Stellenbosch (;[ A Universal Pronouncing Gazetteer. Thomas Baldwin, 1852. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co.][ A Grammar of Afrikaans. Bruce C. Donaldson. 1993. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. ] is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, situated about east of Cape Town, along the banks of the Eerste River at the foot of the Stellenbosch Mountain. The town became known as the City of Oaks or Eikestad in Afrikaans and Dutch language due to the large number of oak trees that were planted by its founder, Simon van der Stel, to grace the streets and homesteads.[ The Cyclopædia; or, Univeal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature. Abraham Rees, 1819. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown]
Stellenbosch is a popular tourist destination due to its history as the second oldest town in South Africa (dating back to 1679),
Stellenbosch has its own municipality (incorporating the neighbouring towns of Pniel and Franschhoek), adjoining the metropolitan area of the City of Cape Town.
History
Pre-history
In 1899 Louis Péringuey discovered
Paleolithic of the
Acheulean type at a site named Bosman's Crossing near the Adam Tas Bridge at the western entrance to Stellenbosch.
This indicates that human habitation of the area dates as far back as 1 million years. By 10,000 to 20,000 years ago the population, assumed to have been ancestors of the
San people people, were established in the area.
Founding and early history
The town was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself
– Stellenbosch means "(van der) Stel's Forest". It is situated on the banks of the Eerste River ("First River"), so named as it was the first new river he reached and followed when he went on an expedition over the Cape Flats to explore the territory towards what is now known as Stellenbosch. The town grew so quickly that it became an independent local authority in 1682 and the seat of a
magistrate with jurisdiction over in 1685.
From the beginning, the population living in the town and its surroundings was highly mixed, consisting of European (Dutch, French, German) burghers, enslaved people, 15 individual free-blacks, 16 and indigenous Khoi and San people.
The Dutch people were skilled in hydraulic engineering and they devised a system of furrows to direct water from the Eerste River in the vicinity of Thibault Street through the town along van Riebeeck Street to Mill Street where a Watermill was erected.[ Statistics of the Colonies of the British Empire in the West Indies, South America, North America, Asia, Austral-Asia, Africa and Europe: From the Official Records of the Colonial Office. Robert Montgomery Martin, 1839. London: W.H. Allen and Co. (p. 496)][ State of the Cape of Good Hope, in 1822. William Wilberforce Bird. 1823. London: J. Murray.] Early visitors commented on the oak trees and gardens.[ The Life and Labours of George Washington Walker: of Hobart Town, Tasmania. James Backhouse and Charles Tylor, 1862. Tasmania: Thomas Brady (pp. 498–499)]
During 1690 some Huguenot refugees settled in Stellenbosch,
In 1710 a fire destroyed most of the town, including the first church, all the Company property and twelve houses. Only two or three houses were left standing.
Since the 1800s
The first school had been opened in 1683, but education in the town began in earnest in 1859 with the opening of a seminary for the Dutch Reformed Church. Rhenish Girls' High School, established in 1860, is the oldest school for girls in South Africa.
A gymnasium, known as
het Stellenbossche Gymnasium, was established in 1866. In 1874 some higher classes became Victoria College and then in 1918 University of Stellenbosch.
The first men's hostel to be established in Stellenbosch was Wilgenhof, in 1903. In 1905 the first women's hostel to be established in Stellenbosch was Harmonie [7].
With the manumission of enslaved people in 1838, the population of Stellenbosch's town centre increased as formerly enslaved people moved there, away from the isolated farmsteads.
In the early days of the Second Boer War (1899–1902) Stellenbosch was one of the British military bases, and was used as a "remount" camp; and in consequence of officers who had not distinguished themselves at the front being sent back to it, the expression " to be Stellenbosched"
Apartheid
The Group Areas Act of 1950 led to ‘Die Vlakte’ in central Stellenbosch being proclaimed a White Group Area in 1964. In the following decade, roughly 3,700 (mainly coloured people) either left or were later forced out of Central Stellenbosch, relocating or being settled to the urban periphery areas of Idas Valley and Cloetesville.
Black people were forcibly removed to
Kayamandi. Several homes, religious and educational buildings, and community centres were bulldozed. One remaining building which stands in what used to be a central street of 'Die Vlakte' is the Goejjatul Islam Mosque.
