Commissioner Street

Commissioner Street is a major one-way street in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It runs from the M31 to the M1, and is indicated as the R24. The Carlton Centre, the tallest building in Africa, is located on the street, as is the southern end of Newtown. There is little evidence of Commissioner Street's exact origin, although it is known that this street played a role in the development of Johannesburg.HistoryHistorical eventsCommissioner Street has been an important street in Johannesburg since the 1800s and has seen many significant events throughout its history. In 1886, it was declared that mining would be allowed in Johannesburg. Johannesburg's first chemist was opened soon after the announcement by a Mr. Heymann. The chemist was known as "Golden Mortar Dispensary". In May 1896, Carl Hertz bought a projector from England and screened the first movie seen in South Africa at the Empire Palace of Varieties on Commissioner Street. This introduced South Africa to the age of the bioscope. On 22 September 1941, Dr Anton Rupert started his first business, the Voorbrand Tobacco Company, in Commissioner Street. In 1973, the Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building opened on Commissioner Street. The building consisted of a hotel, shops and offices. The hotel closed down in 1997 due to urban decay.