Queenstown, Eastern Cape
| Queenstown | |
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| Nickname(s): Rose Capital of South Africa[1] | |
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 Queenstown
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Queenstown
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| Coordinates: 31°54′S 26°53′E / 31.9°S 26.883°ECoordinates: 31°54′S 26°53′E / 31.9°S 26.883°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Eastern Cape |
| District | Chris Hani |
| Municipality | Lukanji |
| Founded | 1853 |
| Area[2] | |
| • Total | 258.10 km2 (99.65 sq mi) |
| Population (2001)[2] | |
| • Total | 24,902 |
| • Density | 96/km2 (250/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2001)[2] | |
| • Black African | 56.5% |
| • Coloured | 22.2% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.3% |
| • White | 20.0% |
| First languages (2001)[2] | |
| • Xhosa | 53.3% |
| • Afrikaans | 32.5% |
| • English | 12.7% |
| • Other | 1.5% |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
Queenstown, named after Queen Victoria[3], is a town in the middle of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, roughly half way in between the towns of Cathcart and Sterkstroom. It is currently the commercial, administrative, and educational centre of the prosperous surrounding farming district. The nickname of the town, 'Rose Capital of South Africa', comes from the large gardens and open places for flowers (especially roses) around and in the middle of the town.
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[edit] History
The town was founded in early 1853 under the direction of Sir George Cathcart, who named the settlement, and then fort, after Queen Victoria. The town prospered from its founding up to the world wide depression of the 1930s, and again thereafter. In the 1960s, the majority of the Black population were moved east to the township of Ezibeleni, as part of the attempt to move African people to so-called 'homelands'. The area has in the past had very severe weather problems, luckily, often only affecting the surrounding areas. In 2002, heavy snowfall around Queenstown caused a severe disaster, especially since the area wasn't funded or ready for such a disaster.[4]. Then, in 2004, the surrounding areas of the Eastern Cape were affected by strong winds and heavy rainfall[5], although Queenstown once again escaped much flooding and some wind damage, power sortages soon followed. Other natural disasters include droughts[6] and veld fires (wild fires)[7].
[edit] Education
Queen's College, Queenstown Girls' High School, Kwa Komani Comprehensive, Hexagon High School and Maria Louw High School are among well-known secondary schools in Queenstown. The former has produced many fine sportsmen, including Tony Greig, Daryll Cullinan, Kenny McEwan, Kaya Malotana, Lionel Cronje, Justin Kemp, Rob Kempson, Dick Muir and Lwazi Mvovo, .
Excellent Afrikaans schools, namely Hangklip Primary and Senior set high standards academically and on the sport field.
[edit] Demography and Population
[edit] Ethnic groups
In 1904 the city had a population of about 9616, of which 4444 (43%) were white.[8]
[edit] Religion
The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Queenstown.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Environment
Queenstown lies on the Komani River which forms part of the Great Kei system of rivers and has a refreshing climate and plentiful water supply from the surrounding rugged mountains. The water is collected in Bonkolo (named changed from Bongolo recently) Dam, set in the hills, used extensively for recreation and watersports. Each year, around the beginning of June, the town holds an art exhibition with the emphasis on paintings and sculpture. Perhaps inspired by some of the most interesting Bushman paintings in nearby caves, which are accessible to the visitor.
Close to Queenstown is a nature reserve (Lawrence de Lange Game Reserve) with numerous antelope, white rhinoceros and spectacular flowering plants together with panoramic views from the mountain summit.
[edit] Layout
[edit] The Hexagon
The layout of Queenstown reflects its original objective as a defensive stronghold for the frontier area and has a most unusual design. There is a central hexagonal area where canon or rifle fire could be directed down six thoroughfares radiating from the centre. The canon sites have now been replaced with gardens and a central fountain was the dominant feature. A striking abstract sculpture replaced the fountain as part of the town's 150th anniversary. The Hexagon still exists, with the outer road surrounding it named Robinson Road, which encircles it. Surrounding the Hexagon to the east and west lies more commercial and administrative facilities.
[edit] City Layout
Like all South African towns the city is heavily segregated, and although non-white citizens are now free to travel, work, live and shop in the commercial sectors and housing areas, there is some integration. The vast majority of the black population do not earn enough money to live in the more wealthy suburbs. Currently, formerley 'white suburbs' surround the Hexagon to the north, east and west, however, one of the city's great townships (and squatter camps) lies to the south. It is a collection of black and coloured townships named Mungisi, Aloevale and many others, but due to a large amount of expansion, a new township, Victoria Park has been built to the south-east of the city. As for the actual city of Queenstown, it includes the suburbs of Sandringham, Kingsway, Windsor, Bergsig, Blue rise, Balmoral and a new faster growing suburb of Komani Park. In recent years growth has been slow in this part of the city, with the only real expansion being in a few small gated communities in Komani Park and in the north of the town.
East of the town lies the much larger Ezibeleni township, which although roughly the same size as Queenstown by area, has by far a much larger population.
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Queenstown | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29 (84) |
28 (82) |
26 (78) |
23 (73) |
20 (68) |
17 (62) |
18 (64) |
20 (68) |
22 (71) |
24 (75) |
26 (78) |
28 (82) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 14 (57) |
14 (57) |
13 (55) |
9 (48) |
6 (42) |
3 (37) |
3 (37) |
5 (41) |
7 (44) |
9 (48) |
11 (51) |
13 (55) |
8.7 (47.7) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 69 (2.7) |
79 (3.1) |
74 (2.9) |
38 (1.5) |
20 (0.8) |
13 (0.5) |
8 (0.3) |
15 (0.6) |
28 (1.1) |
41 (1.6) |
58 (2.3) |
71 (2.8) |
513 (20.2) |
| Source: Weatherbase [9] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Geology
The Queenstown area is in the Burgersdorp formation of the Takastard sub group, in the upper beaufort group triasic in age in the karoo super group. The lithology is red mudstone 1-10m rich layers and surb ordinate 1m-2m rich sand stone layers deposited by meandering rivers in the flood plain in an oxidising environment gradually filling the Karoo basin. The formation reaches thickness of 600m in the Queenstown and Lady Frere area(S.gcobo). Numerous Dolerite dykes and ring structures intruded the area creating good localities for ground water exploration.
[edit] External links
- Aerial view of Queenstown showing limits of early hexagonal fortifications
- http://www.rotaryqtn.com/about_queenstown.1.html - Website dedicated to Queenstown.
- Timeline of events in Queenstown
- Official Website for Queenstown Eastern Cape
[edit] References
- ^ Calls Queenstown, the 'rose capital of SA'
- ^ a b c d The figures are a sum of the census places 22112, 22116.
- ^ http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Queenstown,_South_Africa
- ^ http://www.dispatch.co.za/2002/07/22/easterncape/AAAALEAD.HTM - About 2002 heavy snow disaster
- ^ http://www.dispatch.co.za/2004/09/27/Easterncape/arain.html - Heavy rainfall in Queenstown area
- ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=qw936036661900B223 - Drought in 1999
- ^ http://www.dispatch.co.za/1999/08/31/easterncape/CAPE.HTM - Fires in 1999
- ^ http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Queenstown,_South_Africa - Population in 1904
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Queenstown, South Africa". Weatherbase. 2011. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=686480&refer=wikipedia. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
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