Worcester, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
Worcester is a town in the Western Cape
, South Africa
. It is located 120 km north-east of Cape Town
on the N1 highway north to Johannesburg
.
Being the largest town in the Western Cape's interior region, it serves as the administrative capital of the Breede Valley Local Municipality
and as regional headquarters for most central and Provincial Government Departments. The town also serves as the hub of the Western Cape's interior commercial, distribution and retail activity with a shopping mall, well developed central business district and infrastructure.
The Breede Valley Local Municipality
was formed in December 2000 and includes the hamlets
of Matroosberg, Touws River, De Doorns, Rawsonville and the town of Worcester. The people are represented by 39 (soon to be 40) councillors, headed by an executive mayor.
. From here the road gave access in the south-east to “the original great rift valley of Africa” as Jan Smuts
once described the Breede River Valley.
Worcester is located at an elevation of 220m and can be reached by road either travelling on the N1 highway through the Huguenot Tunnel
or by driving through spectacular Mountain passes. From Cape Town
Du Toitskloof, from Wellington
Bainskloof, from Malmesbury
Nieuwekloof, from Ceres
Mitchells, from Robertson
Goree, from Hermanus
Rooihoogte and from Johannesburg
Hex River, with vistas over the Hex River Valley.
Geograhically, the district is delimited mainly by mountains; to the southwest lies the massive Stettyns mountain range with an annual rainfall in excess of 2000 mm. To the west lie the Du Toitskloof mountains and northwest lies the Slanghoek, Little Drakenstein, Elandskloof and Lemiet mountain ranges. To the north rises the Hex River Mountains
which include the towering peaks of Chavonness, Brandwacht, Fonteintjiesberg and Audensberg. Northeast of the town the colourful Keerom Mountain runs into the Langeberg range.
Worcester and its surroundings form part of the Breede River
catchment area, which is fed by a number of smaller rivers supplemented by the run-off from the winter snows in the mountains. The district also includes the Hex River Valley.
Worcester district is as old as hunting grounds and cattle runs go in the Cape, but new as a settled area. Before 1700, the area now known as the Breede River Valley was a hunter's paradise, teeming with game and wild birds. The main source of income, especially the sale of elephant tusks came from hunting licenses issued by the Dutch East India Company
. By 1709 European farmers were given grazing rights in the area “over de Breede Rivier.” In 1714 the first quitrent farms were released. Settlement in most cases was not on a permanent basis and “Hartebees huisies” were erected. When European settlers first arrived at the later Cape Colony
, the Breede River Valley
was inhabited by San
hunter/gatherers and Khoi
livestock farmers. The Gainou, Korannas and Afrkaner tribes traded livestock with the settlers. With the European settlers came the smallpox
virus, that would turn into an epidemic for the Khoi people and by 1713 would take its toll on their existence as a people.
European settlement took place at Waay Hoek, Bossiesveld, Kleinbosch, Slanghoek, Brandvalley, Vendutiekraal, Rooye Wal and Doornrivier. The first farms in the Hex River Valley were Kloppersbosch and De Buffelskraal, dating from 1731. With the European settlers came their slaves and eventually so-called free Khoi, who would settle on the farms as labourers. By 1830, 329 farms were cultivated in the district and by 1832 the town of Worcester was becoming a frontier town with the Market Square being used for stock sales. Many a fine animal changed ownership in the days when Worcester was a jumping off spot for the “togryers” of the 19th century.
By the 1850s the necessity for the formation of a hamlet west of the Breede River had become clear; the ward was cut off from Worcester during the rainy season when the river burst it banks regularly. The farm Aan-de-Smalblaar was transported to Johannes Petrus Jordaan on the 23rd of July 1858. Jan Jordaan divided a portion of the farm into 57 residential plots and these were sold at a Public Auction on 11 June 1859. The hamlet of Rawsonville was named for William Rawson, the Cape Colonial Secretary.
German
settlers employed as "tagloners" on the surrounding farms from 1860 onwards, would soon use the abundance of fertile soil, water and their skilled labour to see the area evolve from livestock farming to cultivated land, orchards and vineyards. By 1865 the production from the flourishing vineyards compared favourably with the Stellenbosch and Paarl
valleys. Much of the crop was dried for raisins, and this continued to be an important aspect of the local industry into the 20th century. The decline in the demand for raisins after the Second World War persuaded most of the farmers to convert to wine-grape growing: and in response to this change an extensive network of co-operative wineries sprang up. Today the Breede River Valley is the largest wine producing region in South Africa, contributing almost 25% of the country's viticultural output. The Olof Bergh Solera
Brandy Cellar and the KWV
Brandy Cellar form part of the South African Brandy Route and 33 wineries produce and bottle in the Worcester area.
The first export grapes planted in the Hex River Valley dates from 1875. Today the Hex River Valley produces more than 17 million cartons of table grapes per annum. In the dryer southern regions of the valley, Olive
production have also been added in recent years.
Central to this agricultural production, is the Greater Brandvlei Dam, with a capacity of 342 million cubic litres. The dam was completed in 1936, fully extended by 1987 and provides water to various irrigation
schemes in the valley.
instructed Magistrate
Fischer of Tulbagh
, to find a location to establish a new deputy magisterial seat during 1818. Fischer duly reported that the two quitrent farms, De Lange Rug and Roodedraai, be bought for this purpose. On the 9th of January 1819 the Colonial surveyors, Tulleken and Hertzog cartographed the two farms and on the 4th of November, the first official advertisement for the sale of plots was issued. On February 28, 1820, the official date of the establishment of Worcester, 89 of the proclaimed 144 plots were sold. Fischer also reported that "this place becomes more important when the new road over the Franschoek Mountains will be completed." The African Rifles Regiment started construction of this road in 1819.
A winterstorm in 1822 caused damage to the town of Tulbagh. Captain Charles Trappes recommended to Somerset that the magisterial seat be moved to the new town. Lord Charles Somerset named the new town for his eldest brother, the Marquis of Worcester and by 1840, 132 of the original 144 plots was sold
Government Gazette proclamation, November 9, 1822:
"In consequence of the damage done to the Public Buildings at Tulbagh, by the storms of last winter, which has rendered it inexpedient to go to the heavy expense necessary to replace them, his excellency the Governor has directed the Drostdy of the district to be removed to Worcester; and it is considered more convenient that the district bear the name of the seat of Magistracy, his excellency is pleased to direct that the district shall henceforth be called Worcester, in lieu of Tulbagh, as heretofore of which, all concerned are to take notice."
Captain Charles Trappes was responsible for the planning of the town. A dubious character in some ways, Trappes, however, was far in advance of his time when he laid out the wide streets and town blocks with vision and a high regard for squares. Trappes made the early builders put the houses close to the street and soon these builders would develop their own style of gable
s. An early visitor, James Backhouse found 1300 people living in the rising town in 1840. According to the 1844 Cape Almanac, William Watson ran one the best hotels in the country and Bishop Gray said in 1845 that the houses were a great distance from each other.
Sub division of the original plots dates back to the 1860s when the town experienced its first economic boon. By the 1890s, when there was a downturn in economic fortune the population grew at a considerable rate, as landless people moved to town. Small industry, business and residence still operated within the original boundaries of the town. During the 1890s Worcester's community would also evolve into an uptown section for rich and middle class people and a downtown section for so called poor Whites and Coloured people. Even the Dutch Reformed Congregation would censure European and Coloured people living under desegregated circumstances.
The first Black
Africans arrived in Worcester at the end of the First World War and were mainly employed as cheap labour for new construction programs springing up around town. By 1936, 1271 Black African people were living in the Worcester district.
At the end of the Second World War , housing in Worcester was at a premium and Worcester had a squatter camp at Parkersdam. It was also during these years that Worcester started to expand with new residential areas and an industrial area. The Apartheid regime responded by total segregation
of the different communities.
In the Coloured area 1350 sub-economic dwellings and 584 economic dwellings were built in Roodewal and Riverview, in addition, 230 plots were sold in Esselen Park for the erection of dwellings by purchasers. Mostly India
n traders were forced to move their businesses from the declared White areas and resettle in the downtown business district of Durban Street.
The Zweletemba township
, to the southeast of the town, was awarded 524 sub-economic, 300 economic dwellings and two hostel schemes of 1274 units for single persons. Due to the policy of Apartheid, these people were not considered to be permanent residents and it was only after the abolishment of influx control in 1986 that the township population really exploded.
A further 67 sub-economic and 137 economic dwellings were developed in the White Areas and affluent residential areas towards the north of the town. The early years of Apartheid would also see the old town being transformed into a Central Business District
. Most of the character and charm of the old buildings was lost as the then government and society replaced these buildings with new administrative and retail buildings, based on American
consumerism
. Grand Apartheid would leave the community divided and in segregated living areas.
The Commissars meeting on 3 September 1851, resolved that the square in front of the public offices (the Drostdy), becomes Queens Square in honour of HM Queen Victoria. These grounds were used as Parade- and Training grounds for the Khoi Pandour Regiment.
