Rondebosch is one of the
Southern Suburbs of
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
. It is primarily a residential suburb, with shopping and business districts as well as the main campus of the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
.
History
Four years after the first Dutch settlement at the Cape in 1652, the first experimental crops were grown along the banks of the
Liesbeek River (at that stage called the Amstel or Versse Rivier). In October 1656,
Jan van Riebeeck
Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company.
Life
Early life
Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg, as the son of a surgeon. ...
visited Rondeboschyn, whose name derived from a contraction of Ronde Doorn Bossien, meaning a circular grove of thorn trees. In 1657, the first group of
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
employees gained "free burgher" (free citizen) status and were granted land along the river in the area now known as Rondebosch.
Geography
Rondebosch lies between the slopes of
Devil's Peak in the west and the
M5 freeway in the east; it is one of the
Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, which lie along the eastern slope of the
Table Mountain
Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...
massif. The suburb's western border with the
Table Mountain National Park
Table Mountain National Park, previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park, is a national park in Cape Town, South Africa, proclaimed on 29 May 1998, for the purpose of protecting the natural environment of the Table Mountain Chain, an ...
is defined by the
M3 freeway. To the north are the suburbs of
Rosebank and
Mowbray, while to the south are
Newlands
Newlands may refer to:
Places Australia
* Newlands, Queensland, a locality in the Whitsunday Region
New Zealand
* Newlands, Wellington, a suburb of Wellington
South Africa
* Newlands, Cape Town, a suburb of Cape Town
* Newlands, Johannesbu ...
and
Claremont. The eastern border of Rondebosch is the M5 freeway; beyond the freeway are Sybrand Park,
Athlone
Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...
and
Rondebosch East
Rondebosch East is a residential suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, about south-east of the city centre. As the name suggests, it is located to the east of the neighbouring suburb of Rondebosch. it had a population of approximately 4,600 people ...
.
The
Southern Line railway divides Rondebosch in two; the only road within Rondebosch that crosses the railway is the Belmont Road bridge. Main Road (the M4) runs north-south through the area west of the railway, while Campground Road runs in the same direction east of the railway. The third north-south through route is Milner Road, further east close to the M5.
The area around the intersection of Main Road and Belmont Road is Rondebosch's main commercial area, with several small shopping malls and two supermarkets. Also located in this area is
Rondebosch railway station, which is the main public transport facility in the suburb. A smaller commercial area lies just to the east on the corner of Belmont and Campground Roads; there is also a row of shops along Belvedere Road in the southeastern part of the suburb. The rest of the suburb is used for educational and residential purposes, with the residential areas being generally denser further to the west where the influence of the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
is felt.
Two canalised streams run from the slopes of Table Mountain through Rondebosch; the
Liesbeeck River
The Liesbeek River (also spelt Liesbeeck) is a river in Cape Town in South Africa. It is named after a small river in the Netherlands. The first "free burghers" of the Dutch East India Company were granted land to farm along the river in 1657, ...
runs northwards between Main Road and the railway, while the
Black River runs in a northeasterly direction through the eastern part of the suburb. The terrain is generally flat east of the railway line, while to the west it slopes upwards towards Devil's Peak.
Landmarks
On the slopes of Devil's Peak above Rondebosch is the main campus of the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
.
The historic
Groote Schuur estate in Rondebosch includes presidential and ministerial residences with Cape Dutch origins. The
Groote Schuur building is the biggest, rebuilt by
Cecil Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896.
An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his Bri ...
according to a design by
Herbert Baker after a fire in 1896. The presidential residence, Genadendal (formerly Westbrooke), also dates back to Cape Dutch times.
The home of
Simon van der Stel (first governor of the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with ...
