Grahamstown
Encyclopedia
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality
. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black, 11.8% Coloured, 10% white, and 0.7% Asian. Since 1994, there has been a considerable influx of Black people from the former Ciskei
Xhosa homeland, which lies just to the east. The city proper has an overwhelming white majority, while the neighboring townships (geographically separate, but tied together politically) have growing Black or Coloured majorities.
Located some 130 km from Port Elizabeth and 180 km from East London, Grahamstown is also the seat of Rhodes University
, a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and home to the College of the Transfiguration
—the only residential provincial college of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa—and a High Court. However it does not form part of the South African Cities Network.
Grahamstown was founded in 1812 as a military outpost by Lieutenant-Colonel John Graham as part of the effort to secure the eastern frontier of British influence in the then Cape Colony
against the Xhosa, whose lands lay just to the east.
), launched an attack against the British colonial forces. The Xhosas warned Colonel Willshire, the commanding officer, beforehand of their planned attack on Grahamstown, brought about by the continued harassment of Xhosas within their own territory by the British authorities. The Xhosas came close to taking the town, but were repulsed by the heavy artillery and gunfire of the British, suffering heavy losses. Nxele surrendered, was taken captive and imprisoned on Robben Island
. On Christmas Day, 1819 he tried to escape, and drowned.
and their families left farming to establish themselves in more secure trades. In 1833 Grahamstown was described as having "two or three English merchants of considerable wealth, but scarcely any society in the ordinary sense of the word. The Public Library is a wretched affair." In a few decades it became the Cape Colony
's largest city after Cape Town
. It became a bishopric
in 1852. It was traditionally the capital and cultural centre of the Albany area
, a former traditionally English-speaking district with a distinctive local culture.
In 1904 Rhodes University College was established in Grahamstown through a grant from the Rhodes Trust. In 1951 it became a fully-fledged University, Rhodes University
. Today it provides world-class tertiary education in a wide range of disciplines to over 6,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
With the establishment of the Union of South Africa
the Grahamstown High Court became a Local Division of the newly formed Supreme Court of South Africa (under Cape Town). On 28th June, 1957, the Eastern Districts Court, under the name Eastern Cape Division, became a provincial division. In certain other areas of provincial government Grahamstown similarly served as a centre for the Eastern Cape.
In 1994 Grahamstown became part of the newly established Eastern Cape Province, while Bhisho was chosen as the provincial capital.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, Grahamstown was an accommodation point for all matches played in Port Elizabeth.
St Michael and St George Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown. Grahamstown also has Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Ethiopian Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Pinkster Protestante, Dutch Reformed (Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk), Charismatic, Apostolic and Pentecostal churches. There are also meeting places for Hindus, Scientologists, Quakers, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Muslims.
For historic reasons, particularly the vibrancy of evangelism during Grahamstown's heyday, the City is home to more than forty religious buildings, and the nickname the "City of Saints" has become attached to Grahamstown. However, there is another story which may be the source of this nickname.
It is said that, in about 1846, there were Royal Engineers stationed in Grahamstown who were in need of building tools. They sent a message to Cape Town requesting a vice to be forwarded to them from the Ordnance Stores. A reply came back, 'Buy vice locally'. The response was, 'No vice in Grahamstown'.
. It is also home to several institutes, most importantly the South African National Library for the Blind
, the National English Literary Museum
, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
(formerly the JLB Smith Institute), the International Library of African Music
(ILAM), and the Institute for the Study of English in Africa.
The effects of Apartheid still affect the provision of secondary education in this former frontier town, where significant discrepancies in matric pass rates and general quality of education exist. Addressing this problem is one of the city's greatest challenges.
, from which the building took its name, and what was for many years the only Camera Obscura
in the Southern Hemisphere
.
Born in 1820 in Dorset
, England, Galpin trained as an architect, surveyor and civil engineer, as well as a chronometer, clock and watchmaker. These skills, together with his keen interest in optics
and astronomy
, are reflected throughout The Observatory- the most unusual Victorian
home and business premises in South Africa.
Galpin's thriving watchmaker and jeweller's shop was run by three of his seven sons after his death in 1886, including Ernest Edward Galpin
. They sold to Messrs Leader and Krummeck in 1939. Several businesses occupied the ground floor while the basement and upper floors were divided into flats and lodgings.
By the end of the 1970s the structure was dilapidated and unsound. The historic link with the identification of the Eureka diamond
led to the purchase and restoration of the Observatory by De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited
.
