 | |
| Location | Newtown, Johannesburg |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°12′09″S28°01′53″E / 26.20250°S 28.03139°E /-26.20250; 28.03139 |
TheMary Fitzgerald Square inNewtown, Johannesburg inSouth Africa is a public space named afterMary "Pickhandle" Fitzgerald, who is considered to have been the first female trade unionist in the country.
Previously known as Aaron's Ground, the square was named for Fitzgerald in 1939 as it was an often-used location for strikers' meetings in the early part of the 20th century.[1]
The square features lighting designed by French lighting engineerPatrick Rimoux and an installation of carved wooden heads.[2]
The square is the centrepiece of the Newtownurban renewal project and is surrounded by structures significant to the city, including theMarket Theatre — which played host to much of the 1980s 'struggle theatre' opposing the apartheid regime's discriminatory policies;MuseuMAfricA; the old Turbine Hall, and theWorker's Library.
On 2 July 2005, Mary Fitzgerald Square hosted the Johannesburg leg of theLive 8 series of concerts organised byBob Geldof.
Since 2012,In The City has been hosted in the square on the first Friday of every October.[3]