From east to west the street names will be:
From north to south the street names will be:
.
and distribution pipes were built in 1875. In 1910 a diversion and storage dam had been constructed in Fairy Glen, followed by the completion of a filtration
and chlorination
plant in 1936. By 1945 Worcester started planning to build a proper water impounding scheme. Construction of the Stettynskloof Dam started in 1952. The work was undertaken by Beton und Monierbau Aktiengesellschaft of Düsseldorf
, Germany
. Dr. Heinz Schulze was the head engineer and work was completed in 1955.
After completion of the town's sewerage
scheme in 1934 considerable development took place in the Worcester Municipal area. The sewerage purification works was completed in 1962, with an estimated life span of 30 years.
was the head engineer and the road was completed in 1852. By November 1863, the only 60 kilometres of railway line in "South Africa" was in operation from Cape Town to Wellington. The discovery of diamonds in Kimberley
, prompted the Cape Colonial government to expand the railway- and telegraph lines to Kimberley.
Thomas Brounger was appointed as the head railway engineer, and with the help of Thomas Bain, the line to Worcester was opened on the 16th of June 1876. On the opening of the station at Worcester, the Cape Argus
reported as follows:
"Worcester, on June 16, 1876, was the scene of elaborate ceremony and of a very large and distinguished assemblage to witness the railway opening by Sir Henry Barkly. After the address had been presented to the Governor and His Excellency's reply, there were short speeches by Sir Arthur Cunningham, Commander of the Forces, and Sir John Molteno, the Cape Prime Minister, and an adjournment made to the grand luncheon or banquet. In the evening there was a ball, at which most people enjoyed themselves, undeterred by the failure of the lighting and refreshments arrangement."
During 1875 the farm De Doorns in the Hex River Valley was bought by the Cape Colonial Government to build a railway station. Around this station the hamlet of De Doorns would develop. By 1877, the line already reached Montagu Road on its way to Kimberley and in 1883 the name was changed to Touws River. Construction of an additional main railway line during 1931 would lead to the establishment of Matroosberg station.
, Overijssel
, Netherlands
. He settled in Cape Town in 1875 and worked for The Cape Argus Printing and Publishing Company. By 1882 he had moved to Worcester and bought the Worcester Weekly News. From August 1882 he changed the name to the Worcester Advertiser, politically supported the Afrikanerbond and would criticize the Second Boer War
in later years.
By 1894 the town was experiencing a solid population growth and the then Cape Colony Premier, Cecil John Rhodes
realized that to gain influence with the public he needed the local newspaper to support his policies. De Jong was offered £5000 for his newspaper and a salary of £500 per annum. De Jong refused the offer and Rhodes decided to start his own newspaper, The Worcester Standard. These two papers ran in opposition until 1927, when they amalgamated to form the Worcester Standard and Advertiser. During the Anglo-Boer War, De Jong was jailed at Tokai.
The paper remained in private proprietary until 1980, when it was sold to Naspers
. The paper publishes to this day, making it one of the oldest local newspapers in South Africa.
water turbine generators. Growth was slow but steady and by 1921 Worcester had its own Power Station
Building. By 1933 overloading at peak periods necessitated increased capacity. Eskom
provided a single standby line. By 1948 Eskom started construction on the Hex River Power Station. The Power Station came into production in 1952 and the Municipal main sub-station was connected to Eskom, all supply was then taken from this source.
Congregation was already established in Worcester. The Scottish Reverend Henry Sutherland served the congregation from 1824 to 1859.
After the abolition
of slavery
in 1834, the so called "Coloured quarter" of town, started to pullate, south of Durban Street, between Rainer- and Grey Streets. This community was mainly composed of free slaves and 24 plots were set aside for development in 1840. For the next 110 years, the Rhenish Missionary Society
would play an important part in the development of this community. Worcester's first Mission Church was established in 1832. The Rhenish Mission complex situated on the corner of High- and Adderley streets forms an integral part of the rich Worcester cultural and architectural heritage. The coloured community owned farms, Hendrik Gertse at Hex River, Andreas Jasons at Brandwacht, Jeftha Fransman at Goudini while the Afrika, Hartzenberg, Everts, Solomons, Romans and Titus families were employed as labourers.
.
community was known as bricklayers, vat
cooper
s and tailors in Worcester and dates back to the era of free slaves in the 1830s. Application to construct a Mosque
was first filed in 1867. Permission was granted in 1880 and by 1881 the Muslim community started to use the premises at Durban Street.
was built at 54 Porter Street in 1894.The site had disadvantages, in particular” the aroma from the vinegar factory next door.” In 1948 the property was sold and the present fine church was erected in Church Street.
, Dr Fraenkel was the first Jewish resident at Worcester. Jewish traders began to settle in Worcester during the 1880s, a plot of ground was purchased in 1902 from the Municipality to establish a Jewish cemetery. The first Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1903 and in 1904 the Synagogue
was consecrated in Durban Street.
in Worcester began in 1891, when Captain Lotz “opened fire” and became the first Commanding Officer in charge. Brother Craayenstein, born in 1868, kept the work of the Corps going visibly. A faithful soldier to the Army for many decades, he was a familiar figure in Worcester, attending the Saturday night Open-Air meetings with his violin, which he also took to the goal every Sunday morning for service. After the Saturday night meetings he was welcomed into the public bars, whose customers put money liberally into the box he carried for the Army. In January 1961 Worcester’s oldest and most faithful soldier of the Salvation Army was promoted to Glory – the Army’s term for dying.
community. By 1938 the missionary societies rented a hall where church and school could be attended.
Truter, District Surgeon Glaeser and Reverend Sutherland served on the School Commission when the Government Free School reached the town in 1830. School was attended six days a week and subjects included Dictatation, Reading, Grammar, Writing, Arithmetic and Translating from Dutch into English. School started at 8am, finished at 4pm with a two hour break at 11am.
The official formation of the school took place on 2 July 1873 when the “Undenominational Boys Public school” was declared. By June 1882 the school was classified as a Class 1 Public School and by 1899 a High School.
The Ladies Seminary was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in January 1876 after a period of 3 years when no education was offered to girls in Worcester. By 1908 it became a Girls High School.
Schools for Deaf and Blind people were founded in 1881 by the Dutch Reformed Church. Two world renowned schools developed out of humble beginnings. From the 1880s to 1899 the Lutheran and Anglican Churches operated their own schools in town. Coloured children were allowed to attend the Lutheran School to receive a higher education.
During the Second Boer War
, Prisoners of War were sent to St Helena, Ceylon etc. Many of the young boys never received or completed an education. The Dutch Reformed Church founded a school in what became the birth of adult education. Students were taught in the Gospel but also learned trades. The Drostdy was handed over by Government for this purpose in 1903 and by 1911 it had developed into an Industrial School. Since 1944 it is known as the Drostdy Technical High School.
A Muslim
school has been in operation in Worcester since the 1840s. In 1835 a Mission School where elementary education was offered was started by the Rhenish Missionary Society. By the end of the first World War the Venerable Söhnge came to Worcester with instructions from the Society to develop a Teachers Training College for Coloured people.
The Dutch Reformed Mission Church, who had by then taken over the duties of the Rhenish Society, started a school for Coloured deaf children in 1933. Ironically it was under the Apartheid system that schools were first built for the Coloured and Black African communities. During the Apartheid years, education was only offered on an elementary level in the Zweletemba township.
In 1997 an English-medium independent school was founded. Known as Lanner House after the indigenous Lanner falcon
, the school provides education for children from preschool to Grade 9. Despite the fact that the language of instruction is English, an increasing number of Afrikaans families are enrolling their children in the school.
List of Worcester High Schools - (Learner numbers as at 2009)
on the south side of town, from 1824 to 1860. His salary as Post Master was about 24 ZAR
per year, and as Shopkeeper, by ordinance, he had to supply twelve months worth of credit to clients. The town of Worcester was founded as an administrative seat and to create a church and central market place for the frontier farmers. With the market established, Scottish artisans settled in town, bringing their skills as tinsmiths, coppersmiths, blacksmiths, shoemakers etc. By the mid 1830s the Colonial interior was starting to open up and Worcester as frontier town would gain by this. The first economic boon would come in the form of livestock trading and fresh produce farming followed by the development of a wagon industry. Due to the fact that Worcester was the last town before the Karoo interior, hotels and shops started to spring up to replenish travellers. With a solid foundation for economic development laid by 1845 and the road across the Bainskloof pass completed in 1852, bringing quicker access to Cape Town, it was time for Worcester to move forward.
saved the Bank from ruin. The discovery of diamonds brought a steadier stream of prospectors travelling through Worcester. This led to the opening of more shops and lodgings and other facilities to meet their needs and a rise in the town’s population.
