Kensington was once an open space and nothing like we see today.
The 115-year-old suburb was founded by Max Langermann who lived in the suburb on the road that was named after him, namely Langermann Drive.
The suburb was proclaimed in 1902 from a portion of the farm Doornfontein.
The streets were laid out in the same year and were heavily planted with trees by William and Stanley Nelson of Nelsonia Nurseries, who planted Oak and Pine trees along the suburb’s streets.
They covered a distance of 106 kilometres. It is said the project took them nine months to complete.
This man-made forest has become home to a host of birds and other creatures.
In 1903, the suburb was sub-divided into 7610 stands which equate to 4500 houses that accommodate a population of about 20 000 people.
Kensington is one of the oldest and largest suburbs in Johannesburg and was proclaimed a “heritage suburb” in 2011.
Many of the houses are over 60 years old.
The suburb came into being in the same year that heralded the end of the Boer War.
Some of the main streets were named after commanders of the British Forces: Roberts Avenue – Lord Roberts, Milner Crescent – Lord Milner, Kitchener Avenue (now Albertina Sisulu) – Lord Kitchener.
No fewer than 83 streets were named after Royal Navy warships.
Collingwood Street was named after a dreadnought honouring Vice Admiral Cuthbert Lord Collingwood who mopped up the French fleet after Nelson had fallen at the battle of Trafalgar.
Royal Oak Street was named after a British battleship launched in 1892 and Barossa Street is named after a cruiser that sailed African waters and was based in Simonstown during the Anglo Boer War.
#KnowYourHeritage
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