The land was originally part of the Braamfontein farm, and was bought by banker and mining magnate Hermann Eckstein for potential exploitation of minerals.

[2] When this objective failed, Eckstein laid it out as a timber plantation and named it Sachsenwald, after Otto von Bismarck’s estate in Germany.

The gift of land was made under the condition that the facilities were to remain open to people of all races, which was unusual in Colonial South Africa.

However the water enters the Lake after passing through the grounds of the Zoo next door, and it is currently too polluted to permit angling or swimming.

The Park has restaurants, and is the venue for the annual Jazz on the Lake festival, Carols by Candlelight events and the Artists under the Sun open air art exhibition.