In post-Apartheid Stellenbosch and its surrounds, residential areas are still notably segregated: although the Group Areas Act was abolished in 1991, the economic and residential patterns it enforced have proven difficult to overcome.
This continued residential segregation, soaring wealth inequality,
the reputation of Stellenbosch as the ‘cradle of apartheid’,
and several racial discrimination scandals related to the university
all indicate how Stellenbosch continues to reckon with legacies of racism and discrimination in both its institutions and physical, social, and economic landscapes.
Population
At the time of the 2011 census, the population of the urban area of Stellenbosch was 77,476, living in 23,730 households, in an area of . Roughly 63.8% of the residents spoke
Afrikaans as their
home language, 19.6% spoke
Xhosa language, and 6.8% spoke English.
28.1% of the population identify as Black, 52.2% as
Coloured, and 18.5% as White.
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The Stellenbosch Municipality extends beyond the town of Stellenbosch itself to include rural areas, villages, and the town of Franschhoek. At the time of the 2011 census, the municipal population was 155,728, while by 2016 it was estimated to be 173,197.[ Stellenbosch Municipality 2017 – Western Cape Government]
The 1936 census recorded a total population of 8,782 residents with 3,558 of them recorded as Coloured and 4,995 recorded as White.
Climate and geography
Stellenbosch is east of Cape Town via National Route N1. Stellenbosch is in a hilly region of the Cape Winelands, and is sheltered in a valley at an average elevation of , flanked on the west by Papegaaiberg (), which is actually a hill. To the south is Stellenbosch Mountain; to the east and southeast are the Jonkershoek, Drakenstein, and Simonsberg mountains. Die Tweeling Pieke () has an elevation of ; the highest point is Victoria Peak . Jonkershoek Nature Reserve lies about east of Stellenbosch, and the Helderberg Nature Reserve is about south via provincial route R44. Just south of the Helderberg Nature Reserve is Strand, a seaside resort Resort town. The soils of Stellenbosch range from dark alluvium to clay. This, combined with the well-drained, hilly terrain and Mediterranean climate, prove excellent for viticulture. Summers are dry and warm to hot, with some February and March days rising to over . Winters are cool, rainy and sometimes quite windy, with daytime temperatures averaging . Snow is usually seen a couple of times in winter on the surrounding mountains. Spring and autumn are colder seasons, when daytime temperatures hover in the 20s.
Economy
Stellenbosch is home to several corporate headquarters of large and small companies including major South African bank, Capitec Bank, fast-food chain, Hungry Lion, major dairy products group Lactalis South Africa, major private hospital group, Mediclinic International and investment holding company, Remgro.
Sport
Stellenbosch is a warm-weather training venue for cyclists, track and field squads, and triathletes. The Stellenbosch Sports Academy opened its doors in 2012 and hosts several rugby teams on a permanent basis, such as the
Springbok Sevens and Western Province. It is also the home base of professional football club Stellenbosch FC who compete in the DStv Premiership.
Viticulture and winemaking
The Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek valleys form the Cape Winelands, the larger of the two main wine growing regions in South Africa. The South African wine industry produces about 1,000,000,000 litres of wine annually. Stellenbosch is the primary location for viticulture and viticulture research. Professor Perold was the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. The Stellenbosch Wine Route established in 1971 by Frans Malan from Simonsig, Spatz Sperling from Delheim, Neil Joubert from Spier and David van Velden from Overgaauw, known as Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes since 2002, is a world-renowned and popular tourism destination. This route provides visitors the opportunity to experience a wide range of cultivars and includes farms such as Warwick and JC Le Roux.
The region has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Stellenbosch lies at the foot of the Cape Fold mountain range, which provides soil favourable to viticulture. Grapes grown in this area are mainly used for wine production, as opposed to table grapes. The region possesses a wide range of soils in the area, from light, sandy soils to decomposed granite. Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon is beginning to get a good reputation as a fine wine.[ The-Wine-Library Short Description of wine in Stellenbosch]
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is one of South Africa's leading University. This institution has a history dating back to 1863 and has 10 faculties, including Engineering, Commerce, Science and Arts. The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is the only university department in the southern hemisphere which has successfully built a communications satellite Sunsat which was launched in 2000 and orbited the Earth for three years.
