The St Peter’s Anglican Church, located at 98 Queen Street in Brakpan, marked its 100th anniversary in December 2025, with official centenary celebrations scheduled for January 18.

“Almost 50 years ago, the Rev WJ Helmore Banks, then Vicar of Boksburg, was cycling along the rough dusty road across open veld where now stands the important reef town of Brakpan,” reads the church’s silver jubilee pamphlet from 1946.

“He was on one of his periodical visits to take services of the little dorp called Springs, which was then in the Boksburg parish. Noticing settlements of houses, which had sprung up recently at Brakpan and Schapenrust, he made enquiries and to his joy found a few Anglican families there.”

“After this, he made it his practice to call (stop by) on his way to and from Springs, and so began in 1897 the work of the Anglican Church in Brakpan,” the pamphlet continues.

From 1910, with a growing population in Brakpan, regular services were held for the Brakpan parish from Benoni, which had become a separate parish with Rev AT Harre as its first vicar, and Rev RAH Urquhart, archdeacon of Johannesburg in 1946, as assistant priest.

The services were held in the Brakpan Mines Recreation room between the main mining compound and the Number Two Shaft, before the Brakpan Mines Recreation Club was built.

There was displeasure at the state of the recreation room after Saturday night’s parties, and a church hall was built in Anzac in 1917.

Brakpan was constituted as a separate parish on November 1, 1921, and the parish was “hardly on its feet when the greatest industrial upheaval South Africa has ever known (by 1946) was upon it,” reads the pamphlet.

“This was the Rand strike, January to March 1922, which caused so much suffering and left a spate of unpleasant memories. St Peter’s Brakpan was in the midst of these troubles,” it continues.

At the same time, funds were being raised to build a proper church, and the cornerstone was laid by Princess Alice on December 30, 1925. The building was completed on April 18, 1928 and dedicated by “Bishop Karrey” and consecrated on June 28, 1931.

To celebrate more than 100 years of history, the church will hold a special service and hopes to display historic artefacts for the public. They are still very involved in the community, being charitable since the Miners’ Revolt of 1922.

“We continue to keep our doors open to all,” said the church’s current rector, Archdeacon Elton Madupe (48). “We care for those in need, on Wednesdays we give meals, we make up Christmas hampers for families in need, and we join hands with other churches to help the less fortunate,” he said.

Father Atholl Selkirk (79) was a previous vicar, serving the church for ten and a half years between 2006 and 2016. He was baptised in the Church of England of South Africa, and his favourite hymn is All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Vellory Lee (89), one of the oldest members of the church, has spent her whole life in the church. She was confirmed there, married, and had her children baptised in the church.

She also served as a lay minister in the 1990s, being one of the first female lay ministers in the Anglican Church in South Africa.

June Miraites (83) is another member who grew up with the church and was the first female church warden, which came as a huge shock to her and the parish. At the time, it was unheard of.

“I did the books for a long time and enjoyed Sunday school teaching. My whole family is and was a part of the church,” she said.

The current volunteer secretary, Bianca Thomas (42), was the former church warden and a Sunday school teacher as well.

“I enjoy looking after all the little kiddies, and the Easter and Christmas special services,” she said.

Before they were stopped due to safety concerns, she also enjoyed the Midnight Mass offered by the church.
“I hope for the next 100 years where the church continues to grow,” she said.

Archdeacon Madupe hopes for growth and a reclaiming of the church’s ‘glory days’.
“We want to be more involved in the community again,” he said.