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Grahamstown retains much of its historic townscape, and is famous for its plethora of churches and educational institutions. Of the former, the Cathedral of St Michael and St George it dominates the town and is considered by historical architects to be one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in South Africa.
GRAHAMSTOWN
This is the first town in South Africa to be established by the British. During the Fourth Frontier War, the commander of the British forces in the Eastern Cape was searching for a suitable area in which a military post could be erected along the turbulent eastern Frontier of the then Cape Colony. He chose this site for its strategic position and the fact that it had the most reliable supply of fresh water in the area. In 1812 he founded the garrison and named it after himself.
In 1819 the Xhosa forces under Makana, (also known as Nxele), launched an attack on the garrison in what many historians consider to be the single most important battle in South Africa’s history, as had Makana prevailed then there was a strong likelihood that the British Empire would have abandoned the Eastern Frontier and concentrated their efforts around the Western Cape. The subsequent history of South and Southern Africa would have been very different The area where the battle was fought is known today as Egazini, which means “The place of blood”. Makana became the first political prisoner to be incarcerated on Robben Island. He drowned attempting to escape his imprisonment.
As a result of the battle, Whitehall decided to secure the area by settling thousands of people from the British Isles in the area. The intention was to use them as a buffer between the Cape and the Xhosa who were rather upset at being forced out of their territory to the west of the Great Fish River. This was the first mass settlement of people of British Origin on the African Continent. The 1820 settlers later flocked to Grahamstown as a result of the droughts, pestilence and continuing conflict with the Xhosa where they took up their old trades. As a result, Grahamstown became the second largest centre in South Africa.
As the British extended their conquests further east, so the military garrison left Grahamstown and moved to King William’s Town. Grahamstown became an educational and trading centre.
Grahamstown retains much of its historic townscape, and is famous for its plethora of churches and educational institutions. Of the former, the Cathedral of St Michael and St George it dominates the town and is considered by historical architects to be one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in South Africa. Other famous churches include the Commemoration church, St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, the Trinity Presbyterian Church and the Baptist Mother Church.
Grahamstown is the home of many famous educational institutions including Rhodes University, and several well known schools such as St Andrew’s College, The Diocesan School for Girls, Kingswood College, Graeme College and the Victoria Girls High School.
Grahamstown is also a major cultural centre. The town is the host of the National Festival of the Arts which takes place at the beginning of July each year. The town is also the home to several museums that form part of the Albany Museum complex as well as several Research institutions including the National English Literary Museum and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, formerly the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology.
Grahamstown is the main urban centre of the Makana Municipality, (2001 population 74534), an area of great contrasts and one of the wild life destinations of South Africa.
Nature and Cultural Experiences around Grahamstown.
The Valley of Ancient Voices.
Step back in time to discover the prolific rock art and wildlife in this pristine Eastern Cape Valley. The towering cliffs are home to many types of bird, retiles and mammals - a nature and history lovers paradise.. A back pack containing bottled water and a picnic are provided to each visitor. The walk is taken at a very gentle pace, with many braks to appreciate the rock art and the wild life.. The distance covered is about 2 kilometres and the duration is about 2 to 4 hours, depending on your enthusiasm. The Tours depart at 9:30 Am or at 2:00 PM, and can be booked seven days a week. 4X4 transfers will drop you off and pick you up.
Source: Courtesy Eastern Cape Tourism Board - www.ectb.co.za
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