The building was subsequently proclaimed a National Monument
and presented to the Albany Museum to form part of its History Division. Exhibits were arranged, and The Observatory Museum was opened by Mr. Harry F. Oppenheimer, the then Chairman of De Beers
, on February 2, 1983.
in June/July and SciFest Africa
in the first term of the year - sometimes April but it will be in March in 2009 and will attract some 50,000 people. The National Arts Festival is the largest Arts festival in Africa and sees some of the leading talent on the South African and international art scene arriving in Grahamstown for a celebration of culture and artistic expression.
Grocott's Mail's main competitor is an independent free weekly community magazine called Makana Moon, which is owned by Grahamstown journalist Mike Loewe.
As a major centre for journalism training, Grahamstown also hosts two student newspapers, Activate
, established in 1947, and The Oppidan Press
, a student initiative launched in 2007 that caters mainly to the student population living off-campus.
in the Cacadu District
.
Grahamstown is a seat of the Eastern Cape High Court
, as well as the Magistrate's Court for the Albany District. As a result of the presence of a High Court, several other related organs of state such as a Masters Office and a Director of Public Prosecutions are present in the city.
A few other Government (mostly provincial) departments maintain branches or other offices in Grahamstown.
has a strong presence in Grahamstown.
Makana Local Municipality
Makana Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Cacadu District of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The municipality is named after a Xhosa prophet, Makana....
. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black, 11.8% Coloured, 10% white, and 0.7% Asian. Since 1994, there has been a considerable influx of Black people from the former Ciskei
Ciskei
Ciskei was a Bantustan in the south east of South Africa. It covered an area of 2,970 square miles , almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian Ocean....
Xhosa homeland, which lies just to the east. The city proper has an overwhelming white majority, while the neighboring townships (geographically separate, but tied together politically) have growing Black or Coloured majorities.
Located some 130 km from Port Elizabeth and 180 km from East London, Grahamstown is also the seat of Rhodes University
Rhodes University
Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province...
, a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and home to the College of the Transfiguration
College of the Transfiguration
College of the Transfiguration in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape is the only provincial residential college of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, offering a contextual approach to theology studies....
—the only residential provincial college of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa—and a High Court. However it does not form part of the South African Cities Network.
History
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...
against the Xhosa, whose lands lay just to the east.
Egazini, Battle of Grahamstown
On 22 April 1819 a large number of Xhosa warriors, under the leadership of Nxele (or MakanaMakana (prophet)
Makanda Nxele or Makana the prophet was a Xhosa warrior and prophet who, during the Xhosa Wars, led an attack against the British garrison at Grahamstown in 1819....
), launched an attack against the British colonial forces. The Xhosas warned Colonel Willshire, the commanding officer, beforehand of their planned attack on Grahamstown, brought about by the continued harassment of Xhosas within their own territory by the British authorities. The Xhosas came close to taking the town, but were repulsed by the heavy artillery and gunfire of the British, suffering heavy losses. Nxele surrendered, was taken captive and imprisoned on Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
. On Christmas Day, 1819 he tried to escape, and drowned.
Growth
Grahamstown grew during the 1820s as many 1820 Settlers1820 Settlers
The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South African Eastern Cape in 1820....
and their families left farming to establish themselves in more secure trades. In 1833 Grahamstown was described as having "two or three English merchants of considerable wealth, but scarcely any society in the ordinary sense of the word. The Public Library is a wretched affair." In a few decades it became 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...
's largest city after 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...
. It became a bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
in 1852. It was traditionally the capital and cultural centre of the Albany area
Albany, South Africa
Albany, South Africa was a district in the Eastern Cape, South Africa...
, a former traditionally English-speaking district with a distinctive local culture.
In 1904 Rhodes University College was established in Grahamstown through a grant from the Rhodes Trust. In 1951 it became a fully-fledged University, Rhodes University
Rhodes University
Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province...
. Today it provides world-class tertiary education in a wide range of disciplines to over 6,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
With the establishment of the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
the Grahamstown High Court became a Local Division of the newly formed Supreme Court of South Africa (under Cape Town). On 28th June, 1957, the Eastern Districts Court, under the name Eastern Cape Division, became a provincial division. In certain other areas of provincial government Grahamstown similarly served as a centre for the Eastern Cape.
In 1994 Grahamstown became part of the newly established Eastern Cape Province, while Bhisho was chosen as the provincial capital.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, Grahamstown was an accommodation point for all matches played in Port Elizabeth.
