Usually, around this time of the year, I’d be publishing a new post of some description. It seems a post a year is about my average given the amount of work that goes into them. Of course, the algorithms and digital media experts would all disagree with that strategy, but I don’t really care much for all that… Despite my low-level postings and long silences, things have been rather busy here at JHB1912HQ. There’s the Johannesburg Trams ebook which has been taking much longer to pull together than I envisaged. It’s looking like a 2026 release at this stage and is an experiment in self-publishing.

I’ve also recently been involved in some paid research for Stanford University. I’ll share the links once the work is formally published. It’s these odd jobs that pay for the hosting and other expenses it takes to keep this blog going, and importantly, advertising free. There’s nothing I hate more than a web page full of adverts that flash and follow you around.

Enough about all that…

This Heritage Day, I’m highlighting a major update to a piece I wrote ten years ago. I know, I can hardly believe it myself: this blog has been going for almost fifteen years! The piece has had some corrections (there were a few…) and edits, and has been suitably spruced up with some new photos and facts.

I’ve learnt a lot about researching this city over the last ten years and have also amassed many more out-of-print reference books that cleared up some of the inconsistencies and unknowns in the original piece. One notable new reference point was Rose Norwich’s Master’s thesis c1988 on early synagogues in Johannesburg. She passed away at the end of August this year at the age of 103. Her thesis, which I only got to see in its entirety a week ago, is phenomenal. I missed a chance to meet her just before COVID. The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation’s Research Centre also assisted with some hard-to-find information.

It is a bit of a long read (estimate is about 60 minutes), but there are loads of photos. Please feel free to share and link back to the site.

Happy Heritage Day!

LOST CHURCHES OF JOHANNESBURG