Wolseley, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
Wolseley is a small town in the upper Breede River Valley
region of the Western Cape
province of South Africa
. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 8,188 people. It is located 90 kilometre northeast of Cape Town
, in the Land van Waveren valley between the Waterval Mountains to the west and the Witzenberg Mountains to the east.
s of the Breede River
, which flows south to the Indian Ocean
, and the Berg River
, which flows north to the Atlantic Ocean
. It is 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Tulbagh
, 12 kilometres (7 mi) southwest of Ceres
, and 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest of Worcester
.
, which has its headquarters at Ceres. Ward 2 is represented by Dirk Swart and ward 7 is represented by Petrus Heradien, both of the Democratic Alliance.
to the Swartland
, and east over Mitchell's Pass to Ceres. The R43 regional route begins nearby at a junction with the R46, and runs south to the N1 national route at Worcester. The R43 also connects to the R301
over Bain's Kloof Pass to Wellington
.
It is also situated on the main railway line from Cape Town to the interior. Wolseley railway station is served by Metrorail's "Boland Blitz" service, with one train per day in the morning from Worcester to Cape Town, and one in the evening in the other direction. Wolseley is also the junction for the now-closed branch line to Ceres.
Breede River Valley
Breede River Valley is a region of Western Cape Province, South Africa known for being the largest fruit and wine producing valley in the Western Cape, as well as South Africa's leading race-horse breeding area...
region of 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...
. In the 2001 Census
South 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...
it had a population of 8,188 people. It is located 90 kilometre northeast 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...
, in the Land van Waveren valley between the Waterval Mountains to the west and the Witzenberg Mountains to the east.
Geography
Wolseley lies at an altitude of 260 metre on the watershed between the drainage basinDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
s of the Breede River
Breede River
The Breede River , is a river in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Travelling inland north from Cape Town, the river runs in a west to east direction, the surrounding western mountains thus forming the first continental divide experienced by European settlers in the 18th century...
, which flows south to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, and the Berg River
Berg River
The Berg River is a river located just north of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is approximately 294 km long with a catchment area of 7,715 km² and outlets into the Atlantic Ocean. About 65% of the Berg River area is under agriculture...
, which flows north to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It is 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Tulbagh
Tulbagh
Tulbagh is a town in the Tulbagh valley and is situated in the Witzenberg Local Municipality, with the valley called "Die Land van Waveren" locally. Closest towns are Wolseley, Prince Alfred's Hamlet, Gouda and Ceres in the Boland district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.The valley has...
, 12 kilometres (7 mi) southwest of Ceres
Ceres, Western Cape
Ceres is a town with 46,251 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre and largest town of the Witzenberg Local Municipality. Ceres serves as a regional centre for the surrounding towns of Wolseley, Tulbagh, Op-die-Berg and Prince Alfred Hamlet...
, and 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest of Worcester
Worcester, 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....
.
Government
Wolseley is divided between wards 2 and 7 of the Witzenberg Local MunicipalityWitzenberg Local Municipality
Witzenberg 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 75,148....
, which has its headquarters at Ceres. Ward 2 is represented by Dirk Swart and ward 7 is represented by Petrus Heradien, both of the Democratic Alliance.
Transport
Wolseley is located just off the R46 regional route, which runs north to Tulbagh and the Nuwekloof PassNuwekloof Pass (Western Cape)
The Nuwekloof Pass connects the Swartland to the Tulbagh Valley in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It carries the R46 regional route and the Cape Town – Worcester railway line through a kloof created by the Little Berg River....
to 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...
, and east over Mitchell's Pass to Ceres. The R43 regional route begins nearby at a junction with the R46, and runs south to the N1 national route at Worcester. The R43 also connects to the R301
R301 road (South Africa)
The R301 is a Regional Route in the Western Cape province of South Africa which runs from an intersection with the R45 near Franschhoek through Paarl and Wellington and over Bain's Kloof Pass to an intersection with the R43 near Wolseley....
over Bain's Kloof Pass to Wellington
Wellington, Western Cape
Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of...
.
It is also situated on the main railway line from Cape Town to the interior. Wolseley railway station is served by Metrorail's "Boland Blitz" service, with one train per day in the morning from Worcester to Cape Town, and one in the evening in the other direction. Wolseley is also the junction for the now-closed branch line to Ceres.