These factors led to the early construction of a diverse and cosmopolitan society in Worcester, outside of Cape Town, the only town that would develop as such in the Western Province during the late 19th century. In 1890 the African Banking Corporation
was established in London, all branches were overseas. The Bank was formed as a consortium bank owned jointly by Lloyds Bank
, National Provincial, Westminster
and Standard Bank of South Africa
. In December 1891, Articles of Agreement were drawn up with the Worcester Bank and operations were handed over to African Banking Corporation in February 1892.
to Worcester and economic growth really started once the railway line reached the town in 1876. The previous decade saw German artisans arriving from Pomerania
, employed by farmers. These German labourers would bring their skills as expert farmers and would play a major role in the development of the farming industry.
A second group of German settlers followed in the 1870s to help with railway line construction. They again would bring skills as highly trained artisans. By the 1880s a Jewish community of traders and capital rich business people would follow. The early 1900s saw the first Greek
residents and business people. Belgian
, French
, Italian and Portuguese
communities all settled in Worcester at the end of World War II.
By 1882 the Cape Colonial Government proclaimed that the railway line should be extended to Robertson. The New Cape Central Railway Company (NCCR) undertook the construction of this line and it was completed in September 1887. Newspapers of the era informed the public of 3 up and 3 down trains on a daily basis. In addition to the new line, railway sidings were established throughout the district. From Cape Town at Breërivier, Botha's Halt, Goudini Road and Chavonnes. To Kimberley at De Wet, Sandhills and Orchard. On the NCCR line at Overhex and Nuy. In 1883 the Reverend William Murray and the Church Council petitioned the Cape Colonial Government against the use of trains on Sundays.
By the 1880s 40 companies manufactured wagons in Worcester, Fairbairn- Durban- and Riebeeck Streets housed these factories. The Worcester Industry slowly died as the railway lines became a more effective mode of transportation.
The Western Wine and Brandy
Company founded in 1895 built the first distillery in Porter Street. By 1918 the KWV
was founded and took control of the distillery.
JS Naudè & Co controlled the buying and distribution of deciduous fruit from 1899 onwards. The company developed internal, African and in later years Europe
an markets. By 1960 all the companies in Worcester amalgamated to form Deciduous Fruit Distributors of Worcester.
The Prune
Growers Association was founded in 1890; by 1907 this organization was changed to a company, which would become Safari SAD. The first branch opened in Porter Street in 1921.
The Union Vinegar Company was established in 1913. It was the first South African factory to produce Beet
root salad
. Other products included vinegar, pickled onions, piccalilly, tomato sauce and Worcester sauce.
Simon and Woolf Heller were merchants in dried fruit
. In 1930 they established a Jam Factory. With the outbreak of the Second World War the Standard Fruit Company received an order for 170 000 cases of jam. The company was transformed into a public company
, Standard Canners and Packers. In 1954 Langeberg Food Processors Ltd bought the controlling stock.
In 1952 Eskom's Hex River Power Station came into production. It was built primarily for railway electrification and additional supply of electricity for rural areas. The Power Station was demolished in 1990.
The main incentive in 1949 for the establishment of Hex River Textiles Mills Ltd was the plentiful supply of labour, as well as the suitability of the Hex River's water for the purpose. Operating at its peak during the 1960s, the factory employed 1200 workers.
The multi national company, Rainbow Chicken Ltd invested substantial capital in farms and a factory in Worcester during the 1970s. Today some light industries such as millers, coldddrink manufacturers, food manufacturers, furniture manufacturers, paint manufacturers, joineries and engineering works are located in the town.
is generally dry with the rare late summer thunderstorm, whilst spring
and autumn
are shoulder seasons of pleasant temperatures ranging from an average 10°C minimum to 25°C maximum, with the occasional rain shower. Winters
are generally very windy and often cool to cold with snow being common on the higher lying ground above 1500m. Daytime maximums range from 10°C-17°C, with minimums hovering at or just above freezing. Winter brings most of Worcester's 175 mm of annual rainfall. The town lies in a curious rain-shadow phenomenon caused by the surrounding high mountains.
There are a number of wards within the Worcester District, reflecting a marked internal variation in soil types and micro-climates. In the Breede River, Botha, Slanghoek and Goudini wards the soils are sandy loams with a varying loose stone content and a fairly high, free water table. Along the river banks in the Nuy, Doornrivier, Aan De Doorns and Overhex wards, fertile alluvial and calcareous clayish soils can be found.
The annual average rainfall in the Slanghoek area is in excess of 1500mm, in contrast with a low 300mm in the Nuy and Scherpenheuvel areas to the east and southeast.
was played at the Standard Courts from 1877 and by 1906, two clubs played competitive tennis in Worcester. On the 3rd of January 1877, a Worcester Cricket
team played for the first time against a Cape Town side. Matches took place at Church-, Market and Queen Squares. Players were organised into three local teams, Rangers, Worcester and United and played their matches on Saturdays.
In 1905 the MCC
under Pelham Plum Warner played a match against a combined Worcester side. From 1908 matches were played in league format and competition for the Perkins Cup started. From 1916 to 1925 Richard Robins (Dick) Luyt played for the Worcester Club as well as representing Western Province
in the Currie Cup Competition. On January 20 and 21 1925, Luyt captained a Western Province Country Districts side at Worcester when they played against the Solomon Joel
XI. During the 1950s Luyt would become a Springbok cricket selector. Between 1921 and 1922, the Springbok cricketer Jimmy Blanckenberg played for Worcester and on the 2nd of August 1931; Eddie Fuller was born in Worcester.
Boland Park would have to wait until the 1990s to see provincial cricket again. By this time Claude Henderson
, born and educated at Worcester was the new cricketing star. Peter Kirsten
, Gary Kirsten
, Tim Shaw
, Rudi Bryson
, Phillip Amm, Kepler Wessels
, Adrian Kuiper
, Terence Lazard
and John Commins
would all score centuries at Boland Park. During April 1993, Glamorgan
played against Warwickshire
in an over limited match at Boland Park. Henderson would go on to represent South Africa in 7 test matches and 4 ODI's.
was born at Glen Heatlie in the district of Worcester, on April 25, 1872, one of nine brothers who were all good athletes and sportsmen. He was selected for Western Province at the age of 18, and for South Africa in his 20th year. Altogether he represented Western Province
in 41 matches and he was never on the losing side in 26 Currie Cup
matches. Heatlie was a big, robust forward and an intelligent, inspiring leader. When Heatlie was given the captaincy of the South Africans for the final test in 1896, he decided to supply his team with jerseys from the Old Diocesan Club. It was a happy coincidence that the jerseys were green and that South Africa therefore won her first international wearing what was to become the national colour. South Africa won the test 5 – 0 and afterwards Heatlie was carried around the field in triumph. Barry Heatlie and his 14 hereos had to rely on public transport to get home after their historic triumph.
In 1882 a Worcester Rugby team played in the first recorded match against De Doorns, “A special train was engaged and a tremendous crowd of enthusiasts proceeded to the Valley for a whole day’s picnicking and some football.” The Church Council complained about this “tendency of the age,” matches played on Saturday afternoon interfered with the Preparation Service for Sunday Sermon. The Rugby Club was founded by Jimmy de Jongh, a local lawyer and started competition in the Western Province Country League in 1884. For the first league match played against Malmesbury, the team left Worcester on the Thursday to only return on Monday. Malmesbury declared match day as a Public Holiday. Charles Heatlie represented the Cape Colony against the first British side in 1891 and under his captaincy Worcester won the Country Cup from 1889 to 1894. The club again won the Cup in 1897 when Noble Heatlie was captain.
Percy Allport was educated at Worcester and became a Springbok
when he represented South Africa in 1910. Allport played at fullback in the last two tests of the series against the fourth English touring side. With the series poised at one win each, the third test at Newlands
created more public interest than any other rugby match up to then and for the first time reports in the old newspapers refer to the “perpetual Newlands roar.” The highlight of the match was undoubtedly a try scored by Allport. It was to be 45 years before Roy Dryburgh became only the second Springbok fullback in history to score a try in a test.
Richard Robins (Dick) Luyt was born at Ceres and was ranked by his contemporaries as a centre as good as Japie Krige. He had the same uncanny ability to create openings for his teammates and it would seem as if he was South Africa’s first hard-tackling centre. Dick Luyt who was a medical doctor settled in Worcester during 1916 and played and captained the Worcester club until 1922.
In 1931, Schalk du Toit and Alvi van der Merwe were selected to tour with Bennie Osler
’s Springbok side to the United Kingdom
with Van der Merwe playing in the test against Wales. Buks Marais who was educated at Worcester became a Springbok in 1949 when he played in two tests against the All Blacks
. He toured with the Springboks to Europe in 1951/52 and played in the test against Scotland
. In 1953 he returned to Worcester and again played in the first two tests against the Wallabies
. In 1952 the Boland Provincial side played in the Currie Cup final against Transvaal
. Steve Hoffman, Johan Naude and Albertus van der Merwe played for the Boland team. Hoffman would become a Springbok in 1953 and Van der Merwe would represent the Springboks in 12 tests from 1955 to 1960.