) is now part of
Rustenburg Junior School. This building dates back to the 17th century, although it has undergone many alterations over the years. Its summer house, dating from 1760, remains as a monument just below the university. Other historic buildings in the area include the Rondebosch Town Hall, now occupied by the
Rondebosch Library, and St. Paul's Church, which was designed by
Charles Collier Michell
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Collier Michell, KH (29 March 1793 in Exeter – 28 March 1851 in Eltham, London), later known as Charles Cornwallis Michell, was a British soldier, first surveyor-general in the Cape, road engineer, architect, artist ...
.
Rondebosch Common, once a military campground, is a national monument and an important
fynbos
Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...
conservation area.
The
Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch is Cape Town's second biggest theatre complex, after the
Artscape Theatre Centre
Artscape Theatre Centre (formerly Nico Malan Theatre Centre) is the main performing arts centre in Cape Town, South Africa. It was opened in 1971 and is located on reclaimed land in the Foreshore area. The inaugural performance was scheduled to ...
in the city centre.
Rondebosch Fountain
The historic centre of Rondebosch is the Main Road, with the Victorian cast iron
Rondebosch Fountain being a historic landmark. Originally known as the Moodie Fountain, it was one of South Africa's first electric streetlights. It was built by the
Saracen Foundry
The Saracen Foundry, Possilpark, Glasgow c.1890
The Saracen Foundry was the better-known name for the Possilpark, Glasgow–based foundry company W MacFarlane & Co. Ltd, founded and owned by Walter MacFarlane. MacFarlane's was the most important ...
in Glasgow and presented to the community by George Moodie as a gift in 1891. The lamp was first turned on, on 25 April 1892 and was initially powered by Moodie's private power plant until a municipal power plant on the Liesbeeck River was completed.
The fountain was destroyed in a road accident in 2015 but is being rebuilt.
Government and politics
Rondebosch is in the
City of Cape Town
The City of Cape Town ( af, Stad Kaapstad; xh, IsiXeko saseKapa) is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,740,026.
The remo ...
municipality, within the Protea Sub-Council (Sub-Council 20). The eastern part of the suburb is within
ward 58 and the ward councillor is Sharon Cottle, and the western part is in ward 59 with councillor Ian Iversen, both members of the
Democratic Alliance.
Rondebosch was the parliamentary seat of Sir
De Villiers Graaff, the leader of the opposition
United Party, and later that of
Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, leader of the opposition
Progressive Federal Party.
Education
The western part of Rondebosch is dominated by the main campus of the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
. Rondebosch is also notable for a high density of schools. Originally the Rondebosch Town Hall the
Rondebosch Public Library is a notable landmark in the neighbourhood.
Sports and recreation
Western Province Cricket Club is the largest sports facility in Rondebosch, catering for many different sports, including tennis and hockey. The University itself has facilities for most sports. Other facilities include Rondebosch Golf Club and Rygersdal Football Club. Next door to Rondebosch is Newlands, home to the
Newlands Stadium for rugby and soccer, and
Newlands Cricket Ground
Newlands Cricket Ground (known as Six Gun Grill Newlands for sponsorship reasons) in Cape Town is a South African cricket ground. It is the home of the Cape Cobras, who play in the Sunfoil Series, Momentum 1 Day Cup and RamSlam Pro20 competi ...
.
Parks in Rondebosch include
Keurboom Park and
Rondebosch Park.
Rondebosch Common is also a popular recreational area.
Demographics
According to the
2011 census, 14,591 people live in Rondebosch. 62.7% described themselves as "
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
", 16.5% as "
Black African", 9.6% as "
Coloured
Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...
" and 6.1% as "
Indian or Asian". The predominant language is English, which is the
first language
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother to ...
of 84.3% of the population. 7.6% speak
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gr ...
and 1.8% speak
Xhosa.
In the second half of the 20th century, Rondebosch was a whites-only area in terms of the
Group Areas Act
Group Areas Act was the title of three acts of the Parliament of South Africa enacted under the apartheid government of South Africa. The acts assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system o ...
, an
Apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
law that enforced segregation.
References
External links
Rondebosch Golf ClubWestern Province Cricket Club
{{Cape Town suburbs
Suburbs of Cape Town