Although it was a small camp, Heilbron was unusual in several respects. This area in the northern Free State might appear flat and uninteresting but, the Heilbron district commissioner complained that nearby Viljoen’s Drift was ‘Just a lot of tin houses on both sides of the Railway the whole in the midst of a sandy desert’ - but it was the heart of the maize growing area. Coal mining took place at nearby Viljoen’s Drift and the Vereeniging Estates included relatively prosperous black tenant farmers.

Established in 1894 to the west of central Johannesburg, Fietas (today known as Pageview) was once the city’s "Malay location" and home to a large Indian community. In the first half of the 20th century Fietas was famous for its bustling main street, 14th Street, which was one of the most popular places in the city to shop for bargains, drawing shoppers from all racial and economic backgrounds. In the 1970s the apartheid government began the demolition of Fietas as part of its policy of forced removals and ethnic segregation, know as the Group Areas Act.

When six Dominican sisters left Ireland forever in the 1860's to establish a girls’ school in Cape Town, 'they were decidedly blessed. Guided by faith and dedication, they purchased the spacious and beautiful Springfield estate in Wynberg, then considered “the countryside” for 800 Pounds. Founded in 1871, Springfield Convent School is steeped in almost 150 years of cherished history. Springfield is today a leading Independent Catholic Girls’ School which welcomes girls of all faiths and backgrounds to classes from Nursery to Grade 12.