Name changes
The provincial government has recently announced that it plans to rename Grahamstown along with several other towns and monuments, with more "Black African"-sounding names. One possible official name for Grahamstown would be Rhini, which is the current Xhosa name for the city. This, however, has been met with opposition by the Grahamstown community and is widely seen as an expensive distraction aimed at drawing attention away from the ANC municipalities' inability to improve on basic service delivery.Religion - 'The City of Saints'
For historic reasons, particularly the vibrancy of evangelism during Grahamstown's heyday, the City is home to more than forty religious buildings, and the nickname the "City of Saints" has become attached to Grahamstown. However, there is another story which may be the source of this nickname.
It is said that, in about 1846, there were Royal Engineers stationed in Grahamstown who were in need of building tools. They sent a message to Cape Town requesting a vice to be forwarded to them from the Ordnance Stores. A reply came back, 'Buy vice locally'. The response was, 'No vice in Grahamstown'.
Education, Arts and Culture
Grahamstown is home to many schools as well as Rhodes UniversityRhodes University
Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province...
. It is also home to several institutes, most importantly the South African National Library for the Blind
National Library for the Blind
The National Library for the Blind was a public library in the United Kingdom, founded 1882, which aimed to ensure that people with sight problems have the same access to library services as sighted people. NLB was taken over by RNIB on 1 January 2007.-Origins:The Lending Library for the Blind...
, the National English Literary Museum
National English Literary Museum
The National English Literary Museum houses extensive archival material relating to Southern African English Literature. It is located in Grahamstown. NELM has principally three collections: manuscripts, books and journals, and press clippings...
, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity , is involved in research, education and in applications of its knowledge and research to African fish fauna, for either economic or conservation benefit...
(formerly the JLB Smith Institute), the International Library of African Music
International Library of African Music
The International Library of African Music is an organization dedicated to the preservation and study of African music. It is seated in Grahamstown, South Africa and is closely affiliated with Rhodes University....
(ILAM), and the Institute for the Study of English in Africa.
The effects of Apartheid still affect the provision of secondary education in this former frontier town, where significant discrepancies in matric pass rates and general quality of education exist. Addressing this problem is one of the city's greatest challenges.
The Observatory Museum
In 1859, Henry Carter Galpin bought a simple double-storey establishment in Bathurst Street for £300. During the next 23 years he made extensive changes. The front was elegantly decorated, and a basement and three floors added to the back. Rooftop developments included an observatoryObservatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
, from which the building took its name, and what was for many years the only Camera Obscura
Camera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
.
Born in 1820 in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England, Galpin trained as an architect, surveyor and civil engineer, as well as a chronometer, clock and watchmaker. These skills, together with his keen interest in optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, are reflected throughout The Observatory- the most unusual Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
home and business premises in South Africa.
Galpin's thriving watchmaker and jeweller's shop was run by three of his seven sons after his death in 1886, including Ernest Edward Galpin
Ernest Edward Galpin
Ernest Edward Galpin Ernest Edward Galpin Ernest Edward Galpin (born Grahamstown December 6, 1858 - October 16, 1941 Mosdene, Transvaal, was a South African botanist and banker. He left some 16,000 sheets to the National Herbarium in Pretoria and was dubbed "the Prince of Collectors" by General...
. They sold to Messrs Leader and Krummeck in 1939. Several businesses occupied the ground floor while the basement and upper floors were divided into flats and lodgings.
By the end of the 1970s the structure was dilapidated and unsound. The historic link with the identification of the Eureka diamond
Eureka Diamond
The Eureka Diamond was the first diamond discovered in South Africa. It weighed , and was found near Hopetown on the Orange River in 1867. The diamond, cut to a cushion-shaped brilliant, is currently on display at the Mine Museum in Kimberley.-Discovery:...
led to the purchase and restoration of the Observatory by De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
.
The building was subsequently proclaimed a National Monument
National heritage sites (South Africa)
National heritage sites in South Africa are structures or defined areas of land declared to be of historic or cultural importance and granted certain legal protections...
and presented to the Albany Museum to form part of its History Division. Exhibits were arranged, and The Observatory Museum was opened by Mr. Harry F. Oppenheimer, the then Chairman of De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
, on February 2, 1983.
