Zainul Aberdeen, author of Phoenix Buses, Social Space and Pride of a Community, looks at the rich history of Phoenix, from its origins as a sugar cane estate to its development as a vibrant community with a unique transport system.
Houses being inspected in Woodview, Phoenix, 50 years ago
SUGAR cane farmer Thomas Watkins named his farming estate, "Phoenix", after a fire destroyed his crops, and then they grew back again. He called this the "rise of the phoenix" after the mythological bird, which symbolised death and resurrection.
The Watkins's farm was part of many other estates established by the Natal Sugar Estate. In 1904, Karamchand Mohandas Gandhi purchased Watkins's farm as one of his four communal settlements.
Planning for the establishment of Phoenix as a new public low-cost housing scheme began on August 29, 1966, by the Durban City Council
