Touws River (town)
Encyclopedia
Touws River is a small railway town
of 6,800 people in the Western Cape
province of South Africa
. It is located on the river of the same name, about 160 kilometre north-east of Cape Town
.
–Matjiesfontein
section of the Cape Government Railways
' Cape Town
–Kimberley
main line was opened to traffic. The line included a station, originally named "Montagu Road", where the line bridged the Touws River. The name was given in reference to the town of Montagu
, which lies about 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) to the south by road. In 1883 the station was renamed "Touwsrivier".
The town of Touws River developed around the railway depot, at which locomotives were changed after the climb over the Hex River Pass
. It was particularly busy because of the need to bank
trains over the pass; banking locomotives were turned at Touws River to return to De Doorns
. From 1924 it also served as the junction for the branch line to Ladismith
. The closing of the Ladismith branch in 1981 and the opening of the Hex River Tunnel
in 1989 reduced the importance of Touws River as a depot.
. It is located in ward 1 of the local municipality, which in turn falls within the Cape Winelands District Municipality
. the ward councillor
was J.J. Januarie of the African National Congress
.
and north of the Langeberg
, at the point where the Donkies River flows into the Touws River. It lies just to the south of the N1 highway, 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) by road from Cape Town
. The railway line passes through the town, with the yards and depot being located just to the north-east; by rail it is 257 kilometres (159.7 mi) from Cape Town.
recorded the population of Touws River as 6,781 people in an area of 6.4 square kilometres (2.5 sq mi), giving it a population density
of 1060 PD/sqkm. Of the population, 87.7% described themselves as Coloured
, 10.1% as White, 2.0% as Black African, and 0.2% as Indian or Asian. As a first language
, 97.7% of the population spoke Afrikaans, 1.2% spoke English
, and 0.9% spoke Xhosa
. 38.6% of the population was under the age of 18.
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
of 6,800 people in the Western Cape
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...
. It is located on the river of the same name, about 160 kilometre north-east of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
History
On 7 November 1877, the WorcesterWorcester, Western Cape
Worcester is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is located 120 km north-east of Cape Town on the N1 highway north to Johannesburg....
–Matjiesfontein
Matjiesfontein
Matjiesfontein is a settlement in Central Karoo District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa....
section of the Cape Government Railways
Cape Government Railways
The Cape Government Railways was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways in 1910.-Private railways:...
' Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
–Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
main line was opened to traffic. The line included a station, originally named "Montagu Road", where the line bridged the Touws River. The name was given in reference to the town of Montagu
Montagu, Western Cape
Montagu is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 180 km from Cape Town in western Kannaland. It is named after former secretary of the Cape Colony, John Montagu, but was once known as Agter Cogman’s Kloof. It is situated at the confluence of the Keisie and Kingna...
, which lies about 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) to the south by road. In 1883 the station was renamed "Touwsrivier".
The town of Touws River developed around the railway depot, at which locomotives were changed after the climb over the Hex River Pass
Hex River Pass
Hex River Pass, Is situated in the Western Cape, province of South Africa, on the National road N1 road between De Doorns and Touws River.-Be Aware:* Driving Skill level: Novice* Road Condition: Tarred surface, sweeping turns...
. It was particularly busy because of the need to bank
Bank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
trains over the pass; banking locomotives were turned at Touws River to return to De Doorns
De Doorns
De Doorns, Western Cape is a settlement in Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa....
. From 1924 it also served as the junction for the branch line to Ladismith
Ladismith
Ladismith is town and agricultural centre in the western Kleinkaroo region of South Africa's Western Cape province. In 1852 the farm Elandsvlei was set aside for the town, and it became a municipality in 1862. It was named after Lady Juana Smith....
. The closing of the Ladismith branch in 1981 and the opening of the Hex River Tunnel
Hex River Tunnel
The Hex River Tunnels, also known as Hexton, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa is a tunnel system consisting of four single track railway tunnels connecting De Doorns in the Hex River valley with Touws River in the Little Karoo....
in 1989 reduced the importance of Touws River as a depot.
Governance
Touws River received municipal government in 1962; with the transformation of local government in South Africa it has been incorporated into the Breede Valley Local MunicipalityBreede Valley Local Municipality
Breede Valley Municipality is a local municipality located within the Cape Winelands District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 134,271. Its municipality code is WC025.- Government :...
. It is located in ward 1 of the local municipality, which in turn falls within the Cape Winelands District Municipality
Cape Winelands District Municipality
The Cape Winelands District Municipality, formerly the Boland District Municipality, is a district municipality located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 712,413...
. the ward councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
was J.J. Januarie of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
.
Geography
Touws River is located at an elevation of 770 metres (2,526.2 ft) on the southwestern edge of the Great Karoo, east of the Hex River MountainsHex River mountains
The Hex River Mountains make up the second highest mountain range in the Western Cape province of South Africa and are located 120km north-east of Cape Town. They form part of a large anticline in the Cape Fold Belt mountain system and form a north-east, south-west trending mountain system forming...
and north of the Langeberg
Langeberg
The Langeberg Mountain Range is a mountain range situated in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The range runs in a generally east-west direction and is approximately 170 km long. The Langeberg's most westerly point is located 35 km west of the town of Swellendam; the range ends some 30 km...
, at the point where the Donkies River flows into the Touws River. It lies just to the south of the N1 highway, 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) by road from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. The railway line passes through the town, with the yards and depot being located just to the north-east; by rail it is 257 kilometres (159.7 mi) from Cape Town.
Demography
The 2001 CensusSouth African National Census of 2001
The South African National Census of 2001 is the most recent national census of South Africa.The census was undertaken by Statistics South Africa and undertook to enumerate every person present in South Africa on the census night, 9–10 October 2001. The enumeration primarily took place from 10 to...
recorded the population of Touws River as 6,781 people in an area of 6.4 square kilometres (2.5 sq mi), giving it a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1060 PD/sqkm. Of the population, 87.7% described themselves as Coloured
Coloured
In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
, 10.1% as White, 2.0% as Black African, and 0.2% as Indian or Asian. As a first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
, 97.7% of the population spoke Afrikaans, 1.2% spoke English
South African English
The term South African English is applied to the first-language dialects of English spoken by South Africans, with the L1 English variety spoken by Zimbabweans, Zambians and Namibians, being recognised as offshoots.There is some social and regional variation within South African English...
, and 0.9% spoke Xhosa
Xhosa language
Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...
. 38.6% of the population was under the age of 18.