Langlaagte Deep Residential Village, Johannesburg

In 1886 Hans Sauer, who combined a medical practice with prospecting on Cecil Rhodes’s behalf, was guided from Ferreira’s Camp to the main group of gold reefs by a son of the widow Petronella Oosthuizen, the owner of a farm at Langlaagte, on which the main gold reefs had first been discovered!

Following the establishment of 'Langlaagte Deep' in September 1895 the village was developed in 1903-1904 to house employees of the company. It included a mine manager's house, housing for senior officials, single quarters for men, and terraced accommodation for married workers. A recreation hall and club facilities were also provided. The conservation project has retained 35 units of the married quarters, which originally housed miners mainly from Cornwall, who were also active in the union labour movement. In 1909 Langlaagte Deep was taken over by Crown Mines Ltd. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 10 March 1989.