My focus on regional history commenced at the start of my academic career in 1986, following four years in Further Education and Training. My mentors—the late Dr P.H.R. Snyman (from the Regional Section of the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa, HSRC), Prof P.F. van der Schyff, and Prof P.J.J. Prinsloo—proposed a model for conducting regional history derived from the work of scholars such as H.R. Feinberg and V.H.T. Skipp.

This approach was adopted in my MA research, and a more focused thematic direction followed in my PhD, particularly in relation to the selected space—the former Far West Rand region. In essence, the economic drivers shaping developments in this region were predominantly rooted in gold mining activities from the early 1930s. Prior to this, agricultural initiatives—especially those associated with Dutch influence in the area—were meticulously recorded and analysed.

These developments unfolded within historical timeframes linked to the South African War, the fragile political relations between British and Dutch-descended South Africans during the First World War and its aftermath, and the ways in which gold mining operations overcame significant human and environmental challenges. This enabled international mining companies to generate considerable wealth, while also contributing to the upliftment of communities in the Far West Rand for several decades.

However, economic exploitation also led to environmental degradation and ongoing concerns, particularly relating today to economic decline and increasing poverty, alongside irreversible environmental damage. Research in this section primarily emphasises the economic history and impact of parts of the Far West Rand. From this body of work, the economic and environmental consequences of gold mining have drawn significant attention from local communities and concerned environmental NGOs.

Research on the economic development of the Far West Rand region remains far from exhausted, despite occasional claims to the contrary by less-informed commentators. The section on ecohealth and the wellbeing of mining communities—available elsewhere on this site—serves as a relevant extension of this work. In that section, for example, economic upliftment efforts relating to the service delivery history of Bekkersdal are explored as part of a more recent research focus.

The material presented here, focusing on economic and environmental impacts, complements three related topics connected to the economic development of the Far West Rand. It also contributes to broader discussions that have informed policy considerations at a national level, particularly in relation to economic–environmental analysis, critique, and the identification of best practices.