Fourways, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
The district of Fourways is the fastest-developing commercial and residential hub in the far north of Sandton, Johannesburg
, South Africa
. The main access routes to Fourways are off the N1
at William Nicol Road, or alternatively along Witkoppen or the R511. It is located mostly in Region 3
. It is roughly as far as one can go in the city before metropolitan Johannesburg dissolves into rolling hills, gamefarms and the capital Pretoria
55 kilometres to the Northeast. Hartebeespoort Dam and the Magaliesburg Mountains lie half an hour to the North West. It bordered by Bryanston to the East and South and Randburg to the West.
style, although it is far too large and misshapen to be considered a true Cape Dutch.
After being sold off piece by piece, the stately manor house was given to the City Council of Johannesburg in the 1970s, who named the suburb that was planned around it 'Norscot'. The mansion now serves Fourways as Norscot Manor Recreation Centre, the majority of it being a library
, but also encompassing an art gallery, lessons for children in Irish & Highland dancing, Ballet, Biodanza
, Indian and Modern dancing as well as Judo and Karate, a playground and a tea garden. There has been much alteration to the manor. Nevertheless, it is well worth visiting to admire the superb Art Deco
finishes which abound and remain, such as seashell
-inspired window fastenings, and air grates above windows delicately molded of plaster and depicting classic Art Deco ideas: the stag and a silph-like female form in a forest.
Fourways was so named because of the four-way stop where William Nicol Drive and Witkoppen Road met. Today William Nicol cuts under Witkoppen and is 3 lanes wide. The Fourways name is symbolised with two four-way roundabouts on Kingfisher Drive, the main thoroughfare of the Greater Fourways suburb, intersecting Robin Drive and Alexander Avenue. This suburb also has the original (circa 1905) house the Eriksen lived in before Norscot Manor was built, and it can be found on Flamingo Avenue.
Of the 3 'Koppies' (boulders seemingly balanced on one another) located in Johannesburg, Greater Fourways has one located in the Fourways Nature Reserve, named the Norscot Koppies. Lonehill and Beverley has the other, located in the Lonehill Nature Reserve, named the Lonehill Koppie.
Apart from Sandton's older and most prestigious suburbs, such as Westcliff and Sandhurst
, this district has some of the cities priciest and most sought-after homes.
Central Fourways comprises the entertainment district. These centres are Design Quarter, just north of Magaliessig, Fourways Mall north of Greater Fourways, Montecasino
to the east of Greater Fourways, Fourways Crossing
just east of Fourways Mall and the newest development, Cedar Square to the north-west of Fourways Mall. It must be mentioned that Broadacres and Lonehill are served by their own smaller shopping centres. These centres are chic, and are frequented by stay-at-home moms, Broadacres being the particular favourite because of the large park-like grounds it encloses, making it a safe and enjoyable haven for children.
The poor soil quality of the area is owed to the fact that the top-soil was sold off between the 1920s and 1960s.
Some of the main attractions in Fourways are:
These facilities are on the intersection between the R511 and Witkoppen Road, the intersection after which the area was named.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The main access routes to Fourways are off the N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
at William Nicol Road, or alternatively along Witkoppen or the R511. It is located mostly in Region 3
Region 3 (Johannesburg)
Region 3 was an administrative district in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006, and was also known as the Sandton region, as it included the formerly independent municipality of Sandton, and many of the northern suburbs of the former Johannesburg municipality...
. It is roughly as far as one can go in the city before metropolitan Johannesburg dissolves into rolling hills, gamefarms and the capital Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
55 kilometres to the Northeast. Hartebeespoort Dam and the Magaliesburg Mountains lie half an hour to the North West. It bordered by Bryanston to the East and South and Randburg to the West.
History
Long before the district came to be called Fourways, it was a 605 acres (2.4 km²) residence and gamefarm owned by the Eriksen family. The residence they built here in the early 1920s was named Norscot Manor (after their nationalities 'Nor'wegian and 'Scot'tish). The house is in the classic Cape DutchCape Dutch architecture
-Introduction:Cape Dutch architecture is an architectural style found in the Western Cape of South Africa. The style was prominent in the early days of the Cape Colony, and the name derives from the fact that the initial settlers of the Cape were primarily Dutch...
style, although it is far too large and misshapen to be considered a true Cape Dutch.
After being sold off piece by piece, the stately manor house was given to the City Council of Johannesburg in the 1970s, who named the suburb that was planned around it 'Norscot'. The mansion now serves Fourways as Norscot Manor Recreation Centre, the majority of it being a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, but also encompassing an art gallery, lessons for children in Irish & Highland dancing, Ballet, Biodanza
Biodanza
Biodanza is a profound system of self-development that uses music,movement and our positive feelings to deepen self-awareness:that ability to make a holistic link to ourselves, our emotions and to express them...
