Plumstead is a residential suburb situated in the
Southern Suburbs of
Cape Town in the
Western Cape Province of
South Africa.
History
Plumstead was first mentioned when, in 1762, a large portion of the land beyond Wynberg and the Constantia Valley was granted to the free burghers Hendrick Jergens and Johan Barrens, who were Dutch settlers. They called the land 'Rust' (Rest) and 'Werk' (Work).
Twenty years later the land was granted to Hendrick Bouman Brigeraad.
After the decline of the Dutch East India Company, the British occupied the Cape.
An Englishman, Henry Batt, arrived in 1807 and bought 'Rust and Werk' and renamed it Plumstead, after a
district of London. He farmed the area for twenty six years, and died in 1833.
The farm Plumstead was sub-divided and bought by Messrs. Higgs, Loubscher and Southey. Today, Plumstead consists of a mix of houses built in the 1940s and 1950s and more modern residences.
Geography
The suburb is bordered to the east by the
M5 expressway and to the west by the suburb of
Constantia.
Education
The suburb contains a number of educational institutions.
Schools:
* John Graham Primary School
* Timour Hall Primary School
* Plumstead Preparatory School
* Plumstead High School
* South Peninsula High School
* Norman Henshilwood High School
Tertiary institutions:
* Cape Town College of Fashion Design
Shopping
Plumstead has multiple small
shopping centers
A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof.
The first known collec ...
within its boundaries;
*
Pick n Pay Centre
* Gabriel Place
* The Village Square
*
Checkers
Checkers (American English), also known as draughts (; British English), is a group of strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent pieces. Checkers i ...
Centre
* Richmond Centre
* Prospur Centre
* 3Arts Village Shopping Centre
Sports
Plumstead incorporates the Cape Town Cricket Club and Plumstead Tennis Club, both located on Victoria Road.
Governance
Plumstead is divided between
wards
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
62, 63 and 73 of the
City of Cape Town
The City of Cape Town ( af, Stad Kaapstad; xh, IsiXeko saseKapa) is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,740,026.
The remo ...
metropolitan municipality. The ward councillors are Elizabeth Brunette, Monty Oliver and Carol Bew, respectively, all members of the
Democratic Alliance.
The Plumstead Municipal Offices are located on Victoria Road.
Gallery
File:Plumstead_station,_CT.jpg, Plumstead railway station
File:Gabriel_Place_shopping_centre_in_Plumstead,_Cape_Town.jpg, Gabriel Place shopping center
File:View_of_Plumstead,_Cape_Town.jpg, View of the upper portion of Plumstead, with Table Mountain
Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...
in the background
References
* ''Constantiaberg Bulletin'', 25 August 2005; Pg 5.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plumstead, Cape Town
Suburbs of Cape Town