Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal
Encyclopedia

Newcastle is the third largest city and urban center in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....

, South Africa. Newcastle is located in the North West corner of the province along the Ncandu River and is moderately industrial.

The upper part of the Drakensberg
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...

 mountain range curls along the west side of the city. A large proportion of the population live in the Townships of Madadeni and Osizweni
Osizweni
Osizweni is a township in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, situated 24 kilometers from Newcastle CBD. Osizweni is one of the largest townships in the province with an estimated population of 110 000 people.-Amenities:...

 which lie to the East. The N11
N11 (South Africa)
The N11 is a National Route in South Africa, connecting the Botswana border at Grobler's Bridge with the N3 near Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal.-Route:...

 is the principal road running through the city.

Newcastle is the seat of the local municipality
Newcastle Local Municipality
Newcastle Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Amajuba District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa....

 by the same name as well as being the seat to the Amajuba District Municipality
Amajuba District Municipality
Amajuba is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province. The seat of Amajuba is Newcastle. The majority of its 468 040 people speak Zulu . The district code is DC25-Tourism:...

.

History

The city started off life as Post Halt Two on the journey between Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

 (then Port Natal and the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek and Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

.The city was strategically placed in 1854 by the Surveyor General of the Natal Colony, Dr PC Sutherland. The city was later known as the Waterfall River Township because of the Ncandu River. In 1864, the town of Newcastle was founded on the site, becoming the fourth settlement to be established in Natal after Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

, Weenen and Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...

. Newcastle was named after the British Colonial Secretary, the Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...

. In 1876 the Fort Amiel was built to ward off the Zulus
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....

. In 1873 Newcastle became a separate electoral division. To commemorate Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

's Diamond (60th) Jubilee a sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...

 construction of a town hall started in 1897, being completed two years later. The town was used as a depot by the British during both the First
First Boer War
The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...

 and 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...

. Newcastle functioned as a major transport junction and popular stopover for wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....

s and post chaises during the late 19th century.

British preparation work for the Pretoria Convention
Pretoria Convention
The Pretoria Convention was the peace treaty that ended the First Boer War between the Transvaal Boers and the United Kingdom. The treaty was signed in Pretoria on 3 August, 1881, but was subject to ratification by the Volksraad within 3 months from the date of signature...

 of 1881 was done at Newcastle.

In 1890, the first train arrived in Newcastle. In 1891, Newcastle was declared a borough. The discovery of coal brought a new era of prosperity and several ambitious building projects were planned.

Economy

This city serves surrounding maize, livestock and dairy farmers as well as workers connected to Karbochem, Mittal Steel South Africa (previously ISPAT/ISCOR), the textile and service industry. There is also considerable coal mining in the area.

Arcelor Mittal produces over 1.5 million tons of long steel products annually.

Although the Arcelor Mittal steelworks and the Karbochem synthetic rubber plant (which covers an impressive 500 000 m² of manufacturing space), dominate the Newcastle industrial portfolio, there is a wide range of manufacturing undertakings sharing in the success of the region.
Newcastle has welcomed many Taiwanese
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...

 into the region with the addition of over a hundred textile factories.

An indication of the industrial future of Newcastle is reflected in the chrome chemical plant, which was completed in Newcastle during 2002. This joint venture project between Karbochem and German manufacturing giant Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...

 has made Newcastle the largest producer of chrome
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...

 chemicals in Africa.
Mittal Steel also recently completed a R400 million project to rebuild one of its coke batteries.
Other large operations include a diamond cutting works, various heavy engineering concerns, steel reinforcement and a slagment cement factory.

Blackrock Casino Entertainment Hotel provides much entertainment to Newcastle and surrounding areas.

The development of a R2 billion project, Dunblane Golf and Trout Estate
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...

, which will eventually consist of 2000 houses, two hotels and a golf course is well underway. The development of a new R450 million regional shopping mall which will be called the Newcastle Mall is underway and is due for completion in early 2012. The development is a project which is run by a property company called Zenprop.The mall will be adjacent to the Blackrock Casino Entertainment Hotel.
From the 1880s, Newcastle experienced rapid economic growth. Today, Newcastle has the largest concentration of industry in the north western KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....

 region.

Newcastle is home to approximately 413000 people.

Medical

Newcastle has two government hospitals, Newcastle Provincial Hospital (186 bed) and Madadeni Hospital (1620 bed) http://www.kzntransport.gov.za/rd_traffic/rti/hospitals/provincial/dc25.htm#Madadeni%20Hospital, and Medi-Clinic Newcastle (130 bed). There are also several clinics and specialist physicians in almost every field.
In addition, there is a large retirement centre with care facilities for the elderly community.
There are also 4 Government Clinics in Osizweni
Osizweni
Osizweni is a township in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, situated 24 kilometers from Newcastle CBD. Osizweni is one of the largest townships in the province with an estimated population of 110 000 people.-Amenities:...

 and another 3 Clinics in Madadeni catering for the Community.

Galleries

  • Carnegie Art Gallery, where major South African artists as well as local artists are represented

Music

Newcastle is home to the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Youth Choir http://www.nkznyouthchoir.co.za – a provincial choir of international repute.

The annual Vodacom Winter Festival http://www.winterfees.co.za aka 'Newcastle Show', provides a platform for South African bands and singers and attracts visitors from the entire region.

Local bands, whether in Newcastle or surrounding areas, have the opportunity to showcase their talents at Melo's Pub and Grill in Huttenheights (suburb). Aspiring bands come from as far as Johannesburg and Durban to entertain the crowded bar.

