OUR HISTORY

Where the landscape tells a story

Christon Bank is more than a place — it is a landscape shaped by generations of people, nature and history.

Nestled among the hills and woodland north of Harare, Christon Bank lies within the beautiful Mazowe River valley. Today, the area is known for its peaceful rural character, farms, homes and remarkable natural surroundings. But beneath the modern community lies a much older story.

A LANDSCAPE ONCE KNOWN AS GOMBA

Long before the name Christon Bank became associated with this part of Zimbabwe, the surrounding area was traditionally known as Gomba.

Gomba and the wider Mazowe Valley have an important place in Zimbabwe’s cultural and historical heritage. The area is particularly associated with Charwe, the spirit medium of Nehanda Nyakasikana, whose story became closely connected with the resistance to colonial rule during the 1890s.

The events of the First Chimurenga reached deep into the Mazowe region, and the history and oral traditions surrounding Gomba continue to form an important part of the area’s heritage.

While some details of this period come from oral tradition and later historical accounts, the connection between Gomba, Nehanda and the wider Mazowe landscape remains an important part of the story of this place.

THE MAZOWE RIVER

Running through the landscape is the Mazowe River, one of the defining natural features of the area.

For generations, the river and its surrounding valleys provided water, fertile ground and natural routes through the countryside. The river also helped shape the settlement, farming and later development of the region.

The landscape around the upper Mazowe is particularly special because of the meeting of different habitats — from rocky granite hills and woodland to the richer vegetation found along the river and its tributaries.

It is this combination of water, woodland, hills and open country that gives Christon Bank much of its distinctive character today.

THE STORY OF SPELONKEN FARM

One of the most significant properties in the history of the Christon Bank area was Spelonken Farm.

During the colonial period, the surrounding countryside developed into a landscape of farms and smallholdings. Spelonken became particularly notable for its natural environment and its collection of indigenous trees and plants.

By the middle of the twentieth century, the botanical significance of the area was becoming increasingly recognised. Botanical collectors recorded numerous plant species around the Mazowe headwaters and Christon Bank during the 1960s.

The importance of Spelonken’s natural environment was later recognised through its connection with the National Botanic Garden.

In the 1970s, H. H. Burrows donated part of Spelonken Farm to the National Botanic Garden, helping preserve an important section of the area’s indigenous vegetation for future generations.

This act of conservation forms an important chapter in the story of Christon Bank.

A BOTANICAL TREASURE

The natural environment surrounding Christon Bank is one of its greatest treasures.

The area contains granite outcrops, rocky hills, indigenous woodland, riverine vegetation and a remarkable variety of plant life.

The meeting of these different environments creates habitats for a wide range of indigenous species. Botanists and tree enthusiasts have been studying and recording the flora of the area for many decades.

Parts of this landscape were subsequently protected as the Mazoe A and Mazoe B protected areas, helping to preserve examples of the natural woodland and riverine environment around Christon Bank.

The protected areas are a reminder that the natural beauty we see today is not simply scenery — it is part of a living heritage that deserves to be protected.

FROM FARM LAND TO COMMUNITY

As Zimbabwe developed, so too did Christon Bank.

The old farming landscape gradually became a mixture of farms, smallholdings and residential properties. Its close proximity to Harare, combined with its beautiful natural surroundings, made the area an increasingly attractive place to live.

Yet despite this growth, much of the character of the original landscape remains.

The granite hills still rise above the valley. Indigenous woodland still covers parts of the countryside. The Mazowe River continues to run through the landscape.

These features connect the modern Christon Bank community with the generations who came before it.

CHRISTON BANK TODAY

Today, Christon Bank is a unique community on the northern edge of Harare — a place where people, nature and history meet.

Its story is made up of many layers: the traditional heritage of Gomba, the history of the Mazowe Valley, the events of the First Chimurenga, the early farms and trading routes, the story of Spelonken, the work of botanists and conservationists, and the development of the community that exists here today.

The history of Christon Bank is therefore not simply something that belongs to the past.

It is part of the landscape we live in today.

Every hill, river, woodland and old farm carries a part of that story.

As Christon Bank continues to grow, understanding and protecting this heritage will help ensure that the character of this remarkable place is not lost.

OUR HERITAGE

People.
Place.
Nature.
History.

Christon Bank — a landscape with a story.