Urban's 1: The Glass House
Georgia Anna Boediker left more than her mysterious house behind when she died in 1951, to this day many of her treasures are still unfound...
Georgia arrived in Durban from Korea in 1929 and owned a shop at 457 West Street where she sold Oriental ornaments. She was a tall, striking woman who wore Chinese-style clothing and always wore a mysterious single earing, this led to the locals calling her Shanghai Lil. In 1933 she bought an old house at 23 Tracy Watts Road on Fields Hill, overlooking Pinetown, and rebuilt it as a replica of a wing of Frederick the Greats palace, Sans Souci. When the building was completed it was named "The Glass House"
Over the years, the house was also known as The Capricorn, Shanghai Lil's, The spy house, the Spookhuis and the Round House. When World War 2 broke out, Shanghai Lil became the target of gossip and speculation. The locals claimed she provided a safe house for German spies which watched Durban Harbour for Allied shipping movements and had a radio transmitter hidden in her house with which she sent reports to Berlin, but no evidence was ever presented.
One of the view's from Shanghai Lil's house
There were many rumours and mysteries that ciculated around Shanghai Lil and the Glass house. 1) Some say there is a treasure very cleverly hidden in the kitchen. 2) It is believed that the house have secret underground rooms and passages. 3) Another rumour tells a story that there was a ditch around the house that was home to silver-coloured snakes. 4) Many said that a Chinese man was murdered in the house and buried under a pool. 5) She was accused of smuggling opium in the camphor wood boxes she imported, but no evidence was found.
The most famous mystery that Shanghai Lil is known for is that she owned a very valuable solid gold statue of Buddha, which she kept at the house. However when Shanghai Lil died at the age of 60 her estate was auctioned and there was no Buddha statue. Some believe she buried it somewhere on the grounds and others that it is hidden in one of the panels in the walls. To this day the statue is still unfound.
To this day no one has found the solid Buddha statue or any other of Shanghai Lil's treasures
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THE CACHE
Please do not attempt at night due to security conscious residents. The cache can NOT be accessed from the freeway, and is situated along View Road where you can see a great view of the famous "Glass House" Please dont park in the driveways.
Have you got any information about the The Glass House, its missing treasures or Shanghai Lil? Please post information on your log.
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