Festivals
Two large festivals take place annually in Grahamstown: the National Arts FestivalNational Arts Festival
The National Arts Festival is one of the most important events on the South African cultural calendar, and the biggest annual celebration of the arts on the African continent....
in June/July and SciFest Africa
SciFest Africa
SciFest Africa, a project of the Grahamstown Foundation, is South Africa’s national science Festival held annually in late March or early April in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape....
in the first term of the year - sometimes April but it will be in March in 2009 and will attract some 50,000 people. The National Arts Festival is the largest Arts festival in Africa and sees some of the leading talent on the South African and international art scene arriving in Grahamstown for a celebration of culture and artistic expression.
Schools
Grahamstown is the only city in South Africa whose primary commerce sector is that of education. Whilst this statistic is surely abetted by the high cost of the private schools and the relatively small population, it has a remarkable number of schools per capita. Of these, some of the more privileged schools are listed below:| School | Year Founded | Denomination | Language | Grades | Gender | Private/Public |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Andrew's College | 1855 | Anglican | English | 8-12 | Single sex male (integrated classes with D.S.G. from Gr.10 onwards) | Private |
| Graeme College Graeme College Graeme College is a public school located in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It caters for boys from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and offers both boarding and day options to its pupils... (known variously before 1939 as Victoria Boys' High School and the Grahamstown Public School) |
1873 | Non-denominational | English | 1-12 | Single sex male | Public |
| Diocesan School for Girls (D.S.G) | 1874 | Anglican | English | 4-12 | Single sex female | Private |
| St Aidan's College | 1876 (closed 1973) | Jesuit | English | ?-12 | Single sex male | Private |
| St Andrew's Preparatory School | 1885 | Anglican | English | 0-7 | Single sex male (Co-ed. until Gr.4) | Private |
| Kingswood College Kingswood College (South Africa) Kingswood College is a private, co-educational, boarding and day school in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was founded in 1894 and derives its name and ideals from Kingswood School in Bath, England. They also use the same distinctive Wyvern crest and abide by the same Methodist... |
1894 | Methodist | English | 0-12 | Co-educational | Private |
| Victoria Girls' High School Victoria Girls' High School Victoria Girls' High School is a state school in Grahamstown, South Africa with a 100% pass rate and 94% endorsement. It is a girls only school going from Grade 8 to Grade 12. Victoria Girls' High School is a leading school in the province and winner of the PetroSA Proudly South African HomeGrown... |
1897 | Non-denominational | English | 8-12 | Single sex female | Public |
| Victoria Girls' Primary | 1945 | Non-denominational | English | 1-7 | Single sex female | Public |
| Oatlands Preparatory | 1949 | Non-denominational | English | 0-3 | Co-educational | Public |
| P.J. Olivier | 1956 | Non-denominational | Afrikaans | 0-12 | Co-educational | Public |
Press
Grahamstown is home to the oldest surviving independent newspaper in South Africa. Named the Grocott's Mail, it was founded in 1870 by the Grocott family, and bought out a pre-existing newspaper called the Grahamstown Journal, dating from 1831. It is presently a local newspaper operated by the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, and still retains its name.Grocott's Mail's main competitor is an independent free weekly community magazine called Makana Moon, which is owned by Grahamstown journalist Mike Loewe.
As a major centre for journalism training, Grahamstown also hosts two student newspapers, Activate
Activate
Activate is an independent student newspaper at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa.- History :Activate was established in 1947 as Rhodeo, and during apartheid became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union...
, established in 1947, and The Oppidan Press
The Oppidan Press
The Oppidan Press is an independent student-run newspaper at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.-History:The newspaper was founded in 2007 by two undergraduates Lionel Faull , and Ines Schumacher...
, a student initiative launched in 2007 that caters mainly to the student population living off-campus.
Government
Grahamstown forms part of the Makana Local MunicipalityMakana Local Municipality
Makana Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Cacadu District of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The municipality is named after a Xhosa prophet, Makana....
in the Cacadu District
Cacadu District Municipality
Cacadu District Municipality is situated in the Western Portion of the Eastern Cape province, covering an area of 58 242 square kilometres. The area of the district municipality includes nine local municipalities and other portions collectively known as the District Management Areas . The seat of...
.
Grahamstown is a seat of the Eastern Cape High Court
Eastern Cape High Court
Eastern Cape High Court is the name of four divisions of the High Court of South Africa located in the Eastern Cape province. These are:* The Eastern Cape High Court, Grahamstown...
