JOHANNESBURG CENTENARY

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Cachet: The cachet on this cover is dominated by the Johannesburg coat of arms, showing two sable antelope as supporters flanking a shield with a lion crest above. Gold ingots appear across the shield and again in the collars worn by the antelope, a direct nod to the gold mining history the cover commemorates. Beneath the arms a gold ribbon carries the motto "Fortiter et Recte", with "1886 - 1986 Johannesburg" printed below in bold gold foil, marking the city's full century since its founding on the Langlaagte farm. Two stamps run down the right side of the cover, both illustrated by Johan van Niekerk, showing Johannesburg's streets as they appeared in the 1880s above a modern skyline view of the same city a century later. A single postmark, shaped as a heart around the number "100", cancels both stamps.

Info card

JOHANNESBURG CENTENARY From mining camp to buzzing metropolis, the growth of the city of Johannesburg within a period of one hundred years has been phenomenal. It has an overall area today of more than 5 083 hectares, which can safely be doubled if the neighbouring municipalities of Sandton, Randburg and Bedfordview are included. It is difficult to conceive that this complex city with its network of suburbs and motorways could have mushroomed from the barren Transvaal highveld in such short space of time. The discovery of the world's richest goldfields led to undreamed of prosperity for a pastoral people and the influx of thousands of immigrants into our land of sunshine. The names associated with the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand include the Struben brothers, J.G. Bantjies, George Harrison, George Walker and the Oosthuizen family of Langlaagte. It was the two Georges who confirmed to the Oosthuizens the definite presence of gold in the outcrops they were working for them. A letter was accordingly sent to President Kruger requesting the government to investigate and, should the claims be substantiated, to open a portion of the farm in the Langlaagte valley as a public diggings. After due investigation on behalf of the government by J.F.B. Rissik, acting Surveyor General, and C.J. Joubert, head of the Mines Department, the executive council of the ZAR approved that certain areas on the Witwatersrand be proclaimed public diggings. The proclamation, signed by President Kruger, appeared in the Government Gazette on 15 September 1886 and set down the dates on which various farms and State land would be opened to the public: "De plaatsen Driefontein en Elandsfontein, op Maandag 20 September 1886; Het zuidelijkste gedeelte der plaats Doornfontein en der plaats Turfontein, op Maandag 27 September, 1886; Het stuk Gouvernementsgrond genaamd Rantjieslaagte en de plaats genaamd Langlaagte, op Maandag 4 October, 1886; De plaatsen genaamd Paardekraal, Vogelstruisfontein en Rodepoort, op Maandag 11 October, 1886." As the workings on the farm Langlaagte were effectively those that were first brought to the attention of the government, 4 October 1886 has always been considered the birthday of Johannesburg and it is therefore with great pride and pleasure that the City Council of Johannesburg have prepared this special commemorative envelope for the centenary of our "City with a heart of gold".

Additional information

This cover is postmarked on 17 November 1986 in Johannesburg. It carries two stamps illustrated by Johan van Niekerk, pairing a scene of the city's original streets with a view of its modern skyline to mark one hundred years since its founding. Johannesburg's official birthday is fixed to 4 October 1886, the date the workings on the farm Langlaagte first drew government attention following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand.

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