Knysna
Encyclopedia
is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and is part of the Garden Route
Garden Route
The Garden Route is a popular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Heidelberg in the Western Cape to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme western reach of the neighbouring Eastern Cape...
. It lies 34 degrees south
34th parallel south
The 34th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 34 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
of the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George
George, Western Cape
George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
on the N2
N2 (South Africa)
The N2 is a National Route in South Africa; it is the main highway along the Indian Ocean coast of the country. The N2 starts in Cape Town in the Western Cape and runs through the cities of Port Elizabeth and East London in the Eastern Cape and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal to end at Ermelo in...
highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29149 population...
on the same road.
History
A hamlet, Melville, appeared on the lakeshore in 1825, and was followed by another, Newhaven, in 1846. Knysna town, a 1882 amalgamation of these hamlets, was named after the Knysna River.Knysna's port could provide shelter for up to 50 ships, and the region's abundant timber was exported from this bay as early as 1787. Landowner George Rex
George Rex
George Rex was a British-born entrepreneur, who spent most of his adult life in the Cape Colony, South Africa. He founded the town of Knysna in the Western Cape and played a key role in its development...
, who landed at the Cape in 1796, played a significant role in the town's early development and is considered the town's founder. Being a difficult port to enter, a harbour pilot was employed to assist large vessels. One of the better-known pilots was John Benn, originally a shipwright from Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay is a harbour town of about 130,000 people on the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province...
, appointed as pilot in 1868 and whose name is borne by a double-deck pleasure cruiser currently operating as a tourist attraction on the Knysna lagoon. The port was officially closed in 1954.
The Norwegian family, Thesen, played a considerable role in the development of Knysna from 1869 onwards. Arndt Leonard Thesen (1816–1875) and his son Charles Wilhelm Thesen
Charles Wilhelm Thesen
Charles Wilhelm Thesen , was a Norwegian-born shipowner and timber merchant who played a leading role in Knysna's public affairs....
in particular, founded and expanded the family timber and shipping business. Charles Thesen was mayor of Knysna for a number of terms.
From 1907 to 1949 the Knysna forest railway was used to haul timber from the inland forests to the harbour of Knysna.
Description
The town is primarily built on the northern shore of a large warm-water estuaryEstuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, fed by the Knysna River. The estuary opens to the ocean after passing between two large headlands. These are popularly known as "The Heads", and have become infamous due to the loss of boats and fishermen
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
passing through their treacherous and unpredictable waters. Near them are geological formations, known locally as "The Map Stones." To the north of Knysna, Afro-Montane or temperate rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
covers the hilly terrain for 20 km until changing to fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
or macchia high up in the Outeniqua Mountains
Outeniqua Mountains
The Outeniqua Mountains are a mountain range located in the Western Cape of South Africa. They run in a north-easterly direction from the George area.-Nomenclature:...
.
The town is a popular destination for both tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and senior citizens
Old age
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
entering retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
, especially among the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and former expatriates due to the year-round warm climate. Recently the town has also become a preferred destination among golfers, as the town boasts several world class golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s including Pezula Golf Course, Simola Golf Course and the well established Knysna Golf Course situated on the lagoon. Knysna too is a favourite haunt of artists, restaurateurs and hippies. The nearest beach is located at Brenton-on-sea which lies directly west of the heads and is continuous with Buffalo Bay, a popular surf spot.
Knysna's other claim to fame is the home to the fabled Knysna forest elephant.
Annual events
The city hosts the annual Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival in July, an event that attracts large numbers of visitors from far afield.The Pink Loerie Mardi Gras is also held annually, normally end of April/beginning of May, in the town. Gastronomica is a lifestyle festival, held annually in September, that promotes healthy eating and organic principles. The Rastafarian Earth Festival is held at the end of July and celebrates their religion, culture and lifestyle.
Notable people
- Rudolf Eric KoertzenRudi KoertzenRudolf Eric Koertzen otherwise known as Rudi Koertzen is a former international cricket umpire. His name is pronounced in English....
- International cricket umpire - Charles Wilhelm ThesenCharles Wilhelm ThesenCharles Wilhelm Thesen , was a Norwegian-born shipowner and timber merchant who played a leading role in Knysna's public affairs....
- shipowner and timber merchant - Thomas Henry DuthieThomas Henry DuthieCaptain Thomas Henry Duthie arrived in Cape Town from Scotland in 1826. He was stationed at the Castle of Good Hope with the 72nd Highlanders.- References :* Sanni Metelerkamp, George Rex of Knysna ....
- Land owner, Supervisor of Crown Forests and Lands - George RexGeorge RexGeorge Rex was a British-born entrepreneur, who spent most of his adult life in the Cape Colony, South Africa. He founded the town of Knysna in the Western Cape and played a key role in its development...
- Founder of Knysna, Land owner, and Timber Merchant - George Rex Duthie- Managing Director and Ship builder at Thesens Co., Owner of Brenton Estate
See also
- Knysna Municipality, Western Cape
- Knysna-Amatole montane forestsKnysna-Amatole montane forestsThe Knysna-Amatole montane forests ecoregion, of the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Biome, is in South Africa. It covers an Afromontane area of in South Africa's Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.-Setting:...
- Feathers of KnysnaFeathers of KnysnaFounded in 1986 by South African artist Andre van Niekerk Feathers of Knysna is a producer of wooden artwork in the form of South African wildlife.Feathers of Knysna is located in the town of Knysna within the Cape Province...
- Fiela's ChildFiela's ChildFiela's Child is a South African novel written by Dalene Matthee and published in 1985. The book was originally written in Afrikaans under the name Fiela se Kind, and was later translated into not only English, but French, German, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew and Icelandic, among others.The story is...