, as well as the Magistrate's Court for the Albany District. As a result of the presence of a High Court, several other related organs of state such as a Masters Office and a Director of Public Prosecutions are present in the city.
A few other Government (mostly provincial) departments maintain branches or other offices in Grahamstown.
Social Movements
The South African Unemployed Peoples' MovementSouth African Unemployed Peoples' Movement
The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement is a social movement with branches in Durban, Grahamstown and the Northern Provincein South Africa...
has a strong presence in Grahamstown.
Famous people
- H. K. AyliffH. K. AyliffH. K. Ayliff was an English theatre director who directed Shakespeare in contemporary dress as early as the 1920s, as well as Yellow Sands on Broadway.H.K...
- British theatre director - John 'Jack' Biddulph DoldJohn DoldJohn 'Jack' Biddulph Dold was a South African rugby union international and first-class cricketer with Eastern Province....
- Union rugby player and international cricketer - Kinglsey Ogilvie FairbridgeKingsley FairbridgeKingsley Ogilvie Fairbridge was the founder of a child emigration scheme to British colonies and the Fairbridge Schools...
- Founder Fairbridge Schools - Nigel HarrisNigel Harris (actor)Nigel Harris is a British actor.Harris was born in Grahamstown, South Africa. He is the son of the philosopher, Errol Harris, and grandson of Samuel Harris, who with Cecil Rhodes was one of the defenders of Kimberly when the town was besieged during the Boer War. He obtained a B.A...
- British actor - Ernest Edward GalpinErnest Edward GalpinErnest Edward Galpin Ernest Edward Galpin Ernest Edward Galpin (born Grahamstown December 6, 1858 - October 16, 1941 Mosdene, Transvaal, was a South African botanist and banker. He left some 16,000 sheets to the National Herbarium in Pretoria and was dubbed "the Prince of Collectors" by General...
- Botanist and banker - James Henry GreatheadJames Henry GreatheadJames Henry Greathead was an engineer renowned for his work on the London Underground railway.-Early life:Greathead was born in Grahamstown, South Africa; of English descent, Greathead's grandfather had emigrated to South Africa in 1820. He was educated at St Andrew's College, Grahamstown, and the...
- Engineer renowned for his work on the London UndergroundLondon UndergroundThe London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
railway - Robert Jeremy MansfieldJeremy MansfieldJeremy Mansfield is a South African radio and television personality. He has worked on numerous radio stations as presenter and voice-over artist, and has also presented numerous television shows, and inserts for some popular television magazine programmes....
- Radio host, television presenter and comedian - Patrick MoranPatrick Moran (bishop)Patrick Moran was Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Province of Cape Colony in South Africa and the first Bishop of Dunedin, New Zealand .-Early life:...
- Catholic Bishop - Norman Ogilvie NortonNorman NortonNorman Ogilvie Norton was a South African all-rounder cricketer. He was also a lawyer by career and became a provincial administrator for the game....
- Cricketer (Allrounder) - Alfred Renfrew Richards - Cricketer and rugby union player
- George Rowe (cricketer)
- Elize du ToitElize Du ToitElize du Toit is a South African born actress best known for playing the role of Izzy Davies in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2000 to 2004, with a brief return in 2007.-Biography:...
- British actress - Sebastian IngrossoSebastian IngrossoSebastian Ingrosso is a Swedish DJ and producer of Italian descent. Born in Grahamstown, South Africa but raised in Solna, Sweden. Sebastian spent his teenage years in his fathers studio learning how to make music, with his first official remix released on Mega Records in 1999...
- DJ and producer
Trivia
- Grahamstown was the only settlement outside Cape Town to host a sitting of the Cape Colony legislature (a move to defuse a call for the creation of a separate colony).
- Grahamstown was the location of the testing of the first diamond find by Henry Galpin.
- Grahamstown has the "tallest toilet in the world" (housed in an abandoned chimney).
- Grahamstown has 52 churches of numerous denominations, gaining it the name the City of Saints.
External links
- SA Government Information
- Official Grahamstown website
- National Arts Festival website
- National English Literary Museum
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
- National Inquiry Services Centre
- Makana Municipality
- Grocott's Mail
- South African Library for the Blind
See also
- Albany, South AfricaAlbany, South AfricaAlbany, South Africa was a district in the Eastern Cape, South Africa...
- Rhodes UniversityRhodes UniversityRhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province...
- 1820 Settlers1820 SettlersThe 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South African Eastern Cape in 1820....