In 1969 Mike Jennings was selected to tour with the Springboks to Britain
. The tour would become infamous as the “Demo tour.” Johan Oosthuizen, born and educated at Worcester, would represent the Springboks in 9 tests from 1974 to 1976. During 1996 the All Blacks played a rugby match on their South African tour, against the Boland Provincial side at Esselen Park.
Club in Southern Africa was the Royal Cape Golf Club founded in 1885. The Worcester Golf Club was established in 1896 and competition for the Donnison Cup between these two clubs started in 1905.
By 1892 Izak Meiring, Hennie de Wet and Jas Perkins founded the Mountain Club, the first of its kind in South Africa. Meiring who was a Pharmacist and amateur Surveyor, confirmed Matroosberg as the highest peak in the Western Province. Meiring’s plateau on the Brandwacht Mountains was named for him. The Worcester Athletic and Cycling
Club was founded in 1905, the Swimming Club in 1906 and the Piscatorial Club in 1907.
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is located 120 km north-east of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on the N1 highway north to 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...
.
Being the largest town in the Western Cape's interior region, it serves as the administrative capital of the Breede Valley Local Municipality
Breede Valley Local Municipality
Breede Valley Municipality is a local municipality located within the Cape Winelands District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 134,271. Its municipality code is WC025.- Government :...
and as regional headquarters for most central and Provincial Government Departments. The town also serves as the hub of the Western Cape's interior commercial, distribution and retail activity with a shopping mall, well developed central business district and infrastructure.
The Breede Valley Local Municipality
Breede Valley Local Municipality
Breede Valley Municipality is a local municipality located within the Cape Winelands District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 134,271. Its municipality code is WC025.- Government :...
was formed in December 2000 and includes the hamlets
Hamlets
Hamlets is the name of an open source system for generating web-pages originally developed by René Pawlitzek at IBM...
of Matroosberg, Touws River, De Doorns, Rawsonville and the town of Worcester. The people are represented by 39 (soon to be 40) councillors, headed by an executive mayor.
Census and population classification
| Year | Total | Black African | Coloured | Indian Asian | White |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 67828 | 11673 | 36480 | 84 | 19691 |
Location
In the early days of the Cape's history the main road through the great mountain barrier which streches northwards from the Hottentots-Holland, Wemmershoek and Slanghoek mountains to the Groot Winterhoek mountains, lay through the Roodezand Pass into the valley of TulbaghTulbagh
Tulbagh is a town in the Tulbagh valley and is situated in the Witzenberg Local Municipality, with the valley called "Die Land van Waveren" locally. Closest towns are Wolseley, Prince Alfred's Hamlet, Gouda and Ceres in the Boland district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.The valley has...
. From here the road gave access in the south-east to “the original great rift valley of Africa” as Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
once described the Breede River Valley.
Worcester is located at an elevation of 220m and can be reached by road either travelling on the N1 highway through the Huguenot Tunnel
Huguenot Tunnel
The Huguenot Tunnel is a toll tunnel near Cape Town, South Africa. It extends the N1 national road through the Du Toitskloof mountains that separate Paarl from Worcester, providing a route that is safer, faster and shorter than the old Du Toitskloof Pass travelling over the mountain.Geological...
or by driving through spectacular Mountain passes. From Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
Du Toitskloof, from Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
Bainskloof, from Malmesbury
Malmesbury
Malmesbury is a market town and civil parish located in the southern Cotswolds in the county of Wiltshire, England. Historically Malmesbury was a centre for learning and home to Malmesbury Abbey...
Nieuwekloof, from Ceres
Ceres, Western Cape
Ceres is a town with 46,251 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre and largest town of the Witzenberg Local Municipality. Ceres serves as a regional centre for the surrounding towns of Wolseley, Tulbagh, Op-die-Berg and Prince Alfred Hamlet...
Mitchells, from Robertson
Robertson, Western Cape
Robertson is a town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa known as the valley of wine and roses. It was founded in 1853 and named after the Scottish Dutch Reformed Church Minister, Dr William Robertson....
Goree, from Hermanus
Hermanus
Hermanus is a town with 49,000 inhabitants on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is famous as a place from which to watch Southern Right whales, during the southern winter and spring and is a popular retirement town...
Rooihoogte and from 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...
Hex River, with vistas over the Hex River Valley.
Geograhically, the district is delimited mainly by mountains; to the southwest lies the massive Stettyns mountain range with an annual rainfall in excess of 2000 mm. To the west lie the Du Toitskloof mountains and northwest lies the Slanghoek, Little Drakenstein, Elandskloof and Lemiet mountain ranges. To the north rises the Hex River Mountains
Hex River mountains
The Hex River Mountains make up the second highest mountain range in the Western Cape province of South Africa and are located 120km north-east of Cape Town. They form part of a large anticline in the Cape Fold Belt mountain system and form a north-east, south-west trending mountain system forming...
which include the towering peaks of Chavonness, Brandwacht, Fonteintjiesberg and Audensberg. Northeast of the town the colourful Keerom Mountain runs into the Langeberg range.
Worcester and its surroundings form part of the Breede River
Breede River
The Breede River , is a river in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Travelling inland north from Cape Town, the river runs in a west to east direction, the surrounding western mountains thus forming the first continental divide experienced by European settlers in the 18th century...
catchment area, which is fed by a number of smaller rivers supplemented by the run-off from the winter snows in the mountains. The district also includes the Hex River Valley.
Agricultural development
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
. By 1709 European farmers were given grazing rights in the area “over de Breede Rivier.” In 1714 the first quitrent farms were released. Settlement in most cases was not on a permanent basis and “Hartebees huisies” were erected. When European settlers first arrived at the later Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, the Breede River Valley
Breede River Valley
Breede River Valley is a region of Western Cape Province, South Africa known for being the largest fruit and wine producing valley in the Western Cape, as well as South Africa's leading race-horse breeding area...
was inhabited by San
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
hunter/gatherers and Khoi
Khoi
Khoi may refer to:*The common name of Siamese Rough Bush, Streblus asper Lour*The Khoikhoi people*One of the Khoe languages*The Khoekhoe language*Khoy, a city in Iran*Khoy County, an administrative subdivision of Iran...
livestock farmers. The Gainou, Korannas and Afrkaner tribes traded livestock with the settlers. With the European settlers came the smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
virus, that would turn into an epidemic for the Khoi people and by 1713 would take its toll on their existence as a people.
European settlement took place at Waay Hoek, Bossiesveld, Kleinbosch, Slanghoek, Brandvalley, Vendutiekraal, Rooye Wal and Doornrivier. The first farms in the Hex River Valley were Kloppersbosch and De Buffelskraal, dating from 1731. With the European settlers came their slaves and eventually so-called free Khoi, who would settle on the farms as labourers. By 1830, 329 farms were cultivated in the district and by 1832 the town of Worcester was becoming a frontier town with the Market Square being used for stock sales. Many a fine animal changed ownership in the days when Worcester was a jumping off spot for the “togryers” of the 19th century.
By the 1850s the necessity for the formation of a hamlet west of the Breede River had become clear; the ward was cut off from Worcester during the rainy season when the river burst it banks regularly. The farm Aan-de-Smalblaar was transported to Johannes Petrus Jordaan on the 23rd of July 1858. Jan Jordaan divided a portion of the farm into 57 residential plots and these were sold at a Public Auction on 11 June 1859. The hamlet of Rawsonville was named for William Rawson, the Cape Colonial Secretary.
German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
settlers employed as "tagloners" on the surrounding farms from 1860 onwards, would soon use the abundance of fertile soil, water and their skilled labour to see the area evolve from livestock farming to cultivated land, orchards and vineyards. By 1865 the production from the flourishing vineyards compared favourably with the Stellenbosch and Paarl
Paarl
Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
valleys. Much of the crop was dried for raisins, and this continued to be an important aspect of the local industry into the 20th century. The decline in the demand for raisins after the Second World War persuaded most of the farmers to convert to wine-grape growing: and in response to this change an extensive network of co-operative wineries sprang up. Today the Breede River Valley is the largest wine producing region in South Africa, contributing almost 25% of the country's viticultural output. The Olof Bergh Solera
Solera
Solera is a process for aging liquids such as wine, beer, vinegar, and brandy, by fractional blending in such a way that the finished product is a mixture of ages, with the average age gradually increasing as the process continues over many years. A solera is literally the set of barrels or other...
Brandy Cellar and the KWV
KWV
The Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Bpkt was a winemaking co-operative founded on 8 January 1918 by wine makers from the Western Cape in South Africa. It was converted from its co-operative status into KWV Ltd on 2 December 2002...
Brandy Cellar form part of the South African Brandy Route and 33 wineries produce and bottle in the Worcester area.
The first export grapes planted in the Hex River Valley dates from 1875. Today the Hex River Valley produces more than 17 million cartons of table grapes per annum. In the dryer southern regions of the valley, Olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
production have also been added in recent years.
