Durbanville, previously called Pampoenkraal, is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, part of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area.[3] Durbanville is a semi-rural residential suburb on the north-eastern outskirts of the metropolis surrounded by farms producing wine and wheat.
History
Precolonial period (before 1652)
The first modern humans indigenous to the Cape area included the Khoina and the Khoisan tribes. The indigenous people lived in the Cape and its surrounding coastal areas dating as far back as 60 000 years ago.[4] They migrated from the interior of the country, what is today the Northern Cape province, and from Botswana and Namibia to the Cape.[5]
Dutch colonial period (1652-1795)
Durbanville's inception can be traced to a fresh water spring located in the town. The spring is currently situated behind the Durbanville Children's Home.[6] The spring was designated by the VOC (Dutch East India Company, Dutch: Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) in the mid-1600s to be used as a water replenishment station for travelers on their way from Cape Town to the interior of southern Africa. In 1661 rhinoceros and ostrich were known to inhabit the area.[7] Durbanville was originally known as Pampoenkraal (from the Afrikaans words pampoen meaning pumpkin, and kraal meaning corral - an enclosure for livestock). This name was attributed to the town because of a pumpkin patch which grew alongside a dam located behind the current Town Hall. Due to the natural spring, Pampoenkraal became a preferred resting place for travellers before continuing on their journey into the interior.[7]
During the late 1600s, the VOC allocated farms to free burghers situated around the town.[7] Some of those farms are still in existence today, many of which are renowned for their wine production. These include Bloemendal, Meerendal, Diemersdal and Altydgedacht.
British colonial period (1795-1902)
The first portions of land were earmarked as residential properties and allocated in 1806, signifying the start and development of Durbanville.[7]
In 1825 a group of local farmers requested permission from Lord Charles Somerset (governor of the Cape Colony at that time) to build their own church. The Dutch Reformed Church was commenced in 1825 and inaugurated a year later on 6 August 1826.[citation needed] A small village grew between the church and the outspan (overnight stop). During 1836 the inhabitants of Pampoenkraal petitioned the Governor of the Cape Colony, Sir Benjamin d'Urban, for permission to rename the village D'Urban in his honour. Permission was duly granted and the new name persisted until 1886 when it was renamed to Durbanville in order to avoid confusion with Durban - a major port city in the east of South Africa.[7]
Durbanville had its own court house, jail and magistrate from the 1870s and became a Magisterial District of Bellville. The court house complex still exists in altered form within the Rust-en-Vrede complex, originally erected in 1850.[citation needed] A village management board was established in 1897 and a municipality in 1901.[citation needed] The first mayor elected was John King.[citation needed]
The village grew rapidly after the turn of the 19th century and a local wagon industry developed. The King Brothers Wagon Works' used to be South Africa's biggest wagon works. At the turn of the century, it employed more than 200 men, which just about accounted for the entire village.
Post-Apartheid (1994-)
In 1996, Durbanville lost its municipal status and was dissolved into the Tygerberg Municipality along with Bellville, Parow and Goodwood as part of the transition in local government. As of 2000, Durbanville was amalgamated into the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality and is effectively a suburb of the City of Cape Town. Although Durbanville is now part of the City of Cape Town it is still a town in its own right
Durbanville today
Over the past years, Durbanville has seen considerable development in the greater area which has seen the town evolve from a rural area into a large residential area, with a strong suburban character evident in its leafy neighbourhoods, parks, greenbelts and sophisticated infrastructure.
Due to its location on edge of the metropolis, the town has experienced a growing demand for secure country living, resulting in the development of a number of gated communities, the most prominent being Pinehurst Garden City, Graanendal and Clara Anna Fontein. These developments have further boosted the property values in this upmarket area and as a result, Durbanville is now regarded as one of the most sought-after addresses in the northern suburbs of Cape Town.[8]
In spite of the influx of infrastructure and residential development in Durbanville, it has consistently remained a largely residential area (compared to its neighbouring suburbs) and still strongly preserves its distinctly "semi-rural" and scenic feel given that it is still mostly surrounded by farmland.