, Indian and Modern dancing as well as Judo and Karate, a playground and a tea garden. There has been much alteration to the manor. Nevertheless, it is well worth visiting to admire the superb Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
finishes which abound and remain, such as seashell
Seashell
A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer created by an animal that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washed up on beaches by beachcombers...
-inspired window fastenings, and air grates above windows delicately molded of plaster and depicting classic Art Deco ideas: the stag and a silph-like female form in a forest.
Fourways was so named because of the four-way stop where William Nicol Drive and Witkoppen Road met. Today William Nicol cuts under Witkoppen and is 3 lanes wide. The Fourways name is symbolised with two four-way roundabouts on Kingfisher Drive, the main thoroughfare of the Greater Fourways suburb, intersecting Robin Drive and Alexander Avenue. This suburb also has the original (circa 1905) house the Eriksen lived in before Norscot Manor was built, and it can be found on Flamingo Avenue.
Geography
The district of Fourways encompasses eight suburbs and three estates. The suburbs are Magaliessig (aka Little Fourways), Norscot, Greater Fourways, Norscot Slopes, Lonehill and Beverley, Craigavon, Broadacres. The estates are Cedar Lakes, Fourways Gardens, Dainfern, Dainfern Valley and Dainfern Ridge. The estates have come to be because of the city's high crime rate. Dainfern is centred on a golf course, while Cedar Lakes and Fourways Gardens are centred on family ideals and parks. The weather is warmer here than that to the South. Fourways will, on average, enjoy Pretoria's temperatures, owing to their proximity.Of the 3 'Koppies' (boulders seemingly balanced on one another) located in Johannesburg, Greater Fourways has one located in the Fourways Nature Reserve, named the Norscot Koppies. Lonehill and Beverley has the other, located in the Lonehill Nature Reserve, named the Lonehill Koppie.
Apart from Sandton's older and most prestigious suburbs, such as Westcliff and Sandhurst
Sandhurst, Gauteng
Sandhurst is located in Region 3 of Johannesburg and is a suburb of Sandton. It is one of the wealthiest suburbs in South Africa, featured frequently in the media for staggering home sale prices. Like most upmarket communities in South Africa, it offers large lot sizes and extensive security...
, this district has some of the cities priciest and most sought-after homes.
Central Fourways comprises the entertainment district. These centres are Design Quarter, just north of Magaliessig, Fourways Mall north of Greater Fourways, Montecasino
Montecasino
Montecasino is a leisure and casino complex located at No.1 Montecasino Boulevard in Fourways, Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Montecasino is built on 26 hectares of land . It was designed and built by South African architect company, Bentel Associates International, at a cost of R1.6...
to the east of Greater Fourways, Fourways Crossing
Fourways Crossing
Fourways Crossing is a shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Fourways.-External links:*...
just east of Fourways Mall and the newest development, Cedar Square to the north-west of Fourways Mall. It must be mentioned that Broadacres and Lonehill are served by their own smaller shopping centres. These centres are chic, and are frequented by stay-at-home moms, Broadacres being the particular favourite because of the large park-like grounds it encloses, making it a safe and enjoyable haven for children.
Schools
Fourways has several reputable schools. They include the government school Fourways High School in Greater Fourways (grades 8-12), the private Crawford schools: Pre-Primary, and Preparatory in Craigavon (grades 000-7)as well as Crawford Pre-Primary, Preparatory and College in Lonehill (grades 000-12). Dainfern is served by Dainfern College (grades 0-12). Residents of Fourways have a precedent stake in entering their children in Bryanston's elite government primary schools Bryandale Primary School and Bryanston Primary School, because of Fourways' close proximity to Bryanston.The poor soil quality of the area is owed to the fact that the top-soil was sold off between the 1920s and 1960s.
Some of the main attractions in Fourways are:
- Fourways Mall, the first of the large malls in the area.
- MontecasinoMontecasinoMontecasino is a leisure and casino complex located at No.1 Montecasino Boulevard in Fourways, Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Montecasino is built on 26 hectares of land . It was designed and built by South African architect company, Bentel Associates International, at a cost of R1.6...
, a faux-Tuscan complex designed by architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
bureaus Creative Kingdom and Bentel Abramson & Partners. - Fourways CrossingFourways CrossingFourways Crossing is a shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Fourways.-External links:*...
, a "factory mall" style complex.
These facilities are on the intersection between the R511 and Witkoppen Road, the intersection after which the area was named.