Woodstock, Cape Town
Woodstock | |
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Area code | 021 |
Woodstock is one of the earliest suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa, between the docks of Table Bay and the lower slopes of Devil's Peak, about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) east of the city centre of Cape Town. Woodstock is served by Woodstock and Esplanade railway stations, and has the postal code 7925 for street addresses and 7915 for post office box deliveries.
History and geography
The area was inhabited by
During the 1870s with the subdivision of the old farms for low cost housing, Woodstock began to grow so rapidly that by 1884, less than a year after becoming a separate municipality, Woodstock was the third largest ‘town’ in the country. Ease of access to the harbour; improved transport; increased industrialisation and a rapidly growing working class population meant that the massive demand for supplies from the British troops during the
With the massive land reclamation of Table Bay in the 1950s to create the
Woodstock also became the first suburb in the city where a distinct Portuguese, ethnic community developed.[3] The Portuguese population in the city increased from 228 immigrants in 1936 to 1649 immigrants by 1970.[3] A total of 675 of these immigrants, coming from Madeira, settled in Woodstock between 1940-1980, and the area earned the nickname "Little Madeira."[3] Portuguese fishermen first settled in the suburb in the 1930s and became known as the "pioneers" of the Portuguese diaspora in the Cape. They chose to settled in Woodstock for its location close to the harbour and for its relative affordability.[3]
Urban renewal
Notwithstanding the lower parts of Woodstock becoming run down in the second half of the 20th century, with litter, crime and drugs becoming a serious issue, the face of Woodstock has changed dramatically over the last decade. Young professionals have been quick to take advantage of still affordable pretty Victorian semi-detached homes, many of which have been beautifully renovated and restored. Restaurants, media and other businesses, offices, shops and furniture showrooms have sprung up in converted and revamped warehouses, abandoned buildings and even a disused Castle Brewery.[4]
Places of interest
- The Treaty Tree is an old milkwood tree in Treaty Road where in 1806 the peace treaty between the English and the Dutch after the Battle of Blaauwberg was signed. Until 1834 slaves were sold under it and along with convicts also hanged.
- Woodstock cave is a fairly large but shallow cave (it's more of an overhang) halfway up Devil's Peak
- The King’s, Queen’s and Prince of Wales’ blockhouses on Devil's Peak.
- The Woodstock Foundry, 160 Albert Road, Woodstock
Education
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- Alpha School Learners with Autism
- Mountain Road Primary School
- St Agnes Dominican Convent Primary School
- Queen's Park High School
Coat of arms
The Woodstock municipal council adopted a pseudo-heraldic coat of arms, designed by Mr St Vincent Cripps, in February 1892.[5] The shield was divided horizontally, the upper half depicting a sinking sailing ship and the lower half a man on horseback riding into the sea (both evidently referring to Wolraad Woltemade's heroic sea rescue efforts in 1773. The crest was a dolphin entwined around a crowned anchor; the supporters were two lions (one upright, the other doing a handstand(!)); and the motto was Per mare per terras.
References
- ^ a b c d "Sub Place Woodstock". Census 2011.
- ^ Hodgkiss, Donald (1971). Woodstock Glass. Cape Town: Grafix. p. 109.
- ^ a b c d "Little Madeira": the Portuguese in Woodstock c.1940-c.1980 University of Cape Town. 1993
- ^ "I Love Woodstock". Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ^ Western Cape Archives : Woodstock Municipal Minutes (8 February 1892).
External links
This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (May 2017) |
- Upper Woodstock Residents Association
- http://www.ilovewoodstock.co.za
- http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/parks/Pages/TrafalgarPark.aspx
- http://www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za/
- http://www.oldcastlebrewery.co.za/index.php
- http://www.ruthprowse.co.za/
- http://www.woodstockfoundry.co.za/#modern-organic-thai