Modderfontein Dynamite Factory was established in 1894 on several thousand acres (due to the danger of its products) in the rolling hills north-east of Johannesburg. It gradually grew into the biggest dynamite factory in the world, supplying the gold mines of the Witwatersrand, as they needed more and more explosives to reach the ever deeper levels of operation. The production of the first million tons of explosive was achieved in 1953.
The historic suburb of Modderfontein grew up around the factory as the residential area for the factory staff and there are many interesting buildings in the historic precinct, which today have mainly been converted to office use, accommodation establishments and some private residences.
The Dynamite Company Museum displays the history of dynamite and its technological and scientific advancements as well as its place in ThereSouth African industry.
It chronicles the company’s development in South Africa and also touches on its social history at its main factories in Modderfontein, Somerset West (Cape Town) and Umbogintwini (Kwa-Zulu Natal south coast).
Find out about the famous figures who shaped South Africa’s mining industry and the immigrants who came to South Africa to set up the factory, based on Alfred Nobel’s famous product – DYNAMITE!
The museum is open on Mon, Tues and Wednesday from 08h00 to 12h00. Special opening arrangements can be made for groups. Contact the Curator (Ludwig) on 011 608 2747. Address: No 2 Main Street, Modderfontein, Edenvale.
There is a restaurants called 33 High Street which operates out of the home built for the Assistant Factory Manager in 1896.
A stone’s throw away from the Dynamite Company Museum is the 275ha Modderfontein Nature Reserve which offers a beautiful environment with a large bird population, wildlife, picnic spots, cycle trails and walking trails. The park also has a restaurant and cafe found in Ardeer Road, Modderfontein.
| More info on the quaint town of Edenvale | More info on the Ekurhuleni area |
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