Ten Ways To See Joburg

This week’s speaker was Sarah Barret, a Provincial Tour Guide introduced by fellow tour guide and New Dawn club member Wendy Challis

                                    Sarah Barret at the meeting

She was introduced by Wendy Challis

Sarah grew up in the Welsh countryside, after studying at university where she received a BSc Economic Honors. She got a holiday job in 1987 and fell accidently into the tourism business. This led her to work in tourism in the USA and London.

She had her own travel incentive company for eight years, designing individual travel experiences for corporate groups. She had made Johannesburg her home since 1992.

She does all different areas within the city and the suburbs, and she always covers a bit of art in her tours, so she has an extensive knowledge of art and artists, whether it be mosaic, sculptures, or graffiti, and this makes her tours really unique.

She finds Johannesburg an exciting, diverse and multi colourful African city. There is a lovely quote about Johannesburg: “Johannesburg is the practice master of the endless pothole.”  Home to over 6 million residents and contributes about 15% of South Africa’s GDP.

"Like Sarah, I am also very passionate about Johannesburg and invite you to go on one of her tours, and I welcome her here today."

Sarah based her talk to the club on 10 Ways to Explore Joburg: "Be a tourist in your own City."

1    Newtown 

·      Market Theatre 

·      Sculpture of Kippie Moeketsi 

·      Sculpture of Brenda Fassie 

·      380 People of Jozi wooden heads made of railway sleepers 

·      Piano keyboard on Mary Fitzgerald Square 

·      Mural of Miriam Makeba

·      Deconstructed South African flag – gift from the Netherlands

·      Shadow Boxer outside Chancellor House – Bob Fosani

·      Sisulu sculpture

2.     Marshalltown

·      Anglo American building – then an anchor representing steadfast power and permanence

·      Leaping Impala sculpture

·      Gold nugget sculpture

·      Ferreira mine stope

·      Gandhi sculpture on Gandhi Square

·      Rand Club

3.     Braamfontein

·      Sculpture of eland – representation of an eland on a corner where it has long since disappeared

·      Nelson Mandela Bridge and 16 steel flowers

·      Kitchener’s Bar

·      Nzunzu/Ndundza by Hannelie Coetzee

·      Adam Levy

·      Braamfontein litter bins

·      Kiwi graffiti

·      Little Artists studio – Edward Selematsela – since 1995

·      Wits Art Museum

·      JFF rooftop farm, Indwe Park, Great Dane and graffiti

Troyeville

·      Troyeville Hotel

·      The Troyeville House

·      Gandhi’s house

·      David Webster’s house

·      Mosaic by Andrew Lindsay to commemorate the 1922 miners’ strike

·      Views

·      Colourful sights

·      Victoria Yards

5.     Maboneng and Jewel City 

·      Collectors Treasurery

·      The Cosmopolitan

·      Street art by Dbongz, Nelson Makamo and Nard Star

·      Family with dog, Children about to swim and Bachelor party

·      Jewel City scenes

·      Roots mural by Dbongz

·      Views from Hallmark House

6.     Tours with a Focus on Art

·      Goodman Gallery

·      Johannesburg Contemporary Art Foundation

·      Rose Fire Station

·      Living Artists Emporium

·      Kim Sacks Gallery

·      Arthur Dlamini – photographer

·      The Leonardo

·      Printing Press at l’Atelier @ 44 Stanley

·      Ethopian woman mural by Dbongz

7.     Soweto 

·      Colleague, Tshepo

·      Soweto Theatre

·      Baragwanath market

·      Vilakazi sign language

·      Orlando cooling towers

·      Places to eat: Native Rebels, Vilakazi Café, and Chez Alina (with cooking lesson)

8.     Cradle of Humankind – 3.6m years

·      Rhino and Lion Park

·      Cradle Moon

·      Ground Café

·      Malapa Museum

·      Malapa Beetle

·      Sterkfontein Caves

·      Nirox Sculpture Park

9.     Constitution Hill

·      The Old Fort

·      Women’s Jail

·      No 4

·      Court Interior

·      Tribute to Robert Sobukwe, Ahmed Kathrada, Albie Sachs, Joe Slovo, Ester Barsel & Rabbi Davin Masinter

10.  Things that are Free and/or Easy to Do

·      The Wilds

·      The Holocaust & Genocide Centre

·      Wits Art Museum

·      Workers’ Museum

·      Malapa Museum & Sterkfontein Caves

·      The Apartheid Museum

·      The Military History Museum

 

A Thought for the Week: I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. - Estee Lauder (1908 - 2004)

PS: Thanks to Graham Donet for doing the blog this week in my absence and to Sarah for the use of her photo montages