Dysart House Traditional Cache

 “DYSART HOUSE”

A LIVING LEGACY AND TIMELESS ICON IN THE HEART OF JOHANNESBURG

The leafy suburb of Parktown has played host to an incredible history of days gone by when gold rush fever took hold of Johannesburg and when this once sleepy hollow bore homage to only a few elite mining families.

Still nestled in the suburb today are a number of well-known treasures of that special era, such as The St George’s Anglican Church, “Northwards” - the elegant home of Dale Lace, The Sunnyside Park Hotel and equally famous “Dysart House.”

Once a simple homestead, this beautiful property, which recently turned 100 years old, is an Edwardian icon and is rented out as offices. It is owned by The Altron Group (on the adjoining property) who has refurbished the house and has restored the gardens to their former glory of the Edwardian era.

Originally built for a Johannesburg gold mining family by the English  architect, Sir Herbert Baker, the building stands as a living legacy in the heart of one of Africa’s busiest cities.

When driving through the gates of Dysart House today, one would be hard pressed to believe that the building was once only one of just a few homesteads overlooking miles of veld with a view right to the Magaliesberg mountain range. Just a quick glance at the eye-catching façade of the building and one is immediately transported to a time when carriages arrived on the gravel parking for their occupants to enjoy high tea in the gardens or a spot of croquet on the lawns.

Built in 1911 and occupied in December of that year, Dysart House is now recognized by The Parktown and Westcliff Heritage Trust as “a Johannesburg treasure” and  carries the blue ceramic plaque that characterises such buildings in the area as important monuments of a bygone era.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF  “DYSART HOUSE”

• December 1911 : Dysart House was completed, but initially called “Abberton”, and occupied by the Dix family. Mr Dix planted an oak tree in the north western corner of the property, which is today regarded as possibly the largest or second largest specimen in Johannesburg.
• August 1916 : after Mr Dix passed away at a relatively young age of 48, the house was occupied by James Crawford Gibb Macnab and his family who renamed the house, “Dysart House.” This was to remind him of a house established by the Earl of Rosslyn in the town of Dysart, a coal shipping port on the Firth of Forth in Scotland.
• December 1918 : Mr and Mrs Macnab erected a double storey addition to the western side of the house, also designed by Sir Herbert Baker, to more comfortably accommodate their six children.
• May 1934 : Dysart House was sold to Mrs Hubertine Christina Helena Appleby and Mrs Elizabeth Stemmler of German stock. They had purchased the property with the intention of turning it into a small private hotel.
• June 1935 : After a year, there was clearly a demand for this type of accommodation in Parktown and a substantial addition was made to the rear of the house, comprising 25 bedrooms, a large dining room, a staff dining room, six bathrooms and 7 lock-up garages. This addition to the building much later gave way to two contemporary buildings now occupied by Altron staff and the Group’s tenants.
• July 1948 : Dysart House and its movable assets were sold to a company, Dysart House (Pty) Limited, owned by Appleby and Stemmler for a total of £48 000.
• August 1948 : The fish pond (which still exists today) and a conservatory were added to the House as was a nicely laid out garden.
• February 1982 : Dysart House was turned into a conference centre and a restaurant by a Mr T S Evans.
• February 1986 : The building was sold to The Cologne Insurance Company of South African for R1,65 million. The restaurant traded as “The Herbert Baker” while the remaining space operated as offices.
• February 1996 : A small scale modern office block with centralized courtyards was completed across the full width of the southern boundary of the property facing onto Winchester Road.
• November 2007 : The Altron Group purchased Dysart House as well as the two contemporary office blocks on the southern side of property at a price of R19 million.  A link between the property and Altron House, situated at 4 Sherborne Road was established, and refurbishment of both Dysart House and its contemporary buildings was undertaken.

Please read the "Johannesburg Historical Legacy" plaque describing this historic house at which spot GZ is close at hand.