The University currently has about 29,000 students. White students in 2014, namely 18,636, constitute 63.4% of all students enrolled.["Core statistics 2014", Stellenbosch University, 2014, online http://www.sun.ac.za/english/statistical-profile-2014-test , Accessed: 04/08/2015] Although the official language of the university is Afrikaans, most post-graduate courses are presented in English language. The university is in the process of introducing more English language centered undergraduate courses following mass protest by the student body. The university council with the concurrence of the senate approved a new language policy on 22 June 2016 for implementation from 1 January 2017. Since the campuses are situated in the Western Cape, the university has committed to introducing multilingualism by using the province's three official languages, namely Afrikaans, English language and isiXhosa.
List of suburbs
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Annandale
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Arbeidslus
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Brandwacht
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Cloetesville
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Coetzenburg
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Dalsig
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Dennesig
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De Zalze
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De Novo
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Devon Valley
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Die Boord, previously Rhodes Fruit Farms
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Die Rant
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Ida's Valley
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Jamestown
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Jonkershoek
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Karindal
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Kayamandi
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Klapmuts
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Koelenhof
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Krigeville
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Kylemore
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Welbedaght
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La Colline
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Lanquedoc
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Meerlust
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Mostertsdrift
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Onderpapegaaiberg, also known as Voëltjiesdorp
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Paradyskloof
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Plankenberg
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Pniel
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Raithby
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Rozendal
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Simondium
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Simonsrust
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Simonswyk
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Techno Park
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Tennantville
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Town central
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Uniepark
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Universiteitsoord
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Vlottenburg
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Weides
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Welbedaght
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Welgevonden
List of schools
Primary Schools
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A.F. Louw Primary School
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Bruckner De Villiers Primary School
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Cloetesville Primary School
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Devonvallei Primary School
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Eikestad Primary School
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Idasvallei Primary School
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Ikaya Primary School
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JJ Rhode Primary School
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Kayamandi Primary School
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Koelenhof Primary School
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Lynedoch Primary School
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Rhenish Primary School
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Stellenbosch Primary School
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St Idas A.C. Primary School
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Weber Gedenk Primary School
Secondary Schools
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Bloemhof High School
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Cloetesville High School
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Kayamandi High School
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Luckhoff Secondary School
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Makupula Secondary School
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Paul Roos Gymnasium
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Pieter Langeveldt Primary School
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Rhenish Girls' High School
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Rietenbosch Primary School
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Stellenbosch High School
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Stellenzicht Senior Secondary School
Transport
Rail
Stellenbosch lies on the Muldersvlei rail branch of the Northern Line operated by Metrorail Western Cape commuter rail system which connects Stellenbosch with Cape Town to the west via Eersterivier, Kuils River and Bellville. Stellenbosch has two railway stations including its main railway station, Stellenbosch Railway Station to the east of the CBD along the R310 Adam Tas Road and Du Toit Railway Station to the north of the CBD in Plankenbrug.
Roads
Stellenbosch is not directly linked to any major freeway or highway, however it is connected to the N1 (to Cape Town and Paarl) via the R44 and R304, the N2 (to Cape Town and George) via the R44 and R310 and the R300 (to Bellville and Mitchells Plain) via the M12.
The R44 (Adam Tas Street; Strand Road) connects Stellenbosch with Klapmuts and Wellington to the north and Somerset West to the south. The R304 (Bird Street; Koelenhof Road) connects Stellenbosch with Klipheuwel and Atlantis to the north-west. The R310 (Adams Tas Street; Helshoogte Road) connects Stellenbosch with Franschhoek to the east and Muizenberg to the south-west.
Stellenbosch is also served by two metropolitan routes linking it to nearby towns in the City of Cape Town. The M12 (Polkadraai Road) which begins at the intersection with the R310 just outside Stellenbosch connects the town with Kuils River and the Cape Town International Airport to the west. The M23 (Bottelary Road) which begins at the intersection with the R304 just outside Stellenbosch connects the town with Kuilsrivier, Brackenfell and Bellville to the north-west.
Bird Street is the main street through Stellenbosch Central stretching for about 2 kilometres in a north–south direction.
