Malmesbury, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
Malmesbury is a town with 37,529 inhabitants in the Western Cape
province of South Africa
, about 65 km north of Cape Town.
The town is the largest in the Swartland
(‘black land’) due to the dark "Renosterbos" ('rhino bush'), an indigenous plant that turns black in the warm, dry summers. The area is especially known for its grain and wine cultivation as well as sheep and poultry farming.
Malmesbury was named after Sir Lowry Cole's father-in-law, the Earl of Malmesbury
. Settlers were encouraged to make their home here because of a tepid sulphur chloride mineral spring that was renowned for curing rheumatism
. The first farms were allocated in 1703.
When the fifth Dutch Reformed congregation in the Cape was established here, it became known as Zwartlands-kerk (Black Land Church) but was renamed Malmesbury in 1829. The town acquired municipal status in 1860.
It no longer attracts the ailing, because it was never developed by the local authority, and in fact today a shopping centre is located on top of the site with only a decorative fountain marking the location of the original spring.
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
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...
, about 65 km north of Cape Town.
The town is the largest in the Swartland
Swartland
The Swartland begins some 50 kilometres north of Cape Town and consists of the regions between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north and the Riebeek West and Riebeek Kasteel in the east...
(‘black land’) due to the dark "Renosterbos" ('rhino bush'), an indigenous plant that turns black in the warm, dry summers. The area is especially known for its grain and wine cultivation as well as sheep and poultry farming.
Malmesbury was named after Sir Lowry Cole's father-in-law, the Earl of Malmesbury
James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury
James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury GCB was an English diplomatist.-Early life :...
. Settlers were encouraged to make their home here because of a tepid sulphur chloride mineral spring that was renowned for curing rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
. The first farms were allocated in 1703.
When the fifth Dutch Reformed congregation in the Cape was established here, it became known as Zwartlands-kerk (Black Land Church) but was renamed Malmesbury in 1829. The town acquired municipal status in 1860.
It no longer attracts the ailing, because it was never developed by the local authority, and in fact today a shopping centre is located on top of the site with only a decorative fountain marking the location of the original spring.
Notable people from Malmesbury
- McNeil HendricksMcNeil HendricksMcNeil Hendricks , also known as "Maccie", is a former South African rugby union player who played primarily as a wing. He starred in the movie Invictus, in which he played the role of Chester Williams.-Life and career:...