Geography
Durbanville is situated in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, approximately 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) north-east of the city, bordered by Bellville to the south, Brackenfell to the south-east and Kraaifontein to the east. It lies at an altitude of between 100 m (328 ft) to 240 m (787 ft), in the vast rolling hills of Tygerberg and Koeberg.[9][10]
Durbanville is a wine-producing region forming part of the Durbanville Wine Valley, home to thirteen wine estates set on the Tygerberg Hills. Many of the wine estates offer wine tastings and fine dining restaurants too.[11]
Durbanville is also well-known as the "Sauvignon Blanc Country" owing to the amount of sauvignon blanc produced in the wine valley which is favoured by winemakers for its cooler climate (by comparison to the Boland wine region) influenced by the winds of Table and False bays resulting in a different style of wine produced within the valley.[12]
The picturesque hilly landscape of the Durbanville wine valley and its close proximity to Cape Town (roughly a 30 minute-drive) by comparison to the Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek winelands have made it an increasingly popular tourist destination among local residents and visitors.
Dairy
Durbanville is home to the dairy farm ("Welgegund") of Fair Cape, one of the Western Cape's largest dairy producers, situated just north of Durbanville along Malanshoogte Road.[13]
Retail
Central Business District
The historical Durbanville CBD still remains the traditional commercial centre of the town with shops, bars, cafés, boutiques and restaurants along the main high street of Wellington Road and many more tucked away down the side streets.
Shopping centres
There are three major shopping malls in the Durbanville CBD serving Durbanville including: De Ville Centre, Durbanville Town Centre and The Village Square.[14][15][16]
A number of smaller suburban shopping centres in Durbanville are also within easy access such as such as Clara Anna Square, Cobble Walk, Graanendal Shopping Centre, Ipic Shopping Centre Aurora, Ipic Shopping Centre Kenridge, Ipic Shopping Centre Sonstraal and Pinehurst Centre.[17][18][19][20][21][22]
Markets
Durbanville maintains a country and agricultural community with many fresh produce and weekend markets in and around the town such as the Durbanville Market, Market at the Barn and Anna Beulah Farm.[23][24]
Mining and Industries
Durbanville is surrounded by a number of stoning quarries on the Tygerberg range with companies such as Afrimat, Portland and Ciolli Bros operating around the area.[25][26]
Although mostly a residential area, Durbanville has a small area of light industry located just outside Durbanville named Durbanville Industrial Park.[27]
Culture
Languages
Afrikaans and English are the main languages spoken in Durbanville.[citation needed] In the past Afrikaans predominated culturally, but this has changed with the rapid development of the town. However the majority (59%) of the town still speaks Afrikaans as a first language. The principal religion of the population is Christianity with a wide variety of churches in the community
Historical attractions
Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery, Wellington Road
Owing to the rich history and heritage of the town, Durbanville boasts its fair share of historical features and attractions largely situated in the CBD and its immediate surroundings including:[28]
Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery on Wellington Road (built in the 1840s and was originally used as a prison and police headquarters, then a magistrate’s court)
Original Cape Dutch houses on historical streets such as Church Street, Gladstone Street, Main Street, Oxford Street, Queen Street and Scher Street
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census, the population of Durbanville was 54,286. The following tables show various demographic data about Durbanville from that census.[2]
Durbanville is served by Mediclinic Durbanville, a private hospital owned by one of South Africa's largest private healthcare groups, Mediclinic International.[29]
Cape Winelands Airport is located approximately 13 km NE of Durbanville.[31] Located in the Western Cape winelands, Cape Winelands Airport (formerly Fisantekraal Airfield) is an ex–South African Airforce airfield now operating privately as a general flying airfield and used for aviation training. Of the four original runways, two remain operational while the other two are used for film production.[citation needed] It has been in private ownership since 2021. Operators at the airfield are Cape Town Flight Training Centre and Aerosport Training.[32] The Fighting on Fire organisation also has a summer base at Cape Winelands Airport. The ICAO designator is FAWN. Located on a 150ha site, Cape Winelands Airport has a number of aircraft hangars for the storage and maintenance of private aircraft and helicopters.[citation needed]
However Cape Town International Airport, located 19 kilometres to the south is the only airport within the Greater Cape Town region to offer scheduled international and domestic flights.
