In the article below, Jaco Mattheyse explores the history behind a well-known Krugersdorp landmark: the old Police Station on Commissioner Street. He begins by unpacking the social and political landscape of the town in the 1890s.
ARTICLES
BOOK REVIEWS
I presented this story at the Valentine's Day Johannesburg Heritage Foundation celebration on the lawns of Northwards and thought Heritage Portal readers would also enjoy this South African story of love, endurance and resilience against the backdrop of the Second World War. It was one of seven presented at this event.
BLUE PLAQUES
Our most famous sculptor arrived in South Africa as a prisoner of war yet chose to remain. Trained as an artist in Italy, from 1959 Villa produced the majority of his works in his studio on this property. In 1968, three years after marrying Claire Zafirakos, the couple moved into their new home, this distinctive house, designed by their friend, architect Ian McLennan. Edoardo Villa died here in 2011 aged 95.