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For other uses, see Grahamstown (disambiguation).
Grahamstown from Fort Selwyn
Grahamstown from Fort Selwyn

Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. [1] The population of the city proper was 41,799[2] of which 77. 4% were black, 11. 8% Coloured, 10% white, and 0. 7% Asian. Since 1994, there has been a considerable influx of Africans from the former, and nearby, Ciskei homeland.

Located some 130 km from Port Elizabeth and 180 km from East London, Grahamstown is also the seat of Rhodes University, a diocese of the Church of the Province of South Africa (C. Rhodes University is a university in South Africa named after Cecil Rhodes. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa is the Anglican province in the southern part of Africa, including 23 Dioceses in Angola, P. S. A. - Anglican) and a High Court. However it does not form part of the South African Cities Network. [3]

Contents

History

Fort Selwyn
Fort Selwyn

Grahamstown was founded in 1812 as a military outpost by Lieutenant-Colonel John Graham as part of the effort to secure the eastern frontier of British influence in the then Cape Colony against the Xhosa. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Colonel John Graham ( 24 April 1778 13 March 1821) was a soldier notable for founding Grahamstown, South Africa in 1814 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. See also Xhosa language The Xhosa (ǁʰɔsɑ( people are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two

Egazini, Battle of Grahamstown

On 22 April 1819 a large number of Xhosa warriors, under the leadership of Nxele, launched an attack against the British Colonial forces. The Xhosas warned Colonel Willshire, the commanding officer, beforehand of their planned attack on Grahamstown, brought about by the continued harassment of Xhosas within their own territory by the British authorities. The Xhosas came close to taking the town, but were repulsed by the heavy artillery and gunfire of the British, suffering heavy losses. Nxele surrendered, was taken captive and imprisoned on Robben Island where he later died. Robben Island ( Afrikaans Robbeneiland) is an Island in Table Bay, some seven kilometres off the coast of the Cape Town bay South

Growth of city

Grahamstown grew during the 1820s as many 1820 Settlers and their families left farming to establish themselves in more secure trades. The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South In 1833 Grahamstown was described as having "two or three English merchants of considerable wealth, but scarcely any society in the ordinary sense of the word. The Public Library is a wretched affair. "[4] In a few decades it became the Cape Colony's largest city after Cape Town. The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the It became a bishopric in 1852. Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

In 1904 Rhodes University College was established in Grahamstown through a grant from the Rhodes Trust. [5] In 1951 it became a fully-fledged University, Rhodes University. Rhodes University is a university in South Africa named after Cecil Rhodes. Today it provides world-class tertiary education in a wide range of disciplines to over 6,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

With the establishment of the Union of South Africa the Grahamstown High Court became a Local Division of the newly formed Supreme Court of South Africa (under Cape Town). } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. However after several years the court was elevated to a Provincial Division and a Local Division was established in Port Elizabeth. In certain other areas of provincial government Grahamstown similarly served as a centre for the Eastern Cape.

In 1994 Grahamstown became part of the newly established Eastern Cape Province, while Bhisho was chosen as the provincial capital. The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho. Bhisho, formerly known as Bisho, is the capital of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.

Name changes

The provincial government has recently announced that it plans to rename Grahamstown along with several other towns and monuments, with African names. One possible official name for Grahamstown would be Rhini, which is the current Xhosa name for the city

Religion - 'The City of Saints'

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. George in Church Square
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. George in Church Square

The Anglican Cathedral of St Michael and St George is a diocesan seat of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa is the Anglican province in the southern part of Africa, including 23 Dioceses in Angola, Grahamstown also has Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Ethiopian Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Pinkster Protestante, Dutch Reformed (Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk), Charismatic, Apostolic and Pentecostal churches. There are also meeting places for Hindus, Scientologists, Quakers, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Muslims.

For historic reasons, particularly the vibrancy of evangelism during Grahamstown's heyday, the City is home to more than forty religious buildings, and the nickname the "City of Saints" has become attached to Grahamstown. However, there is another story which may be the source of this nickname.

It is said that, in about 1846, there were Royal Engineers stationed in Grahamstown who were in need of building tools. They sent a message to Cape Town requesting a vice to be forwarded to them from the Ordnance Stores. A reply came back, 'Buy vice locally'. The response was, 'No vice in Grahamstown'. [6]

Education, Arts and Culture

Grahamstown is home to many schools as well as Rhodes University. Rhodes University is a university in South Africa named after Cecil Rhodes. It is also home to several institutes, most importantly the South African National Library for the Blind, the National English Literary Museum, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (formerly the JLB Smith Institute), the International Library of African Music (ILAM), and the Institute for the Study of English in Africa. The National Library for the Blind ( NLB) was a public Library in the United Kingdom, founded 1882 which aimed to ensure that people with sight problems The National English Literary Museum (NELM houses extensive archival material relating to Southern African English Literature The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB is involved in research education and in applications of its knowledge and research to African fish fauna for either economic

The effects of Apartheid still affect the provision of secondary education in this former frontier town, where significant discrepancies in matric pass rates and general quality of education exist. Addressing this problem is one of the cities greatest challenges.

