KwaZulu-Natal Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Mntomuhle Khawula announced the declaration, describing the stadium as a site of exceptional historical, cultural, and social significance to the people of KZN and South Africa. The recognition protects its heritage value for future generations and affirms its role as more than a sports venue — a living archive of resistance, community-building, and the pursuit of non-racialism.
Historical background
The name originates from Durban’s first reliable water source. In 1878, during a severe drought, councillor and later mayor H.W. Currie sank an artesian well on the site below the Botanic Gardens; the well and pumps supplied significant water to the growing town and became known as Curries Fountain. A memorial fountain still commemorates this.
The land was officially designated a sports ground in 1924 (with a formal lease to the Durban Indian Sports Ground Association granted around 1925). It began as a facility primarily for the Indian community but evolved into a multi-purpose venue for soccer, cricket, athletics, boxing, cycling, and other codes. It hosted inter-race matches, professional leagues (notably the Federation Professional League), and became a key space for non-racial sport under the South African Council on Sport (SACOS) philosophy of “no normal sport in an abnormal society.”
Beyond sport, the grounds served as a major site for political and labour activity. Open-air meetings date back to the 1913 Durban strikes. During apartheid it hosted rallies, resistance events, and gatherings for communities excluded from mainstream facilities, including the launch of Cosatu in 1985 and other significant political moments. It functioned as a rare multi-racial gathering place and a symbol of resilience and identity-building through sport and activism.
Path to heritage status
Community efforts to secure formal recognition date back decades (including calls in the 1970s). The Curries Fountain Heritage Preservation Foundation, formed in 2024 (led by figures such as Maya Singh, with support from former sports administrators and community members including Anand Jayrajh), submitted a comprehensive application to the KwaZulu-Natal Amafa and Research Institute (the provincial heritage resources authority). The process involved documentation of its significance, public engagement, petitions, and council consideration. Earlier stages included applications and meetings in 2025–early 2026, with the final declaration coming in September 2026.
The declaration specifically recognises its roles in:
- Documenting the history of sport among racially excluded communities.
- Demonstrating how sporting spaces were used to build identity, community, and resilience.
- Serving as a centre of resistance to apartheid.
- Embodying intangible heritage linked to non-racialism, social cohesion, and collective memory.
MEC Khawula emphasised that the stadium precinct remains a living space where diverse cultures gather for events, community programmes, and heritage celebrations, connecting the struggle against exclusion to contemporary visions of social cohesion.
Significance and implications
Provincial heritage status provides formal legal protection against inappropriate development or alterations that would harm its cultural value, while encouraging responsible conservation and public access. The site continues to operate under management involving the eThekwini Municipality (landowner), the Durban University of Technology, and the Curries Fountain Sports Development Centre, with ongoing use for sport, recreation, and community activities.
This recognition highlights how ordinary spaces can become extraordinary repositories of social history. Curries Fountain illustrates the intersection of everyday infrastructure (a water source), organised sport, and political resistance in South Africa’s path toward democracy. It also underscores ongoing community-driven efforts to safeguard local heritage sites that might otherwise face pressure from urban development.
The declaration has been welcomed as long-overdue formal acknowledgement of a place many regard as a “living monument” and the “cradle of the non-racial game” in the region.
