Nestled in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, Highlands North is a suburb with a unique character and charm. Calling Johannesburg home is a unique experience in any suburb, but if you’re ready to ease into a quieter lifestyle, Highlands North possesses its own sense of character and charm within the city. Highlands North is a suburb that has a reputation, not because of any large shopping centre or entertainment district, but because of the kind of people that live there.
Highlands North, established in 1903, is known for its older well-built houses on manageable size gardens. The suburb itself consists of reasonably sized stands with most of them having been subdivided in the past. As with most older suburbs, the vast majority of the stock in the market are freehold properties with only 6% sectional titles. Prices in the market are lower than in some of the trendier suburbs, but with averages of R1.2 million in 2010. This is up from around R600 000 in 2004 marking a 100% escalation in this period. This is, however, relatively common among Joburg suburbs over the property boom of the mid-2000s.
The main road Louis Botha Avenue traverses the suburb of Highlands North. The Sandton CBD is 9 kilometers north of Highlands North, and the Johannesburg CBD is 11 kilometers south of the suburb. ORT International Airport is the closest airport to Highlands North, about 20 kilometers away, on the East Rand.
Sunny South Africa! That's how locals describe the climate, and Johannesburg is no exception. Highlands North, situated in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, is a sunny suburb year-round. If you think that the suburb of Highlands North is where you could start your next chapter, please be in touch with Seeff Sandton here. We look forward to helping you. Home, Is Our Story.
Johannesburg, City (pop., 2001: metro. area, 3,225,810), northeastern South Africa. The capital of Gauteng province and one of the country’s largest cities, it bestrides a highland region called the Witwatersrand. It was founded in 1886 after the discovery of gold nearby and was occupied by the British during the South African War in 1900. It was a legally segregated city until 1991; nonwhites were restricted to living in outlying areas called townships, including Soweto. Greater Johannesburg extends more than 600 sq mi (1,600 sq km) and includes more than 500 suburbs and townships. It is a leading industrial and financial centre.
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What marks Highlands North is its proximity to a number of key areas. It is around the corner from Melrose Arch and Norwood is a short drive away.
Education and Community
The area is also home to one of Joburg’s most historic schools, Highlands North Boys High. Highlands North Boys High is a public school established more than 80 years ago, with a strong community of Old Boys that participate and contribute to school fundraising.
Other educational institutions in and around Highlands North include:
- Queens High School in Bezuidenhout Valley: A highly respected public school with a reputation for outstanding sporting achievements.
- Waverley Girls High: The nearest all-girls public school.
- The Torah Academy school in nearby Orchards: A Jewish community school.
Let's take a closer look at the history of Highlands North Boys High.
The History of Highlands North Boys High School
Highlands North High school was started officially opened on 16 January 1939 on its present site at the suburb of Highlands North. Highlands North was established as a co-educational institution in 1939. After the war it grew so rapidly that the existing buildings could not cope. In 1957 it was decided to split the schools into a Girls School and a boys school- Highlands North Boys High and Waverley Girls High.
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The first principal of the school was a Mr. St John Nitch, a man of British liberal traditional persuasion. He would oversee the expansion of a school from the start of the Second World War until 1946 when he left to join King Edward School. In the 1940s Highlands was a school with humble beginnings and a few resources.
The second chapter of the school was under Mr K Wynne who is the longest serving principal of the school. It went through a major transformation and in 1952 became a fully fledged Boys School competing with the likes of Jeppe Boys School and King Edward School on the sporting front. Highlands went through a period of tremendous infrastructure growth and saw a school hall being built in 1952, new schools science labs and the hall being completed. The era of Mr Wynne from 1947-1966 was the golden years of highlands and produced young men of upright moral standing in society.
The school has proud traditions and has kept them since time immemorial. The iconic dark blue blazer still stands with the eagle perched on it. Arum Tum Tum! Arum didam tum tum!
From 1966 under the leadership of J De Beer the school went on and flourished despite the hard economic climate and decreasing enrolments of students. The 1970s and 1980s was a time of prosperity for the school and it went through expansion and was able to buy more fields and offer more activities for the students. This period was also the heyday of apartheid and resistance to it. Sanctions were starting to bite the South African economy and had an effect on schools like highlands.
Previously a whites only school, highlands North Boys High became a multi racial school open to boys of all South African races and cultures. The 1990s was a time of change and transformation for the school. The school under Derek Tarpey became a Model C school which meant that fees were kept extremely low with support from the Department of Education. “The parent body decided to adopt Model B and to open the school to all races as from the second term this year.
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The 2000s saw highlands emerge as a school that became well known on the sporting, cultural and academic side. Under the leadership of Kobus Koos Vermeulen, there was a sense of discipline, pride and purpose. 2010 to 2019 saw highlands being under the leadership of Mr Willem Van Zyl. He emphasised academics and saw the school improve its academic performance and going above the 70% mark.
Highlands North Boys High School made history in the country in 2013 when it appointed the first black male principal of a boys school. Mr Meneer Mokgalaka. Highlands is entering a new era under the leadership of Mr Masinge in 2019.
As the only monastic school in the North Eastern area, the school soon attracted pupils requiring a boys school type of education and, although considerably younger than the other boys in town, it soon built up a formidable reputation and a unique school spirit. The school has produced many distinguished old boys in the spheres of academic life, medicine and business. There have been Rhodes Scholars, City Councilors and headmasters of schools.
In common with the other schools in Johannesburg, soccer was originally the major winter sport at the school. Rugby was introduced in the 1950s but soccer continued to be an official sport until 1977, when it was dropped-only to be re-introduced as third term option in 1992. The years before about 1975 were undistinguished as far as results were concerned but then, around that time several things happened which initiated a new attitude to rugby which led to Highlands North becoming undoubtedly one of the top rugby schools in Johannesburg.
The first was the appointment of Mr Thys Woest as Physical Education Master who in the words of the late John O’Meara “Would have been there if a South African touch rugby team was chosen”. Mr Woest believed in the value of touch rugby to teach the basics of the game-and as a mass participation activity and, by ensuring that the more talented players were always in his team, he began to teach every rugby player in the school the invaluable skills of beating a man, selling a dummy, changing directions etc. At the same time Ex Transvaal player, Joe Verster, was appointed to teach at the school and he became the first team coach.
Amenities and Activities
Highlands North offers a variety of amenities and activities for residents and visitors:
- Netcare Linksfield Hospital: A private hospital with an excellent reputation, offering a broad range of medical and surgical services.
- Corner Café in Northfield Road: A great coffee shop and bakery, perfect for a quick takeaway.
- Thava Indian Restaurant in Norwood: Selling delectable dishes from southern and northern India.
- Kung-Fu Kitchen, Norwood: Well-known for its Asian dishes, including sushi.
- Five-a-side Soccer at the Waverley Bowling Club.
- Melrose Bird Sanctuary: 10 hectares situated within the James and Ethel Gray Park, dedicated as a bird sanctuary.
- Acrobranch Adventure Course: Also within the James and Ethel Gray Park, featuring obstacle courses, zip lines, elevated swings, bridges, and tunnels.
- Randjes Retirement Estate: Located on Randjeslaagte Road, set amongst lovely trees and gardens on a large, 42-acre property.
HIGHLANDS NORTH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL TRICK QUIZ S2E6 (Try Not To Laugh) South African YouTubers
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