The Observatory Museum

In 1859, Henry Carter Galpin bought a simple double-storey establishment in Bathurst Street for £300. During the next 23 years he made extensive changes. The front was elegantly decorated, and a basement and three floors added to the back. Rooftop developments included an observatory, from which the building took its name, and what was for many years the only Camera Obscura in the Southern Hemisphere. An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial and/or celestial events The camera obscura (Latin dark chamber) is an optical device used for example in drawing or for entertainment Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball'

Born in 1820 in Dorset, England, Galpin trained as an architect, surveyor and civil engineer, as well as a chronometer, clock and watchmaker. Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland These skills, together with his keen interest in optics and astronomy, are reflected throughout The Observatory- the most unusual Victorian home and business premises in South Africa. Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of Architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Galpin's thriving watchmaker and jeweller's shop was run by three of his seven sons after his death in 1886. They sold to Messrs Leader and Krummeck in 1939. Several businesses occupied the ground floor while the basement and upper floors were divided into flats and lodgings.

By the end of the 1970's the structure was dilapidated and unsound. The historic link with the identification of the Eureka diamond led to the purchase and restoration of the Observatory by De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited. De Beers and the various companies within the De Beers Family of Companies engage in exploration for diamonds, diamond mining diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacture

The building was subsequently proclaimed a National Monument and presented to the Albany Museum to form part of its History Division. Exhibits were arranged, and The Observatory Museum was opened by Mr. Harry F. Oppenheimer, the then Chairman of De Beers, on February 2, 1983. Harry Frederick Oppenheimer (28 October 1908 &ndash 19 August 2000 was a prominent South African businessman and one of the world's richest men De Beers and the various companies within the De Beers Family of Companies engage in exploration for diamonds, diamond mining diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacture

Festivals

Two large festivals take place annually in Grahamstown: the National Arts Festival in June/July and SciFest Africa in April. The National Arts Festival (often known as the Grahamstown Festival) is second largest arts festival in the world after the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland The National Arts Festival is the largest Arts festival in Africa and sees some of the leading talent on the South African and international art scene arriving in Grahamstown for a celebration of culture and artistic expression. [7][8][9][10]

List of Schools

School Year Founded Denomination Language Grades Gender Private/Public
St. Andrew's College 1855 Anglican English 8-12 Single sex male (integrated classes with D. St Andrew's College is a private Senior school for boys located in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. S. G. from Gr. 10 onwards) Private
Graeme College (known variously before 1939 as Victoria Boys' High School and the Grahamstown Public School) 1873 Non-denominational English 1-12 Single sex male Public
Diocesan School for Girls 1874 Anglican English 4-12 Single sex female Private
St. Graeme College is a public school in Grahamstown, South Africa. The Diocesan School for Girls or DSG is a private Boarding school for girls situated in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa Aidan's College 1876 (closed 1973) Jesuit English  ?-12 Single sex male Private
St. Andrew's Preparatory School 1885 Anglican English 0-7 Single sex male (Co-ed. St Andrew's Preparatory School is a private, Co-educational Boarding school in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa until Gr. 4) Private
Kingswood College 1894 Methodist English 0-12 Co-educational Private
Victoria Girls' High School 1897 Non-denominational English 8-12 Single sex female Public
Victoria Girls' Primary 1945 Non-denominational English 1-12 Single sex female Public
Oatlands Preparatory 1949 Non-denominational English 0-3 Co-educational Public
P. Kingswood College is a private Co-educational, boarding school in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. J. Olivier 1956 Non-denominational Afrikaans 0-12 Co-educational Public

Press

Grahamstown is home to the oldest surviving independent newspaper in South Africa. Named the Grocott's Mail, it was founded in 1870 by the Grocott family, and bought out a pre-existing newspaper called the Grahamstown Journal, dating from 1831. [11] It is presently a local newspaper operated by the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, and still retains its name. Grocott's Mail's main competitor is a weekly free-sheet called Grahamstown This Week, owned by Johnnic Communications. As a major centre for journalism training, Grahamstown also hosts two student newspapers, Activate, established in 1947, and The Oppidan Press, a student initiative launched in 2007 that caters mainly to the student population living off-campus.

Government

Grahamstown forms part of the Makana Local Municipality in the Cacadu District. Cacadu District Municipality (CDM is situated in the Western Portion of the Eastern Cape province covering an area of 58 242 square kilometres Grahamstown is a seat of the High Court of South Africa (for the Eastern Cape), as well as the Magistrates Office for the Albany District. Magistrates Courts in South Africa are the lower courts and the courts of first instance and decide all matters as provided for by an act of parliament As a result of the presence of a High Court, several other related organs of state such as a Masters Office and a Director of Public Prosecutions are present in the city. A few other Government (mostly provincial) departments maintain branches or other offices in Grahamstown.

Trivia

References

  1. ^ Rhodes University Journalism Department
  2. ^ Coega development corporation
  3. ^ see List of cities in South Africa
  4. ^ The Museum of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art. Robert Walsh, Eliakim Littell, John Jay Smith. There are officially nine cities in South Africa (members of the South African cities network Volumn 25, July-December 1833. Philadelphia: E. Littell & T. Holden. p. 333.
  5. ^ Rhodes University Outline
  6. ^ Morton, H. V. , 1948. In Search of South Africa. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd. p. 161.
  7. ^ National Arts Festival, Grahamstown South Africa
  8. ^ Arts and culture, South African Government Information
  9. ^ Arts, crafts and laughter, Daily News: Tonight, 30 May 2006
  10. ^ The rhythm of South Africa, South Africa Alive with Possibility, South Africa.info
  11. ^ Grocott's Mail Online

External links

See also

Albany South Africa (also known as Cape Borders, Cape Frontier, Settler Country, and Western Region) was a District in the Eastern Rhodes University is a university in South Africa named after Cecil Rhodes. The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South
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