Mine Shaft Head Frame in Marshalls Town, Johannesburg, Gauteng

Serious inner city decay in Ferreirasdorp in the 1990s was alleviated by the dogged determination of major companies such as Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Standard Bank, who refused to vacate their traditional head offices and follow their peers to the perceived safety of Sandton.

These companies chose to participate in the upliftment of the area and worked closely with government to improve security. An extensive CCTV network and visible policing, resulting in one security guard per block, was introduced. As a result, crime levels in the area immediately dropped. Programmes to combat litter and develop amenities and tourist infrastructure were also introduced.

Langlaagte Head Frame

On the western side of the corner of Main and Sauer Streets an imposing Mine Head Frame has been mounted over the entrance to the mine shaft, allowing men and materials to be winched between the surface and underground.This particular head frame was relocated from Langlaagte, west of the CBD, close to George Harrison's original gold find that triggered the start of the Gold Rush in 1886.

Struben Brothers

A memorial to the Struben brothers, who discovered the Main Reef Group in the late 1880s, lies at the base of this head frame. Harry and Fred Struben were a formidable team, with Fred prospecting for gold-bearing reefs, whilst Harry handled the commercial and financial aspects of the business. The brothers have the distinction of having had a suburb, Struben's Valley, named in their honour. This gold seam has proven to be the richest in the entire Witwatersrand gold deposit, which was, in turn, the richest and most extensive gold field yet discovered anywhere in the world.