Museums, momuments and memorials

  • Fort Amiel Museum
    Fort Amiel Museum
    Fort Amiel Museum is in Newcastle KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Fort Amiel was constructed in 1876 by Major Charles Frederick Amiel and soldiers of the 80th Staffordshire Volunteers...

    , which is a typical Victorian
    Victorian era
    The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

     frontier fort is a National Heritage Site.

Sport

Newcastle is home to the Challengers Angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...

 Club. An annual angling competition is held to assist local charities.

The local rugby
Rugby union in South Africa
Rugby union is a popular team sport played in South Africa. Along with cricket and football it is one of the most popular ball sports in South Africa...

 club is the Newcastle Highlanders Rugby.

Education

Ferrum High School
Ferrum High School
Ferrum High School is a coeducational secondary school in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.-Affiliations:The school is affiliated with Wellacre Academy in the UK via the Afritwin project. As part of the Afritwin Scheme teachers from Wellacre Academy and a number of children visited Ferrum...

 http://www.ferrum.org.za is a culturally diverse parallel medium school. Both the Newcastle Brass Band and the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Youth Choir http://www.nkznyouthchoir.co.za are at home at Ferrum. Newcastle High School http://www.newhigh.org.za and St. Dominic's Academy Newcastle http://www.stdoms.co.za are home to several buildings that have been declared National Monuments, such as The Pavilion at St. Dominic's, which was designed by Brother Nivard Streicher and built in 1912.
It was declared a monument in 1977 by Dr Piet Koornhof. Newcastle High School is the oldest school in the area, now in its 126th year. The original school buildings are still in use today as the school's administration block. Zama High School is one of the few schools in Osizweni which are considered to be the best schools in the whole of Amajuba District when it comes to learning and teaching.They are also some famous schools in Madadeni and Osizweni
Osizweni
Osizweni is a township in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, situated 24 kilometers from Newcastle CBD. Osizweni is one of the largest townships in the province with an estimated population of 110 000 people.-Amenities:...

 such as Bethamoya High School, Siyamukela High School and Thubelihle. Other schools include: Amajuba High School, St. Oswalds, Tugela High School and Lincoln Heights Secondary School. Some junior schools would include: Hutten Park Primary, Drakensburg Primary, Newcastle Seniour Primary, Busy-Bee and Arbour Park Primary,Lennoxton Primary, S.E.Vawda Primary, Suryaville Primary and Chelmsford School. Hipc Entertainment is a Music Academy that is based in the city centre of Newcastle, KwaZulu Natal. It provides, amongst others, digital training in djing and music production.

Famous people

  • John Philip "Bakkies" Botha
    Bakkies Botha
    John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, is a South African rugby union player who plays lock for the Springboks. He was a member of the national team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2007 in addition to winning two Tri-Nations titles in 2004 and 2009...

     – Rugby union player
  • Sathyandranath Ragunanan "Mac" Maharaj
    Mac Maharaj
    Sathyandranath Ragunanan "Mac" Maharaj is a South African politician affiliated to the African National Congress, academic and businessman of Indian origin....

     – ANC member, Politician, Presidential Spokeperson and Businessman
  • Helman Mkhalele
    Helman Mkhalele
    Helman Mkhalele is a former South African football player. He was the part of the Orlando Pirates squad that won the 1995 African Championship.- International :...

     – Soccer player
  • Siyabonga Nkosi
    Siyabonga Nkosi
    Siyabonga Nkosi is a South African footballer who currently plays for Golden Arrows.-Honours:* Telkom Knockout Cup winner: 2007* Premier Soccer League champion: 2009-10-International goals:...

     – Soccer player
  • Moulana Cassim Mohammed Sema
    Cassim Sema
    Moulana Cassim Mohammed Sema was the founder of the first madrasa in South Africa and possibly the first madrasa that uses English as its medium of instruction...

     – Muslim educator
  • Siphiwe Nyanda
    Siphiwe Nyanda
    General Siphiwe Nyanda SSA SBS CSL DMG MMS MMM is a South African politician, former minister of communications from 2009 - 2010.He was a South African military commander...

      – the Former Minister of Communications in South Africa
  • Sizwe Motaung
    Sizwe Motaung
    Sizwe Motaung was a South African football player who played for Jomo Cosmos, Mamelodi Sundowns, St. Gallen, CD Tenerife, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, as well at international level for the national side....

      – Soccer player
  • Peggy-Sue Khumalo – Former Miss South Africa
  • Thokozani Ndlovu L'vovo Derrango -Musician
  • Pastor Khathide – Famous Preacher
  • Thokozani Hustladj Nkwanyana – Businessman
  • Lumkile Ngcekwa- Musician,music director&artist manager
  • Lucky Dube
    Lucky Dube
    Lucky Philip Dube was a South African reggae musician. He recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans in a 25-year period and was South Africa's biggest selling reggae artist...

     – Musician(1964–2007)
  • Bongi Dube – Musician
  • DJ Jamez- Disc Jockey
  • Samora Khulu- Soccer Legend(19 -2008)
  • Margaret H. Marshall
    Margaret H. Marshall
    Margaret Hilary Marshall was the 24th Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and the first female to hold that position. She was Chief Justice from 1999 to 2010. On July 21, 2010, she announced her retirement....

     – Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
  • Fani Madida
    Fani Madida
    Fani Madida in Newcastle ,KwaZulu Natal is a retired South African association football player who played in South Africa for Kaizer Chiefs and Hellenic and in Turkey for Beşiktaş, Antalyaspor and Bursaspor.- International career :...

    – Former Soccer Player (Current Amazulu Assistant Coach)
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