Minibus taxis are a major form of public transportation in Durbanville with the majority of minibus taxis terminating at the Durbanville Public Transport Interchange in Durbanville Central.
Rail transportation
Durbanville is one of the few areas in the Greater Cape Town region that do not have a railway passing through, however the nearest railway stations are conveniently located within a 10 kilometre radius including Kraaifontein Station, Bellville Station, and Brackenfell Station.
Road transportation
Freeways
Durbanville is not directly linked to any major freeway but is connected to the N1 freeway (to Cape Town and Paarl) via the R302, M16, M31, M100 and M137 and the N7 freeway (to Cape Town and Malmesbury) via the M13 and M48.
Regional routes
The R302 is the main route passing through Durbanville heading south towards Bellville as Main Street and Durbanville Avenue and north-east towards Klipheuwel and Malmesbury as Wellington Road (main street through the CBD) and Klipheuwel Road. The R312 begins just outside Durbanville heading north-east towards Fisantekraal and Wellington as Lichtenburg Road.
Metropolitan routes
Durbanville is situated along a number of metropolitan routes connecting it to neighbouring towns. It is connected to Bellville by the M16 (Jip de Jager Drive), M31 (Tygerberg Valley Road) and the M124 (Eversdal Road). It is connected to Brackenfell by the M73 (De Bron Road), the M100 (Brackenfell Boulevard) and the M137 (Okavango Road). It is connected to Kraaifontein by the M15 (Langeberg Road) and the M137 (Okavango Road).
There are also smaller rural metropolitan routes connecting Durbanville to further distant settlements. It is connected to Milnerton by the M13 (Tygerberg Valley Road), Vissershok by the M48 (Vissershok Road) and Philadelphia by the M58 (Koeberg Road; Adderley Road).
Affectionately known as the "Jewel of the North", the Durbanville Golf Club is a large 18-hole golf course that was opened in 1967 and is located south of the Durbanville CBD.[34]
Horse Racing
A view of the Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse from the Durbanville Nature Reserve
One of the main attractions which draws visitors to Durbanville is the Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse, established in 1922 and is one of the only two horse race courses in the Western Cape along with Kenilworth in the Southern Suburbs. Situated just south-west of the CBD, it has a left-handed oval course with a circumference of around 2200m and a home straight of roughly 600m.[35]
In August 2022, Cape Racing announced Hollywoodbets as the naming rights sponsor for the Durbanville and Kenilworth racecourses, and as a result the Durbanville Racecourse is now known as the Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse.[36]
The arms, derived from those of Sir Benjamin d'Urban, were : Or, on a chevron between in chief two six-pointed stars Sable and in base a bunch of grapes proper, three garbs Or. In layman's term, the shield is gold and depicts, from top to bottom, two black six-pointed stars, a blue chevron bearing three golden sheaves of wheat, and a bunch of grapes.
The crest was a red sphinx charged with three golden rings, and the motto Sit nomine digna.[citation needed]
^Walters, Nicolaas (2015). From Pampoenkraal to Durbanville - A Taverner's trip through the history of the Tygerberg and its environs. Cape Town: Mega Digital. p. 1. ISBN978-0-620-67069-2.
^ abcdeWalters, Nicolaas (2015). From Pampoenkraal to Durbanville - A Taverner's trip through the history of the Tygerberg and its environs. Cape Town: Mega Digital. p. 2. ISBN978-0-620-67069-2.
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