Houses of worship
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Moederkerk
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Stellenbosch Synagogue
Notable people
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Ferdie Bergh – rugby player
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Bernette Beyers – track cyclist
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Kees Bruynzeel – Dutch businessman, timber merchant and yachtsman
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Dirk Coetsee – Chancellor (Hoofdheemraad) of the District of Stellenbosch and Drakenstein in South Africa for most of the 1690s and early 1700s
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Danie Craven – rugby administrator
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Giniel de Villiers – Rally driver
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David Earl – composer and pianist
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Arnu Fourie – Paralympic athlete
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Justin Harding - Golfer
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Hans Heinrich Hattingh - Dutch Cape Colony free burgher, proprietor of the Spier Estate
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Omar Henry – cricketer
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Daniel Hugo – radio producer, lecturer and poet
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Charl Langeveldt – cricketer
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Lee Langeveldt – football player
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D. F. Malan – Prime Minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954
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Jannie Marais (Johannes Henoch Marais) – mining magnate, politician and philanthropist who co-founded the multi-billion dollar media conglomerate Naspers and the University of Stellenbosch
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JP Pietersen – rugby player
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Paul Roos – South African rugby union captain
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Anton Rupert – entrepreneur, businessman, conservationist
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Johann Rupert – businessman
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Dana Snyman – journalist, writer and playwright
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Conrad Stoltz – 2-time Olympian, 3 time XTERRA Triathlon world champion
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Roger Telemachus – cricketer
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Sampie Terreblanche – Professor in Economics, co-founder of Democratic Party
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Richard Turner – philosopher
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Frederik van Zyl Slabbert – anti-apartheid Member of Parliament and leader of opposition, lecturer in sociology
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Hendrik Verwoerd –"father of apartheid"- Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 to 1966
Coats of arms
The municipality currently uses a badge[ Stellenbosch] consisting of a fleur de lis and a cross issuing from a stylised bunch of grapes. In the past, the various local authorities used coats of arms.
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Drostdy – The drostdy (1685–1827) was the local authority for the whole Stellenbosch district, including the city. In 1804, when the Cape Colony was ruled by the Batavian Republic, the government assigned an armorial seal to the drostdy. It depicted the shield of arms of Simon van der Stel superimposed on an anchor representing Hope, on a golden background.
[ Cape Town Gazette No 418 (15 January 1814).] Van der Stel's arms were quartered: 1 two red towers on a golden background; 2 a peacock on a red background; 3 three silver discs or balls stacked 1 over 2 on a red background; 4 a red tower on a golden background. In the centre was a smaller blue shield displaying six silver crescents (or, possibly, ribs) 2, 2, and 2.
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Municipality (1) – The Stellenbosch municipality was formed in 1840, to administer the city, but not the rest of the district. Although it was not the legal successor to the drostdy, it adopted the old drostdy seal of arms. A few changes
[ changes] were made to the arms over the years: quarters 2 and 3 were changed from red to blue; the peacock was turned to a profile position; the three silver discs or balls were changed to golden rings; the central shield was changed from blue to black. Whether any of these changes was intentional, or whether they were the result of artistic errors, is unclear.
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Municipality (2) – The municipal council had a new coat of arms
[ new coat of arms] designed by Michael Dawes in 1951. After some improvements, the College of Arms granted them on 26 June 1952. They were registered at the Bureau of Heraldry on 31 August 1979.[ National Archives of South Africa: Data of the Bureau of Heraldry] The new design was a golden shield displaying the three towers from the Van der Stel arms, and a red fess displaying the peacock between golden rings. The crest was an anchor entwined with oak leaves and acorns. The motto Fortis et superbus ("Strong and proud") was chosen.
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Divisional council (1) – The divisional council, established in 1855, administered the rural areas outside the city. At some point, it adopted the plain Van der Stel arms, i.e. a golden shield displaying three red towers.
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Divisional council (2) – The divisional council had its arms re-designed by Cornelis Pama in 1970, and registered them at the Bureau of Heraldry on 30 October 1970.
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Kaya Mandi – The local authority for the Black township of Kaya Mandi registered arms at the Bureau on 27 November 1987.
See also
External links
