Molteno, Eastern Cape
Encyclopedia
Molteno is a town in the Eastern Cape
province of South Africa
.
It was founded in 1874 and named for Sir John Molteno
, the first prime minister of the Cape Colony
.
High in the Stormberg Mountains, Molteno is South Africa's coldest town and it is close to the country's only ski resort. Ouma Rusks
originated here.
in 1859, and the town was founded for mining in 1874 by George Vice. He named it after the first Cape
Prime Minister
, John Molteno
. (Interestingly, because of this, the town's other namesake is his ancestral hometown
in Italy
, not far from Milan
.) The town's principle streets are named after the members of Molteno's cabinet.
Water was drawn from the nearby Stormberg river, and later also from the Jubilee Dam.
Soon after its founding, the town became the major supplier of coal
to the Cape Colony
. It was granted municipal status in 1883, and by 1892 around 6000 tons of coal were being extracted at Molteno. However, by the 1920s the expansion of the railways made access to coal fields in Natal
and the Transvaal
possible, resulting in the decline of coal mining around Molteno.
During the Second Boer War
, Molteno was used as a mustering point for troops prior to the famous Battle of Stormberg
, as it was the closest railway station.
. Because of its extreme temperatures, it offers snow in the colder months and the town is not far from the country's only ski resort, Tiffindell. The town has several botanical garden
s, a monument to Queen Victoria, and a historic library built from local stone.
Molteno is also home to Ouma Rusks
and the Stormberg biltong factory.
The Molteno Museum is located in the stone library building and aims to portray the history of the town and its surrounds. It contains a range of artifacts, from stone-age tools to Khoisan
, Xhosa and Voortrekker relics including a large collection of vintage guns. It also houses local war relics from the Boer War
, and a display of pioneering historical photography from the region, the "Lomax Collection".
There is a lot of Bushman rock art in the surrounding mountain ranges. The area around the town offers ample opportunity to view rock paintings, fossils and stone age tools uncovered in caves and diggings close to Molteno.
There are also three extinct volcanoes in the vicinity.
The town has one of the oldest railway stations in South Africa - now officially reopened after being closed for repairs.
(Cwb, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with warm summers and chilly, dry winters, with occasional snow
falls. It borders on a semi-arid climate (BSh/BSk). The average annual precipitation is 401 mm (16 in), with most rainfall occurring mainly during summer.
The village of Buffelsfontein, located near Molteno, has the coldest recorded temperature in South Africa, of -18.6 °C, on June 28, 1996.
of the Karoo System
where some of the only workable coal seams in the Cape are to be found (the Molteno Formation
, within this series, is named after the town). These coal fields are being explored for possible coal bed methane extraction
.
The rocks
preserve a record of gradual desertification over millions of years, starting from the Upper Triassic
when the area was a warm swampland, and continuing into the late Jurassic
when the region had become a desert. Extensive Dinosaur
footprints and fossils can be found in these rocks.
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the 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...
.
It was founded in 1874 and named for Sir John Molteno
John Charles Molteno
Sir John Charles Molteno KCMG was a soldier, businessman, champion of responsible government and the first Prime Minister of the Cape Colony.-Early life:...
, the first prime minister of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
.
High in the Stormberg Mountains, Molteno is South Africa's coldest town and it is close to the country's only ski resort. Ouma Rusks
Ouma Rusks
Ouma Rusks are South Africa's best-known brand of rusks - a traditional South African snack that is dipped in coffee or tea before being eaten....
originated here.
History
Coal fields were discovered in this part of the Stormberg MountainsStormberg Mountains
The Stormberg Mountains are a range of mountains situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and are a subsection of the greater Drakensberg mountain range. They form part of the 'Amatola and Stormberg' region which includes major towns like Grahamstown, East London and Port Alfred.Towns...
in 1859, and the town was founded for mining in 1874 by George Vice. He named it after the first Cape
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, John Molteno
John Charles Molteno
Sir John Charles Molteno KCMG was a soldier, businessman, champion of responsible government and the first Prime Minister of the Cape Colony.-Early life:...
. (Interestingly, because of this, the town's other namesake is his ancestral hometown
Molteno
Molteno is a comune and a hill-top town in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km northeast of Milan and about 11 km southwest of Lecco...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, not far from Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.) The town's principle streets are named after the members of Molteno's cabinet.
Water was drawn from the nearby Stormberg river, and later also from the Jubilee Dam.
Soon after its founding, the town became the major supplier of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
to the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. It was granted municipal status in 1883, and by 1892 around 6000 tons of coal were being extracted at Molteno. However, by the 1920s the expansion of the railways made access to coal fields in Natal
Natal, South Africa
Natal is a region in South Africa. It stretches between the Indian Ocean in the south and east, the Drakensberg in the west, and the Lebombo Mountains in the north. The main cities are Pietermaritzburg and Durban...
and the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
possible, resulting in the decline of coal mining around Molteno.
