Livingstonia
Encyclopedia
Livingstonia or Kondowe is a town located in the Northern Region
district
of Rumphi
in Malawi
. It is 270 miles north of the capital, Lilongwe
. The town of Mzuzu
can be reached on tarred road in about 2-3 hours.
Livingstonia was founded in 1894 by missionaries from the Free Church of Scotland. The missionaries had first established a mission in 1875 at Cape Maclear
, which they named Livingstonia after David Livingstone
, whose death in 1873 had rekindled British support for missions in Eastern Africa. This location proved extremely malarial and the mission moved north to Bandawe
. This site also proved unhealthy and the Livingstonia Mission moved once again to the higher grounds between Lake Malawi
and Nyika Plateau
. This new site proved highly successful because Livingstonia is located in the mountains and therefore not prone to mosquitoes carrying malaria. The mission station gradually developed into a small town.
The leading missionary for 52 years was Dr Robert Laws
. He established in Livingstonia the best school in his time for the whole region, and Livingstonia graduates became influential in several neighbouring countries, right down to South Africa. Dr Laws wanted Livingstonia to develop into a University, but his successors did not pursue the dream. In 2003 the Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian
(CCAP) renewed the vision and started Livingstonia University.
The houses in Livingstonia are characteristic in that they are mostly constructed with red bricks.
described traveling on the public bus to Lilongwe
in To The Ends Of The Earth and Dark Star Safari.
Northern Region, Malawi
The Northern Region of Malawi, population 1,698,502, covers an area of 26,931 km². Its capital city is Mzuzu. The Northern Region borders Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north, Lake Malawi to the east, and Malawi's Central Region to its south....
district
Districts of Malawi
||Malawi is divided into 28 districts within three regions. Each District is headed by a District Commissioner:*Central Region**1 Dedza**2 Dowa**3 Kasungu**4 Lilongwe**5 Mchinji**6 Nkhotakota**7 Ntcheu**8 Ntchisi**9 Salima* Northern Region...
of Rumphi
Rumphi District
Rumphi is a district in the Northern Region of Malawi. The capital is Rumphi. The district covers an area of 4,769 km.² and has a population of 128,360.-Notable residents:Rumphi has produced some well-known politicians like...
in Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. It is 270 miles north of the capital, Lilongwe
Lilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
. The town of Mzuzu
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city, by population, in Malawi. The City has 128,432 residents plus 20,000 commuters with about 1.7 million people living around the outskirts of the city...
can be reached on tarred road in about 2-3 hours.
Livingstonia was founded in 1894 by missionaries from the Free Church of Scotland. The missionaries had first established a mission in 1875 at Cape Maclear
Cape Maclear
Cape Maclear or Chembe is a town in the Mangochi District of Malawi's Southern Region. The town, situated on the Nankumba Peninsula, is on the southern shore of Lake Malawi and is the busiest resort on Lake Malawi...
, which they named Livingstonia after David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
, whose death in 1873 had rekindled British support for missions in Eastern Africa. This location proved extremely malarial and the mission moved north to Bandawe
Bandawe
Bandawe is a community in Malawi on the west shore of Lake Malawi.The Livingstonia mission established a small station at Bandawe in Tonga country in 1878....
. This site also proved unhealthy and the Livingstonia Mission moved once again to the higher grounds between Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
and Nyika Plateau
Nyika Plateau
The Nyika Plateau lies in northern Malawi, with a small portion in north eastern Zambia. Most of it lies at elevations of 2100 to 2200 m, the highest point being 2605m at Nganda Peak. It is roughly a diamond in shape, with a long north-south axis of about 90 km, and an east-west axis of about...
. This new site proved highly successful because Livingstonia is located in the mountains and therefore not prone to mosquitoes carrying malaria. The mission station gradually developed into a small town.
The leading missionary for 52 years was Dr Robert Laws
Robert Laws
Dr Robert Laws was a Scottish missionary who headed the Livingstonia mission in the Nyasaland Protectorate for more than 50 years. The mission played a crucial role in educating Africans during the colonial era...
. He established in Livingstonia the best school in his time for the whole region, and Livingstonia graduates became influential in several neighbouring countries, right down to South Africa. Dr Laws wanted Livingstonia to develop into a University, but his successors did not pursue the dream. In 2003 the Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian
Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian
The Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian is a Presbyterian denomination. It consists of five synods: one in Zambia , one in Zimbabwe and three in Malawi - Livingstonia Synod in the north of the country, Nkhoma Synod in the centre, and Blantyre Synod in the south.The CCAP is the largest...
(CCAP) renewed the vision and started Livingstonia University.
The houses in Livingstonia are characteristic in that they are mostly constructed with red bricks.
Transportation
Paul TherouxPaul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work of travel writing is perhaps The Great Railway Bazaar . He has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his...
described traveling on the public bus to Lilongwe
Lilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
in To The Ends Of The Earth and Dark Star Safari.
Hospital
David Gordon Memorial Hospital had its foundation stone laid in 1910 and was opened in 1911. It currently serves a catchment area with a population of approximately 60,000.Further reading
- Lonely Planet, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia (1st Ed.). 1997. Lonely Planet Publications, Hawthorne, Australia.
- For the history of Livingstonia Mission and Synod see: John McCracken, Politics and Christianity in Malawi 1975-1940. The Impact of the Livingstonia Mission in the Northern Province, 2nd ed., Blantyre: CLAIM, 2000, 376 pp.