. It later became an antique shop before disappearing. There was also a British blockhouse. Boys played there finding belts bullets and badges. Nearby graves with headstones made from petrol tins hinted at a darker history.
The suburb’s first Post Office was in a general store. Miss Julia Liackman served as postmistress earning between 3 and 5 pounds a month. She would have seen many riders arriving on horseback.
Today Craighall Park is a blend of old and new. The old gum trees some over a century old are still standing. They remain silent witnesses to the area’s long history. While some pine trees have been removed others are still around. Some residents even refuse to have trees cut down because owls nest there every year. Craighall Park continues to evolve but the echoes of its past remain in the tranquil streets and the names whispered on every street sign.