During the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, Molteno was used as a mustering point for troops prior to the famous Battle of Stormberg
Battle of Stormberg
The Battle of Stormberg was the first British defeat of Black Week, in which three successive British forces were defeated by Boer irregulars in the Second Boer War.-Background:...
, as it was the closest railway station.
Places of interest
Although hot and arid in summer, in winter Molteno is the coldest town in South Africa, being located near the highest point in the Cape in the heart of the Stormberg MountainsStormberg Mountains
The Stormberg Mountains are a range of mountains situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and are a subsection of the greater Drakensberg mountain range. They form part of the 'Amatola and Stormberg' region which includes major towns like Grahamstown, East London and Port Alfred.Towns...
. Because of its extreme temperatures, it offers snow in the colder months and the town is not far from the country's only ski resort, Tiffindell. The town has several botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s, a monument to Queen Victoria, and a historic library built from local stone.
Molteno is also home to Ouma Rusks
Ouma Rusks
Ouma Rusks are South Africa's best-known brand of rusks - a traditional South African snack that is dipped in coffee or tea before being eaten....
and the Stormberg biltong factory.
The Molteno Museum is located in the stone library building and aims to portray the history of the town and its surrounds. It contains a range of artifacts, from stone-age tools to Khoisan
Khoisan
Khoisan is a unifying name for two ethnic groups of Southern Africa, who share physical and putative linguistic characteristics distinct from the Bantu majority of the region. Culturally, the Khoisan are divided into the foraging San and the pastoral Khoi...
, Xhosa and Voortrekker relics including a large collection of vintage guns. It also houses local war relics from the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, and a display of pioneering historical photography from the region, the "Lomax Collection".
There is a lot of Bushman rock art in the surrounding mountain ranges. The area around the town offers ample opportunity to view rock paintings, fossils and stone age tools uncovered in caves and diggings close to Molteno.
There are also three extinct volcanoes in the vicinity.
The town has one of the oldest railway stations in South Africa - now officially reopened after being closed for repairs.
Climate
Molteno has a subtropical highland climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Cwb, according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with warm summers and chilly, dry winters, with occasional snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
falls. It borders on a semi-arid climate (BSh/BSk). The average annual precipitation is 401 mm (16 in), with most rainfall occurring mainly during summer.
The village of Buffelsfontein, located near Molteno, has the coldest recorded temperature in South Africa, of -18.6 °C, on June 28, 1996.
Geology
Molteno is located on the Stormberg SeriesStormberg Group
The Stormberg Group is the name given to the sedimentary geological formations found in Karoo Basin region of Southern Africa, immediately above the Beaufort Group...
of the Karoo System
Karoo System
The Karoo System or Karoo Sequence, is a geologic system of rock formations covering 1 500 000 square km and extending from the Equator south to the Cape of Good Hope...
where some of the only workable coal seams in the Cape are to be found (the Molteno Formation
Molteno Formation
The Molteno Formation is a palaeontological formation of the Stormberg Group, located in the main Karoo Basin, South Africa. It dates to the Upper Triassic period and is rich in fossils....
, within this series, is named after the town). These coal fields are being explored for possible coal bed methane extraction
Coal bed methane extraction
Coal bed methane extraction is a method for extracting methane from a coal deposit.-Basic principles:The methane is adsorbed into the solid coal matrix and is released when the coal seam is depressurised...
.
The rocks
Stormberg Group
The Stormberg Group is the name given to the sedimentary geological formations found in Karoo Basin region of Southern Africa, immediately above the Beaufort Group...
preserve a record of gradual desertification over millions of years, starting from the Upper Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
when the area was a warm swampland, and continuing into the late Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
when the region had become a desert. Extensive Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
footprints and fossils can be found in these rocks.
See also
- Eastern CapeEastern CapeThe Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
- Battle of StormbergBattle of StormbergThe Battle of Stormberg was the first British defeat of Black Week, in which three successive British forces were defeated by Boer irregulars in the Second Boer War.-Background:...
- Stormberg MountainsStormberg MountainsThe Stormberg Mountains are a range of mountains situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and are a subsection of the greater Drakensberg mountain range. They form part of the 'Amatola and Stormberg' region which includes major towns like Grahamstown, East London and Port Alfred.Towns...
- Molteno FormationMolteno FormationThe Molteno Formation is a palaeontological formation of the Stormberg Group, located in the main Karoo Basin, South Africa. It dates to the Upper Triassic period and is rich in fossils....
- Sir John Molteno