Next time you’re waiting at the four-way stop near Olivedale Clinic, take a moment to look through the trees. You’ll spot something you’d never expect to find in this part of Johannesburg — a Dutch-style stone windmill that looks like it’s been lifted straight out of a European village.

It’s more than 80 years old and carries with it a remarkable story from World War II.

Back in 1943, this area was still farmland. Dutch diamond dealer H. Messias owned a sprawling peach orchard — some 50 000 trees that needed constant irrigation. He wanted to build a windmill to pump water from a borehole, but with so many men away fighting in North Africa, there was a severe labour shortage.

At the time, South African forces had taken more than 100 000 Italian prisoners of war, most of them held at the Zonderwater camp near Cullinan. So Messias travelled there, loaded a few of the Italian prisoners into his truck, and brought them to Olivedale.

Armed with little more than a magazine picture for reference, the men built a fully functioning Dutch-style windmill — stone by stone, by hand — to power the irrigation system. They even constructed a sunken garden beside it, adding a touch of beauty to the hard, dry Highveld soil.

Inside the windmill, they left a simple inscription carved into the stone: “Death to boredom.” It’s a small but powerful window into their world — men far from home, using their skills and imagination to stay sane through creation.

Images: sahistory.org & Google Earth

Decades later, the windmill still stands, now within the grounds of a nursery school. Declared a national monument in 1989, it’s one of Joburg North’s most unexpected historical treasures — a symbol of resilience, artistry, and the enduring human spirit.

So next time you’re stopped at that Olivedale intersection, glance between the branches. You might just glimpse a little piece of Joburg’s hidden wartime history.

Listen to the report by Al Prodgers here: