Relics of the past
Fountainhead Property Trust – the owners of The Boulders Shopping Centre – commissioned University of
Johannesburg Department of Geology researcher Dr Rajesh to conduct a study into the geological significance of
the huge granite boulders which are the trademark of their Midrand mall.
“The fact that notes dating back to 1889 were found on the boulders, documenting the area as a location where
stockmen and travellers sojourned between the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the occurrence of
indigenous plants prompted the Midrand Town Council to declare the area containing the boulders a national
heritage site,” says Dr Rajesh.
His keen interest in granitic rocks made
the offer of research impossible to resist.
So he eagerly took up the challenge in
May this year.
“Apart from my natural interest in the
subject my enthusiasm was fuelled by the
sad state of preservation of geologic outcrops in Gauteng – most of them are vandalised. This presented another
excellent reason to get involved in the
project – to raise public awareness in a
very public space.”
He often takes geology students at the department (at UJ) to different parts of Johannesburg to study these
granitic rocks. Most of the best preserved outcrops are vandalised, in spite of inscriptions stating their
importance in the vicinity. Some don’t exist anymore despite tourist guide books mentioning their existence. In
many cases houses and buildings stand in their place with no sign of this ancient legacy.
In terms of South African geology, the boulders at the Boulders Shopping
Centre form part of the basement rocks
on which the City of Gold was built. It is
like knowing the foundation of one’s own house – what it is made up of and how
old it is?
“Our study revealed that the boulders
formed around 3,1 billion years ago (our planet formed about 4,5 billion years
ago) and constitutes one of the oldest
rocks found in South Africa,” concludes
Dr Rajesh.
Rajesh believes that the Boulders
Shopping Centre management and the property owners have done a good job in terms of preserving the
boulders.
“But it needs to be showcased and the
public needs to be educated about
their importance. More needs to be
done in advertising their importance.
I am sure most people shopping at the Boulders would have wondered why the boulders are kept intact, inside
the
shopping centre.”
The centre managers say they have many plans afoot to showcase the significance of these relics to their
shoppers and tourists.
There is a walking trail that takes one into the deep mysteries of these boulders. But at present it is closed to the
public. The Boulders Shopping Centre management would like to revamp and open the walking trail to the
public, so that people can appreciate the beauty of these boulders and their importance. Planting more plants on
either side of the walking trail will also make the public appreciate the importance of preserving things
“natural” – in a world
of ever-increasing artificiality.
The geologist who conducted the research,
Dr Rajesh