- Germiston, Gauteng
"This article is about Germiston in Gauteng, South Africa. For the Germiston in Scotland, see
Germiston, Glasgow ."Germiston is a city in the
East Rand ofGauteng inSouth Africa .It was established in the early days of the gold rush when two prospectors, John Jack from the farm of Germiston near
Glasgow and August Simmer from Vacha in Germany, struck paydirt on the farm of Elandsfontein. Both men made fortunes and the town sprung up next to the mine. In 1921 the world's largest gold refinery, theRand Refinery , was established at Germiston.Germiston is now part of the
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality which includes much of the East Rand, and is also considered part ofGreater Johannesburg .The
WesBank Raceway motorsports facility was in the city until it was closed down in November 2007.Notable people to come from Germiston include:
Andre Nel (South African cricket fast bowler), Andre Watson (Rugby Referee), Pierre Isse (Bafana Bafana Defender), DrSydney Brenner , winner of the 2002Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine,Ernie Els (professional golfer),Albert Johanneson (Professional Footballer and first black player to play in the FA Cup),Ted Grant (Trotzkyist politician and theorist) andHelen Suzman (anti-apartheid activist and politician).Apparently the house wherein
Daisy Louisa De Melker lived (and murdered her husbands) is also located in Germiston.
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