A Chartwell Original
By: Margie Whitten
When Maureen Dalglish moved to Chartwell in 1970, it wasn’t the semi-rural haven it is today. It was raw, wild, and remote! Cedar Road was a sand road, the nearest shop was in Bryanston, and milk often came straight from a neighbour’s cow. 
Most properties were barely fenced, and the wildlife – hares, guinea fowl, and grey herons – roamed freely through the long grass. The only sounds were the wind, jackals calling at night, and the lions roaring across the valley from the Lion Park.
Chartwell wasn’t the obvious place for a 25-year-old to set down roots, but Maureen isn’t someone who’s followed the obvious path. She planted hundreds of trees, rallied neighbours to fund road grading, and hosted the very first Chartwell residents’ meeting – a gathering of 12 men worried about veld fires. It was the beginning of her lifelong mission: to nurture and protect this special corner of Johannesburg.
Over the years, Maureen became one of Chartwell’s most passionate advocates. She chronicled the area’s rich, quirky past in her book Chartwell – Old & New, Strange but True, celebrating its eccentric characters, strange tales, and enduring charm. She calls it Johannesburg’s best-kept secret – and she means it.
Even as development has crept in, she marvels at the views stretching to the Magaliesberg, the birdlife, the bullfrogs, the bats, and the breathtaking orange sunsets.
While raising her children, Margaret and Peter, along with a lively menagerie of dogs, cats, and horses, Maureen also played a key role in one of South Africa’s most iconic equestrian institutions: the South African Lipizzaners. She joined the team in the early 1970s as a novice rider and went on to perform in every item on the programme. She helped establish ties with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and authored The Lipizzaners – Share Their Secrets. She still serves as a director and, over the years, has spent countless hours judging dressage competitions and giving riding lessons. Her love of horses is lifelong and unwavering.
In the 1990s, Maureen opened her own real estate agency. Dressed in her usual elegance, she guided new homeowners across veld and farmland, introducing them to Chartwell, Farmall, and beyond. She sold homes with the same passion and warmth she brought to everything she touched, always eager to share her deep knowledge of the land and the joy of life in Chartwell.
In 2023, she sold her beloved property, Merriways, and chose to downsize. But her connection to Chartwell remains unshaken. She is still active in local affairs, surrounded by lifelong friends, and speaks about Chartwell with the same spark she had back in 1970.
Maureen Dalglish didn’t just watch Chartwell grow; she helped shape it. And if you listen closely, you’ll hear her booming voice in the trees she planted, the roads she helped build, and the stories she has shared.
When Maureen Dalglish moved to Chartwell in 1970, it wasn’t the semi-rural haven it is today. It was raw, wild, and remote! Cedar Road was a sand road, the nearest shop was in Bryanston, and milk often came straight from a neighbour’s cow. Most properties were barely fenced, and the wildlife – hares, guinea fowl, and grey herons – roamed freely through the long grass. The only sounds were the wind, jackals calling at night, and the lions roaring across the valley from the Lion Park.
Chartwell wasn’t the obvious place for a 25-year-old to set down roots, but Maureen isn’t someone who’s followed the obvious path. She planted hundreds of trees, rallied neighbours to fund road grading, and hosted the very first Chartwell residents’ meeting – a gathering of 12 men worried about veld fires. It was the beginning of her lifelong mission: to nurture and protect this special corner of Johannesburg.
Over the years, Maureen became one of Chartwell’s most passionate advocates. She chronicled the area’s rich, quirky past in her book Chartwell – Old & New, Strange but True, celebrating its eccentric characters, strange tales, and enduring charm. She calls it Johannesburg’s best-kept secret – and she means it. Even as development has crept in, she marvels at the views stretching to the Magaliesberg, the birdlife, the bullfrogs, the bats, and the breathtaking orange sunsets.
While raising her children, Margaret and Peter, along with a lively menagerie of dogs, cats, and horses,
Maureen also played a key role in one of South Africa’s most iconic equestrian institutions: the South African Lipizzaners. She joined the team in the early 1970s as a novice rider and went on to perform in every item on the programme. She helped establish ties with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and authored The Lipizzaners – Share Their Secrets. She still serves as a director and, over the years, has spent countless hours judging dressage competitions and giving riding lessons. Her love of horses is lifelong and unwavering.
In the 1990s, Maureen opened her own real estate agency. Dressed in her usual elegance, she guided new homeowners across veld and farmland, introducing them to Chartwell, Farmall, and beyond. She sold homes with the same passion and warmth she brought to everything she touched, always eager to share her deep knowledge of the land and the joy of life in Chartwell.
In 2023, she sold her beloved property, Merriways, and chose to downsize. But her connection to Chartwell remains unshaken. She is still active in local affairs, surrounded by lifelong friends, and speaks about Chartwell with the same spark she had back in 1970.
Maureen Dalglish didn’t just watch Chartwell grow; she helped shape it. And if you listen closely, you’ll hear her booming voice in the trees she planted, the roads she helped build, and the stories she has shared.
By: Margie Whitten
When Maureen Dalglish moved to Chartwell in 1970, it wasn’t the semi-rural haven it is today. It was raw, wild, and remote! Cedar Road was a sand road, the nearest shop was in Bryanston, and milk often came straight from a neighbour’s cow. Most properties were barely fenced, and the wildlife – hares, guinea fowl, and grey herons – roamed freely through the long grass. The only sounds were the wind, jackals calling at night, and the lions roaring across the valley from the Lion Park.
Chartwell wasn’t the obvious place for a 25-year-old to set down roots, but Maureen isn’t someone who’s followed the obvious path. She planted hundreds of trees, rallied neighbours to fund road grading, and hosted the very first Chartwell residents’ meeting – a gathering of 12 men worried about veld fires. It was the beginning of her lifelong mission: to nurture and protect this special corner of Johannesburg.
Over the years, Maureen became one of Chartwell’s most passionate advocates. She chronicled the area’s rich, quirky past in her book Chartwell – Old & New, Strange but True, celebrating its eccentric characters, strange tales, and enduring charm. She calls it Johannesburg’s best-kept secret – and she means it. Even as development has crept in, she marvels at the views stretching to the Magaliesberg, the birdlife, the bullfrogs, the bats, and the breathtaking orange sunsets.
While raising her children, Margaret and Peter, along with a lively menagerie of dogs, cats, and horses, Maureen also played a key role in one of South Africa’s most iconic equestrian institutions: the South African Lipizzaners. She joined the team in the early 1970s as a novice rider and went on to perform in every item on the programme. She helped establish ties with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and authored The Lipizzaners – Share Their Secrets. She still serves as a director and, over the years, has spent countless hours judging dressage competitions and giving riding lessons. Her love of horses is lifelong and unwavering.
In the 1990s, Maureen opened her own real estate agency. Dressed in her usual elegance, she guided new homeowners across veld and farmland, introducing them to Chartwell, Farmall, and beyond. She sold homes with the same passion and warmth she brought to everything she touched, always eager to share her deep knowledge of the land and the joy of life in Chartwell.
In 2023, she sold her beloved property, Merriways, and chose to downsize. But her connection to Chartwell remains unshaken. She is still active in local affairs, surrounded by lifelong friends, and speaks about Chartwell with the same spark she had back in 1970.
Maureen Dalglish didn’t just watch Chartwell grow; she helped shape it. And if you listen closely, you’ll hear her booming voice in the trees she planted, the roads she helped build, and the stories she has shared.
In Memory of Our Friend and Neighbour - Maureen Dalglish
