Braamfontein Cemetery	Joubert Park

The bustling City of Johannesburg - provincial capital of Gauteng, commonly known as the “City of Gold” has been transformed over the last century. It is now the "green city".

As little as 150 years ago the Highveld, which gave birth to Johannesburg, contained little else but virtually untouched grassland with scattered shrubs and trees on the ridges.

With the discovery of gold in 1886, Johannesburg was born. Development of recreation areas soon became essential. In 1888 the Braamfontein Cemetery was opened, followed by Joubert Park and by 1903 Johannesburg had 10 parks and one cemetery under the control of the Town Engineer.

In 1904 the parks and cemetery were transferred to a newly formed Parks Department and a Superintendent of Parks was appointed.

Other than trees planted by the land barons in Parktown, the first street tree-planting in the town proper took place in 1905. Since that date Johannesburg has grown not only into a city but a green metropolis to match any other in the world.

As Johannesburg - or Joburg, as it is now called - began to expand, more trees, cemeteries and parks were developed. As early as the 1990s, about six million trees had been planted on public property and private residences within the boundaries of the old Johannesburg. Some 1,5 million trees were planted in the parks, cemeteries and sidewalks, giving Johannesburg the status of having the most tree-lined streets in the world. Since the incorporation of other areas, it is estimated that the street trees in Joburg alone number more than 1,3 million.

Johannesburg City Parks is now the custodian of this green heritage and will continue to strive for a greener environment to meet the needs of the community and future generations.