Glendale, Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
Glendale is a village in the province of Mashonaland Central
, Zimbabwe
. The village of Glendale in Zimbabwe was named after a town of the same name in Northumberland, England. Glendale is located in the Mazowe valley of Zimbabwe, about 85 km north east of Harare
. The word Mazowe is derived from the ChiShona word for Elephant, of which there were many roaming the area.
According to the 1982 Population Census, Glendale had a population of 6,076. Maize
, cotton
, cattle
, pigs
, wheat, dairy and citrus
were farmed in the region. Glendale has a large railway depot, cotton depot and ginnery. A textile industry is developing in the village. Zimbabwe's leading iron pyrites producer, the Iron Duke Mine, is 15 km south of Glendale.
The Glendale area was originally well populated by native Shona farmers and was subsequently populated by Europeans in the latter part of the 19th century (See: Rhodes and Rhodesia; The white conquest of Zimbabwe, 1884-1902 by Arthur Keppel-Jones). It was known for its rich potential for farming and gold mining. The community of Glendale was made up of European farmers, African traders and African migrant working families from Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. Since the Land Reform measures of 2000 most European farms have been seized by the Government and reallocated to indigenous Africans.
The Village of Glendale was established by the settler community alongside a railway siding built in the early 1900s that serviced the local mines and the eastern area of Zimbabwe. A general provisions store was built at Glendale and over the years other shops and a post office were established in the village. Settler families bought land to establish commercial farms in Glendale and employed many of the local population. Glendale's rural council, run by the settler farmers, developed the area and the community evolved with ethnic groups of diverse cultural backgrounds. The local native population was largely under the administration of Chief Chiweshe, now located in Chiweshe Communal Lands.
The Glendale inter-denominational church and the Glengrey Primary School were both built by Major Anthony Browne who farmed in Glendale. Deceased members of the Glendale farming community are buried in the Glendale church grounds.
Mashonaland Central
Mashonaland Central is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 28,347 km² and a population of approximately 998,265 , representing about 8.5% of the total Zimbabwe population.- Background :Bindura is the capital of the province...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. The village of Glendale in Zimbabwe was named after a town of the same name in Northumberland, England. Glendale is located in the Mazowe valley of Zimbabwe, about 85 km north east of Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
. The word Mazowe is derived from the ChiShona word for Elephant, of which there were many roaming the area.
According to the 1982 Population Census, Glendale had a population of 6,076. Maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
, wheat, dairy and citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
were farmed in the region. Glendale has a large railway depot, cotton depot and ginnery. A textile industry is developing in the village. Zimbabwe's leading iron pyrites producer, the Iron Duke Mine, is 15 km south of Glendale.
The Glendale area was originally well populated by native Shona farmers and was subsequently populated by Europeans in the latter part of the 19th century (See: Rhodes and Rhodesia; The white conquest of Zimbabwe, 1884-1902 by Arthur Keppel-Jones). It was known for its rich potential for farming and gold mining. The community of Glendale was made up of European farmers, African traders and African migrant working families from Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. Since the Land Reform measures of 2000 most European farms have been seized by the Government and reallocated to indigenous Africans.
The Village of Glendale was established by the settler community alongside a railway siding built in the early 1900s that serviced the local mines and the eastern area of Zimbabwe. A general provisions store was built at Glendale and over the years other shops and a post office were established in the village. Settler families bought land to establish commercial farms in Glendale and employed many of the local population. Glendale's rural council, run by the settler farmers, developed the area and the community evolved with ethnic groups of diverse cultural backgrounds. The local native population was largely under the administration of Chief Chiweshe, now located in Chiweshe Communal Lands.
The Glendale inter-denominational church and the Glengrey Primary School were both built by Major Anthony Browne who farmed in Glendale. Deceased members of the Glendale farming community are buried in the Glendale church grounds.