Central to this agricultural production, is the Greater Brandvlei Dam, with a capacity of 342 million cubic litres. The dam was completed in 1936, fully extended by 1987 and provides water to various irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
schemes in the valley.
Urban development
With the Cape Colony interior expanding with the settlement of an increasing number of European settlers, Lord Charles SomersetLord Charles Somerset
General Lord Charles Henry Somerset PC was a British soldier, politician and colonial administrator. He was governor of the Cape Colony, South Africa, from 1814 to 1826.-Background:...
instructed Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
Fischer of Tulbagh
Tulbagh
Tulbagh is a town in the Tulbagh valley and is situated in the Witzenberg Local Municipality, with the valley called "Die Land van Waveren" locally. Closest towns are Wolseley, Prince Alfred's Hamlet, Gouda and Ceres in the Boland district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.The valley has...
, to find a location to establish a new deputy magisterial seat during 1818. Fischer duly reported that the two quitrent farms, De Lange Rug and Roodedraai, be bought for this purpose. On the 9th of January 1819 the Colonial surveyors, Tulleken and Hertzog cartographed the two farms and on the 4th of November, the first official advertisement for the sale of plots was issued. On February 28, 1820, the official date of the establishment of Worcester, 89 of the proclaimed 144 plots were sold. Fischer also reported that "this place becomes more important when the new road over the Franschoek Mountains will be completed." The African Rifles Regiment started construction of this road in 1819.
A winterstorm in 1822 caused damage to the town of Tulbagh. Captain Charles Trappes recommended to Somerset that the magisterial seat be moved to the new town. Lord Charles Somerset named the new town for his eldest brother, the Marquis of Worcester and by 1840, 132 of the original 144 plots was sold
Government Gazette proclamation, November 9, 1822:
"In consequence of the damage done to the Public Buildings at Tulbagh, by the storms of last winter, which has rendered it inexpedient to go to the heavy expense necessary to replace them, his excellency the Governor has directed the Drostdy of the district to be removed to Worcester; and it is considered more convenient that the district bear the name of the seat of Magistracy, his excellency is pleased to direct that the district shall henceforth be called Worcester, in lieu of Tulbagh, as heretofore of which, all concerned are to take notice."
Captain Charles Trappes was responsible for the planning of the town. A dubious character in some ways, Trappes, however, was far in advance of his time when he laid out the wide streets and town blocks with vision and a high regard for squares. Trappes made the early builders put the houses close to the street and soon these builders would develop their own style of gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s. An early visitor, James Backhouse found 1300 people living in the rising town in 1840. According to the 1844 Cape Almanac, William Watson ran one the best hotels in the country and Bishop Gray said in 1845 that the houses were a great distance from each other.
Sub division of the original plots dates back to the 1860s when the town experienced its first economic boon. By the 1890s, when there was a downturn in economic fortune the population grew at a considerable rate, as landless people moved to town. Small industry, business and residence still operated within the original boundaries of the town. During the 1890s Worcester's community would also evolve into an uptown section for rich and middle class people and a downtown section for so called poor Whites and Coloured people. Even the Dutch Reformed Congregation would censure European and Coloured people living under desegregated circumstances.
The first Black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
Africans arrived in Worcester at the end of the First World War and were mainly employed as cheap labour for new construction programs springing up around town. By 1936, 1271 Black African people were living in the Worcester district.
At the end of the Second World War , housing in Worcester was at a premium and Worcester had a squatter camp at Parkersdam. It was also during these years that Worcester started to expand with new residential areas and an industrial area. The Apartheid regime responded by total segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
of the different communities.
In the Coloured area 1350 sub-economic dwellings and 584 economic dwellings were built in Roodewal and Riverview, in addition, 230 plots were sold in Esselen Park for the erection of dwellings by purchasers. Mostly India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n traders were forced to move their businesses from the declared White areas and resettle in the downtown business district of Durban Street.
The Zweletemba township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
, to the southeast of the town, was awarded 524 sub-economic, 300 economic dwellings and two hostel schemes of 1274 units for single persons. Due to the policy of Apartheid, these people were not considered to be permanent residents and it was only after the abolishment of influx control in 1986 that the township population really exploded.
A further 67 sub-economic and 137 economic dwellings were developed in the White Areas and affluent residential areas towards the north of the town. The early years of Apartheid would also see the old town being transformed into a Central Business District
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Most of the character and charm of the old buildings was lost as the then government and society replaced these buildings with new administrative and retail buildings, based on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
. Grand Apartheid would leave the community divided and in segregated living areas.
Modern Residential Areas
| Area | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town | Parkersdam | Paglande | Langerug | Hospital Park | |
| Reunion Park | Hospital Hill | Fairy Glen | Roodewal | Riverview | |
| Esselen Park | Zweletemba | Worcester West | Roux Park | Van Riebeeck Park | |
| Victoria Park | Noble Park | Meirings Park | Panorama | Hexpark | |
| Johnsons Park | Somerset Park | Mandela Square | Fairway Heights | Rolihlahla Informal | |
Municipal management
On 5 January 1842, the first meeting of the Commissars was held. It was decided to name the street facing the public offices Cole Street, in honour of Sir Lowry Cole, Governor of the colony, 1828 to 1833.The Commissars meeting on 3 September 1851, resolved that the square in front of the public offices (the Drostdy), becomes Queens Square in honour of HM Queen Victoria. These grounds were used as Parade- and Training grounds for the Khoi Pandour Regiment.
From east to west the street names will be:
- Riebeeck Street (named for Jan van RiebeeckJan van RiebeeckJohan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck was a Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town.-Biography:...
) - Fairbain Street (named for John Fairbain Esq. and to commemorate the colony not becoming a Penal settlement)
- Stockenström Street (named for Andries StockenstroomAndries StockenstroomSir Andries Stockenström, 1st Baronet, was lieutenant governor of British Kaffraria from 13 September 1836 to 9 August 1838.-Life and career:...
Lt Gov of Eastern Cape Frontier) - Baring Street (named for the Hon F. Baring Chairman of the Society of Reform)
- Adderley Street (named for C.B. Adderley, M.P., the Anti-Convict Movement)
- Porter Street (named for Attorney General William Porter)
- Napier Street (named for Sir George Thomas Napier, Governor 1838 to 1844)
- Trappes Street (named for Captain Charles Trappes)
- Somerset Street (named for Lord Charles SomersetLord Charles SomersetGeneral Lord Charles Henry Somerset PC was a British soldier, politician and colonial administrator. He was governor of the Cape Colony, South Africa, from 1814 to 1826.-Background:...
, Governor 1814 to 1826)
From north to south the street names will be:
- Tulbagh Street (in memory of the former name of the district)
- Church Street (named for the Dutch Reformed Church)
- High Street (to replace the name Cole Street)
- Russell Street (named for Lord John RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
, HM's Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
) - Durban Street (named for Benjamin D'UrbanBenjamin d'UrbanLieutenant-General Sir Benjamin d'Urban, GCB, KCH, KCTS was a British general and colonial administrator, who is best known for his frontier policy when he was the Governor in the Cape Colony .-Early career:...
, Governor 1838 to 1844).
District Council
The Worcester District Council was proclaimed on the 20th of December 1855. The boundaries were northwest - Kleinberg, northeast - Bloutoring, southeast - Mowers Heights, southwest - Roodehoogte and west - Du Toitskloof Mountains.Municipal status
Worcester received Municipal status on the 30th of September 1895. A Town Council, consisting of 8 members governed the town. After the Nationalist Party gained control of the South African Government in 1948 and applied the system of Apartheid, a separate Management Committee for Coloured People was introduced on the 2nd of April 1965. With the coming of democracy to South Africa, Worcester now forms part of the Breede Valley Local MunicipalityBreede Valley Local Municipality
Breede Valley Municipality is a local municipality located within the Cape Winelands District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 134,271. Its municipality code is WC025.- Government :...
.
Water and sewerage
Worcester originally drew its water from the Hex River. The early water distribution method was very primitive. The water ran in over Joubert's Mill and then flowed in open channels through the town. The first reservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
and distribution pipes were built in 1875. In 1910 a diversion and storage dam had been constructed in Fairy Glen, followed by the completion of a filtration
Filtration
Filtration is commonly the mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids by interposing a medium through which only the fluid can pass...
and chlorination
Chlorination
Chlorination is the process of adding the element chlorine to water as a method of water purification to make it fit for human consumption as drinking water...
plant in 1936. By 1945 Worcester started planning to build a proper water impounding scheme. Construction of the Stettynskloof Dam started in 1952. The work was undertaken by Beton und Monierbau Aktiengesellschaft of Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Dr. Heinz Schulze was the head engineer and work was completed in 1955.
After completion of the town's sewerage
Sewerage
Sewerage refers to the infrastructure that conveys sewage. It encompasses receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, screening chambers, etc. of the sanitary sewer...
scheme in 1934 considerable development took place in the Worcester Municipal area. The sewerage purification works was completed in 1962, with an estimated life span of 30 years.
Transport & communication
In 1846 construction on the Bainskloofpass started, Andrew Geddes BainAndrew Geddes Bain
Andrew Geddes Bain , South African geologist, road engineer, palaeontologist and explorer.-Life history:...
was the head engineer and the road was completed in 1852. By November 1863, the only 60 kilometres of railway line in "South Africa" was in operation from Cape Town to Wellington. The discovery of diamonds in Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, prompted the Cape Colonial government to expand the railway- and telegraph lines to Kimberley.
Thomas Brounger was appointed as the head railway engineer, and with the help of Thomas Bain, the line to Worcester was opened on the 16th of June 1876. On the opening of the station at Worcester, the Cape Argus
Cape Argus
Founded in 1857 by Saul Solomon, the Cape Argus is a daily newspaper published by Independent News & Media in Cape Town, South Africa. It is commonly referred to simply as "The Argus"....
reported as follows:
"Worcester, on June 16, 1876, was the scene of elaborate ceremony and of a very large and distinguished assemblage to witness the railway opening by Sir Henry Barkly. After the address had been presented to the Governor and His Excellency's reply, there were short speeches by Sir Arthur Cunningham, Commander of the Forces, and Sir John Molteno, the Cape Prime Minister, and an adjournment made to the grand luncheon or banquet. In the evening there was a ball, at which most people enjoyed themselves, undeterred by the failure of the lighting and refreshments arrangement."
During 1875 the farm De Doorns in the Hex River Valley was bought by the Cape Colonial Government to build a railway station. Around this station the hamlet of De Doorns would develop. By 1877, the line already reached Montagu Road on its way to Kimberley and in 1883 the name was changed to Touws River. Construction of an additional main railway line during 1931 would lead to the establishment of Matroosberg station.
Newspapers
The first edition of the Worcester Weekly News printed on July 31, 1880. The proprietor was Mr Watson and issues published under this masthead until August 17, 1882. J.E. de Jong was a master-printer from DeventerDeventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
, Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He settled in Cape Town in 1875 and worked for The Cape Argus Printing and Publishing Company. By 1882 he had moved to Worcester and bought the Worcester Weekly News. From August 1882 he changed the name to the Worcester Advertiser, politically supported the Afrikanerbond and would criticize the 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...
in later years.
By 1894 the town was experiencing a solid population growth and the then Cape Colony Premier, Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes PC, DCL was an English-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. He was the founder of the diamond company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%...
realized that to gain influence with the public he needed the local newspaper to support his policies. De Jong was offered £5000 for his newspaper and a salary of £500 per annum. De Jong refused the offer and Rhodes decided to start his own newspaper, The Worcester Standard. These two papers ran in opposition until 1927, when they amalgamated to form the Worcester Standard and Advertiser. During the Anglo-Boer War, De Jong was jailed at Tokai.
The paper remained in private proprietary until 1980, when it was sold to Naspers
Naspers
Naspers is a South Africa-based multinational media company with principal operations in electronic media and print media Naspers is a South Africa-based multinational media company with principal operations in electronic media (including pay-television, internet and instant-messaging subscriber...
. The paper publishes to this day, making it one of the oldest local newspapers in South Africa.
Electricity
On June 25, 1916 the first supply of electricity to Worcester was provided by 2 x 40 kW 400/230 volt Direct CurrentDirect current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
water turbine generators. Growth was slow but steady and by 1921 Worcester had its own Power Station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
Building. By 1933 overloading at peak periods necessitated increased capacity. Eskom
Eskom
Eskom is a South African electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission by the government of South Africa in terms of the Electricity Act . It was also known by its Afrikaans name Elektrisiteitsvoorsieningskommissie . The two acronyms were combined in 1986 and...
provided a single standby line. By 1948 Eskom started construction on the Hex River Power Station. The Power Station came into production in 1952 and the Municipal main sub-station was connected to Eskom, all supply was then taken from this source.
Social development
During the early years, religion played a comprehensive part in the development of Worcester as a town. Though the new town was still underdeveloped, by 1821, the Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
Congregation was already established in Worcester. The Scottish Reverend Henry Sutherland served the congregation from 1824 to 1859.
After the abolition
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in 1834, the so called "Coloured quarter" of town, started to pullate, south of Durban Street, between Rainer- and Grey Streets. This community was mainly composed of free slaves and 24 plots were set aside for development in 1840. For the next 110 years, the Rhenish Missionary Society
Rhenish Missionary Society
The Rhenish Missionary Society was one of the largest missionary societies in Germany. Formed from smaller missions founded as far back as 1799, the Society was amalgamated on 23 September 1828, and its first missionaries were ordained and sent off to South Africa by the end of the year.The...
would play an important part in the development of this community. Worcester's first Mission Church was established in 1832. The Rhenish Mission complex situated on the corner of High- and Adderley streets forms an integral part of the rich Worcester cultural and architectural heritage. The coloured community owned farms, Hendrik Gertse at Hex River, Andreas Jasons at Brandwacht, Jeftha Fransman at Goudini while the Afrika, Hartzenberg, Everts, Solomons, Romans and Titus families were employed as labourers.
Anglican Church of St James the Great
The Anglican Church was established in 1851. The first Rector was the Reverend John Melville Martine M.A., who previously had been vicar of Shipley, SussexSussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
Muslim Masjid
The MalayMalay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
community was known as bricklayers, vat
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
cooper
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
s and tailors in Worcester and dates back to the era of free slaves in the 1830s. Application to construct a Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
was first filed in 1867. Permission was granted in 1880 and by 1881 the Muslim community started to use the premises at Durban Street.
Lutheran Church
The first Germans settled in Worcester during the 1860s as skilled farm labourers. During the 1870s a second wave of German artisans helped with the construction of the railway line and in return received Crown property at Goudini Road in 1880. A Lutheran Church Congregation was established and the Church completed in November 1883.Congregational Church
The first Congregational ChurchCongregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
was built at 54 Porter Street in 1894.The site had disadvantages, in particular” the aroma from the vinegar factory next door.” In 1948 the property was sold and the present fine church was erected in Church Street.
Jewish Synagogue
In 1848, Dr Diederich Heinrich Fraenkel found his way to Worcester to become District Surgeon, his father, Dr Siegfried Fraenkel, was the first conforming Jew to reside at the Cape. Educated at SACSSouth African College Schools
The South African College Schools, commonly referred to as SACS, is a primary and secondary education institution located in Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa. Founded in 1829, it is the oldest school in South Africa and one of four schools expressly named by Cecil John Rhodes to offer an annual...
, Dr Fraenkel was the first Jewish resident at Worcester. Jewish traders began to settle in Worcester during the 1880s, a plot of ground was purchased in 1902 from the Municipality to establish a Jewish cemetery. The first Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1903 and in 1904 the Synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
was consecrated in Durban Street.
Salvation Army
The work of the Salvation ArmySalvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
in Worcester began in 1891, when Captain Lotz “opened fire” and became the first Commanding Officer in charge. Brother Craayenstein, born in 1868, kept the work of the Corps going visibly. A faithful soldier to the Army for many decades, he was a familiar figure in Worcester, attending the Saturday night Open-Air meetings with his violin, which he also took to the goal every Sunday morning for service. After the Saturday night meetings he was welcomed into the public bars, whose customers put money liberally into the box he carried for the Army. In January 1961 Worcester’s oldest and most faithful soldier of the Salvation Army was promoted to Glory – the Army’s term for dying.
Missionary work at Zweletemba
During the 1920s the Methodist Church started with missionary work under the Xhosa community and by 1937 the Dutch Reformed Church followed in the BasothoBasotho
The ancestors of the Sotho people have lived in southern Africa since around the fifth century. The Sotho nation emerged from the accomplished diplomacy of Moshoeshoe I who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho–Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early 19th century...
community. By 1938 the missionary societies rented a hall where church and school could be attended.
Educational Development
The origins of Worcester Boys High dates back to 1824 when schooling started in Worcester. MagistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
Truter, District Surgeon Glaeser and Reverend Sutherland served on the School Commission when the Government Free School reached the town in 1830. School was attended six days a week and subjects included Dictatation, Reading, Grammar, Writing, Arithmetic and Translating from Dutch into English. School started at 8am, finished at 4pm with a two hour break at 11am.
The official formation of the school took place on 2 July 1873 when the “Undenominational Boys Public school” was declared. By June 1882 the school was classified as a Class 1 Public School and by 1899 a High School.
The Ladies Seminary was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in January 1876 after a period of 3 years when no education was offered to girls in Worcester. By 1908 it became a Girls High School.
Schools for Deaf and Blind people were founded in 1881 by the Dutch Reformed Church. Two world renowned schools developed out of humble beginnings. From the 1880s to 1899 the Lutheran and Anglican Churches operated their own schools in town. Coloured children were allowed to attend the Lutheran School to receive a higher education.
During the 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...
, Prisoners of War were sent to St Helena, Ceylon etc. Many of the young boys never received or completed an education. The Dutch Reformed Church founded a school in what became the birth of adult education. Students were taught in the Gospel but also learned trades. The Drostdy was handed over by Government for this purpose in 1903 and by 1911 it had developed into an Industrial School. Since 1944 it is known as the Drostdy Technical High School.
A Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
school has been in operation in Worcester since the 1840s. In 1835 a Mission School where elementary education was offered was started by the Rhenish Missionary Society. By the end of the first World War the Venerable Söhnge came to Worcester with instructions from the Society to develop a Teachers Training College for Coloured people.
The Dutch Reformed Mission Church, who had by then taken over the duties of the Rhenish Society, started a school for Coloured deaf children in 1933. Ironically it was under the Apartheid system that schools were first built for the Coloured and Black African communities. During the Apartheid years, education was only offered on an elementary level in the Zweletemba township.
In 1997 an English-medium independent school was founded. Known as Lanner House after the indigenous Lanner falcon
Lanner Falcon
The Lanner Falcon is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season.-Description:...
, the school provides education for children from preschool to Grade 9. Despite the fact that the language of instruction is English, an increasing number of Afrikaans families are enrolling their children in the school.
Levels of Education for population 2001
| No schooling | Some primary | Complete primary | Some secondary | Grade 12 | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7701 | 19633 | 8046 | 28467 | 17676 | 5522 |
List of Worcester High Schools - (Learner numbers as at 2009)
| School | Learners |
|---|---|
| Breërivier High School | 1726 |
| Drostdy Technical High School | 821 |
| Esselen Park Secondary School | 1318 |
| Lanner House School | (Up to Grade 9) |
| Montana High School | 514 |
| Vusisizwe Secondary School | 1387 |
| Worcester Gymnasium | 912 |
| Worcester Secondary School | 1648 |
Creating an Economy
George Parker owned a shop and managed the first Post OfficePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
on the south side of town, from 1824 to 1860. His salary as Post Master was about 24 ZAR
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
per year, and as Shopkeeper, by ordinance, he had to supply twelve months worth of credit to clients. The town of Worcester was founded as an administrative seat and to create a church and central market place for the frontier farmers. With the market established, Scottish artisans settled in town, bringing their skills as tinsmiths, coppersmiths, blacksmiths, shoemakers etc. By the mid 1830s the Colonial interior was starting to open up and Worcester as frontier town would gain by this. The first economic boon would come in the form of livestock trading and fresh produce farming followed by the development of a wagon industry. Due to the fact that Worcester was the last town before the Karoo interior, hotels and shops started to spring up to replenish travellers. With a solid foundation for economic development laid by 1845 and the road across the Bainskloof pass completed in 1852, bringing quicker access to Cape Town, it was time for Worcester to move forward.
Financial development
The Worcester Commercial Bank Unlimited was officially established in 1856. Due to growth in the wagon making industry, the Bank ran into a credit crisis by 1864. Discounting of bills of exchange became difficult and investors started to withdraw their money. Only a £6000 capital injection by the Board of DirectorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
saved the Bank from ruin. The discovery of diamonds brought a steadier stream of prospectors travelling through Worcester. This led to the opening of more shops and lodgings and other facilities to meet their needs and a rise in the town’s population.
These factors led to the early construction of a diverse and cosmopolitan society in Worcester, outside of Cape Town, the only town that would develop as such in the Western Province during the late 19th century. In 1890 the African Banking Corporation
African Banking Corporation
African Banking Corporation was a British Overseas Bank, that is, it had a headquarters in London but all its branches were overseas. Unusually, it was a consortium bank , rather than being owned by individuals...
was established in London, all branches were overseas. The Bank was formed as a consortium bank owned jointly by Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank Plc was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1765 until its merger into Lloyds TSB in 1995; it remains a registered company but is currently dormant. It expanded during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and took over a number of smaller banking companies...
, National Provincial, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
and Standard Bank of South Africa
Standard Bank of South Africa
The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited is one of South Africa's largest financial services groups. It operates in 30 countries around the world, including 17 in Africa.-History:...
. In December 1891, Articles of Agreement were drawn up with the Worcester Bank and operations were handed over to African Banking Corporation in February 1892.
Economic development
Finance would bring the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
to Worcester and economic growth really started once the railway line reached the town in 1876. The previous decade saw German artisans arriving from Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, employed by farmers. These German labourers would bring their skills as expert farmers and would play a major role in the development of the farming industry.
A second group of German settlers followed in the 1870s to help with railway line construction. They again would bring skills as highly trained artisans. By the 1880s a Jewish community of traders and capital rich business people would follow. The early 1900s saw the first Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
residents and business people. Belgian
Belgians
Belgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Italian and Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
communities all settled in Worcester at the end of World War II.
By 1882 the Cape Colonial Government proclaimed that the railway line should be extended to Robertson. The New Cape Central Railway Company (NCCR) undertook the construction of this line and it was completed in September 1887. Newspapers of the era informed the public of 3 up and 3 down trains on a daily basis. In addition to the new line, railway sidings were established throughout the district. From Cape Town at Breërivier, Botha's Halt, Goudini Road and Chavonnes. To Kimberley at De Wet, Sandhills and Orchard. On the NCCR line at Overhex and Nuy. In 1883 the Reverend William Murray and the Church Council petitioned the Cape Colonial Government against the use of trains on Sundays.
By the 1880s 40 companies manufactured wagons in Worcester, Fairbairn- Durban- and Riebeeck Streets housed these factories. The Worcester Industry slowly died as the railway lines became a more effective mode of transportation.
The Western Wine and Brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
Company founded in 1895 built the first distillery in Porter Street. By 1918 the KWV
KWV
The Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Bpkt was a winemaking co-operative founded on 8 January 1918 by wine makers from the Western Cape in South Africa. It was converted from its co-operative status into KWV Ltd on 2 December 2002...
was founded and took control of the distillery.
JS Naudè & Co controlled the buying and distribution of deciduous fruit from 1899 onwards. The company developed internal, African and in later years Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an markets. By 1960 all the companies in Worcester amalgamated to form Deciduous Fruit Distributors of Worcester.
The Prune
Prune
A prune is any of various plum cultivars, mostly Prunus domestica or European Plum, sold as fresh or dried fruit. The dried fruit is also referred to as a dried plum...
Growers Association was founded in 1890; by 1907 this organization was changed to a company, which would become Safari SAD. The first branch opened in Porter Street in 1921.
The Union Vinegar Company was established in 1913. It was the first South African factory to produce Beet
Beet
The beet is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family which is now included in Amaranthaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...
root salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
. Other products included vinegar, pickled onions, piccalilly, tomato sauce and Worcester sauce.
Simon and Woolf Heller were merchants in dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
. In 1930 they established a Jam Factory. With the outbreak of the Second World War the Standard Fruit Company received an order for 170 000 cases of jam. The company was transformed into a public company
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
, Standard Canners and Packers. In 1954 Langeberg Food Processors Ltd bought the controlling stock.
In 1952 Eskom's Hex River Power Station came into production. It was built primarily for railway electrification and additional supply of electricity for rural areas. The Power Station was demolished in 1990.
The main incentive in 1949 for the establishment of Hex River Textiles Mills Ltd was the plentiful supply of labour, as well as the suitability of the Hex River's water for the purpose. Operating at its peak during the 1960s, the factory employed 1200 workers.
The multi national company, Rainbow Chicken Ltd invested substantial capital in farms and a factory in Worcester during the 1970s. Today some light industries such as millers, coldddrink manufacturers, food manufacturers, furniture manufacturers, paint manufacturers, joineries and engineering works are located in the town.
Employment
Rate of Employment 2001 Census| Classified | Employed !! Unemployed !! Not Econ Active !! | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black African | 8311 | 4236 | 7114 | |
| Coloured | 32975 | 7550 | 21653 | |
| Indian Asian | 157 | 21 | 107 | |
| White | 8236 | 394 | 5517 | |
| Total | 49679 | 12201 | 34391 | |
Employment by sector
| Sector | Employed | |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 20643 | |
| Social Services | 7017 | |
| Wholesale and Retail | 5570 | |
| Manufacturing | 3317 | |
| Financial and Business Services | 1938 | |
| Private Households | 1905 | |
| Construction | 1536 | |
| Logistics and Communication | 1242 | |
| Energy and Water Supply | 197 | |
| Undetermined | 6314 | |
| Total | 49679 | |
Climate and Soil
Worcester experiences more extremes of temperature than neighbouring Cape Town, as oceanic influences are blocked by the Du Toitskloof and Slanghoek mountain ranges to the west. The daytime maximum in summer averages in the low 30°C's, but some days in February can reach in excess of 40°C. SummerSummer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
is generally dry with the rare late summer thunderstorm, whilst spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
and autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
are shoulder seasons of pleasant temperatures ranging from an average 10°C minimum to 25°C maximum, with the occasional rain shower. Winters
Winters
Winters is a surname, and may refer to the following people:Men:* Alan Winters, , a British development economist* Brian Winters , a former player and head coach in the NBA...
are generally very windy and often cool to cold with snow being common on the higher lying ground above 1500m. Daytime maximums range from 10°C-17°C, with minimums hovering at or just above freezing. Winter brings most of Worcester's 175 mm of annual rainfall. The town lies in a curious rain-shadow phenomenon caused by the surrounding high mountains.
There are a number of wards within the Worcester District, reflecting a marked internal variation in soil types and micro-climates. In the Breede River, Botha, Slanghoek and Goudini wards the soils are sandy loams with a varying loose stone content and a fairly high, free water table. Along the river banks in the Nuy, Doornrivier, Aan De Doorns and Overhex wards, fertile alluvial and calcareous clayish soils can be found.
The annual average rainfall in the Slanghoek area is in excess of 1500mm, in contrast with a low 300mm in the Nuy and Scherpenheuvel areas to the east and southeast.
History in Short
- - 1841 - Mail coaches from Cape Town, via Stellenbosch, PaarlPaarlPaarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
and then continuing to SwellendamSwellendamSwellendam is the third oldest town in the Republic of South Africa, a town with 28,072 inhabitants situated in the Western Cape province. The town has over 50 National monuments most of them buildings of Cape Dutch architecture....
. - - 1850 - Sheets of galvanized (corrugated) iron first imported to Worcester
- - 1857 - Worcester Volunteers formed, consisting of a Cavalry Squadron and Infantry Company
- - 1861 - Old Town Hall completed
- - 1865 - MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
SocietySocietyA society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
formed, and by 1880 concerts throughout town took place on a regular basis - - 1876 - First Telegraph Office and thrice weekly Postal Service
- - 1876 - Formation of the Worcester Lodge of Freemasons
- - 1877 to 1885 - At this time, while the railway was under construction to Kimberley, travellers to the Kimberley fields were carried from Cape Town to Worcester in one day, spent the night at a hotel, and then carried on the next day to the railhead, where coaches met the trains to take passengers on to Kimberley. Barney BarnatoBarney BarnatoBarney Barnato , born Barnet Isaacs, was a British Randlord, one of the entrepreneurs who gained control of diamond mining, and later gold mining, in South Africa from the 1870s.-Background:...
, Cecil John RhodesCecil John RhodesCecil John Rhodes PC, DCL was an English-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. He was the founder of the diamond company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%...
, Alfred BeitAlfred BeitAlfred Beit was a German, British South African, Jewish gold and diamond magnate, a supporter of British imperialism in Southern Africa and a major donor towards infrastructure development in central and Southern Africa, and to university education and research in several countries.- Life and...
etc., stayed over in Worcester on many occasions. - - 1882 to 1890 - No important amount of coalCoalCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was being mined in South Africa. Attempts were made to grow trees especially to provide wood for use in the engineEngineAn engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
furnaces. The trees chosen were blue gums, and successful forestation in Worcester, helped reduce the import of coal. - - 1886 - First TelephoneTelephoneThe telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
installed - - 1891 - Worcester Gold Mining Company Ltd founded. The company developed a gold mine at BarbertonBarberton, MpumalangaBarberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, which has its origin in the 1880s gold rush in the region. It is situated in the De Kaap Valley and is fringed by the Mkhonjwa Mountains...
which eventually closed down, with substantial losses to the share-holders. - - 1895 - International Organization of Good Templars built a community hall in Porter Street, dedicated to the abstinence from alcohol.
- - 1900 - On December 6 a mass meeting of some 10000 people, concerning the Anglo-Boer War took place in Worcester. The Chairman, Cronwright-Schreiner attacked CapitalismCapitalismCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and was cheered by all and sundry. Australian troops were deployed to maintain law and order. - - 1901 - On the 3rd of January, with Boer Commandos in the vicinity, Martial LawMartial lawMartial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
was declared in the Cape ColonyCape ColonyThe Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, including Worcester - - 1903 - The Worcester Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerceA chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
was established in April, when 65 town and 44 country members were enrolled free of entrance fee. The first AGM was held in September 1904. On that date the total annual importImportThe term import is derived from the conceptual meaning as to bring in the goods and services into the port of a country. The buyer of such goods and services is referred to an "importer" who is based in the country of import whereas the overseas based seller is referred to as an "exporter". Thus...
to SA amounted to £35 million. The exports totalled £25 million per annum. The gross traffic receipts for the Railway Companies came to £3 million and the “European” population of the country stood at 1 million. - - 1904 - Worcester Band, Philharmonic Society and Academy of Music formed
- - 1908 - Good Hope CaféCaféA café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
and Cinema was started by the first GreekGreeksThe Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
resident of Worcester. Mr Costas Drigos bought the property and by 1920 he sold to the Gianellos brothers. In the early days most meetings of social-, political- or sport organizations were held at the Good Hope Café. - - 1909 - Boy ScoutsSouth African Scout AssociationThe South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognized Scouting association in South Africa. Scouting began in the United Kingdom in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell and rapidly spread to South Africa, with the first Scout troops appearing in...
Troop established at Worcester - - 1914 - HospitalHospitalA hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
completed at Hospital Hill - - 1914 - The New Cape Central Railway Company donated the NCCR shield for schools rugby matches between Worcester- and Robertson Boys High, the schools that grew out of these two schools, still compete annually for this shield.
- - 1926 - Child WelfareChild welfareChild protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
established - - 1961 - The Eskom Hex River Power station, situated at Worcester, electrified the railway track from Cape Town to Beaufort WestBeaufort WestBeaufort West is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and forms part of the Beaufort West Local Municipality, with 37 000 inhabitants in 2001....
, making it the longest electrified section in Africa.
- - Old Worcester motto: "Mutare Sperno" - I scorn to change
Tennis and cricket
Lawn TennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
was played at the Standard Courts from 1877 and by 1906, two clubs played competitive tennis in Worcester. On the 3rd of January 1877, a Worcester Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team played for the first time against a Cape Town side. Matches took place at Church-, Market and Queen Squares. Players were organised into three local teams, Rangers, Worcester and United and played their matches on Saturdays.
In 1905 the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
under Pelham Plum Warner played a match against a combined Worcester side. From 1908 matches were played in league format and competition for the Perkins Cup started. From 1916 to 1925 Richard Robins (Dick) Luyt played for the Worcester Club as well as representing Western Province
Western Province cricket team
Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...
in the Currie Cup Competition. On January 20 and 21 1925, Luyt captained a Western Province Country Districts side at Worcester when they played against the Solomon Joel
Solomon Joel
Solomon Barnato Joel was a South African financier and mining, brewing and railway magnate.-Career:Known as "Solly", he was born into a Jewish family, being one of three sons of Joel Joel , and Kate Isaacs, who was a sister of Barnett Isaacs, later to be called Barney Barnato...
XI. During the 1950s Luyt would become a Springbok cricket selector. Between 1921 and 1922, the Springbok cricketer Jimmy Blanckenberg played for Worcester and on the 2nd of August 1931; Eddie Fuller was born in Worcester.
Boland Park would have to wait until the 1990s to see provincial cricket again. By this time Claude Henderson
Claude Henderson
Claude William Henderson is a South African cricketer who bowls left-arm spin and played in seven Tests and four ODIs from 2001 to 2002...
, born and educated at Worcester was the new cricketing star. Peter Kirsten
Peter Kirsten
Peter Noel Kirsten is a former cricketer who represented South Africa in 12 Tests and 40 One Day Internationals from 1991 to 1994.-Cricket career:...
, Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten is a former South African cricketer, and the World Cup winning coach of the Indian cricket team. He played 101 Test matches and 185 One-day internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004, mainly as an opening batsman...
, Tim Shaw
Tim Shaw (Cricketer)
Timothy Gower Shaw is a former South African cricketer who played nine One Day Internationals in 1992.-References:*...
, Rudi Bryson
Rudi Bryson
Rudi Edwin Bryson was a former South African cricketer who played seven One Day Internationals in 1997.-References:*...
, Phillip Amm, Kepler Wessels
Kepler Wessels
Kepler Christoffel Wessels is a former South African cricketer who captained South Africa after playing 24 Tests for Australia. He was the first man to have played One Day International cricket for two countries....
, Adrian Kuiper
Adrian Kuiper
Adrian Paul Kuiper is a former South African cricketer who played in one international Test match and twenty five ODIs from 1991 to 1996....
, Terence Lazard
Terence Lazard
Terence Nicholas Lazard was born on 19 October 1965 in Cape Town, South Africa, and is a former cricket player for South Africa’s Western Province cricket team. He also played for the Eastern Province and Boland teams....
and John Commins
John Commins
John Brian Commins is a former South African cricketer who played in three Tests from 1994 to 1995.-References:...
would all score centuries at Boland Park. During April 1993, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
played against Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
in an over limited match at Boland Park. Henderson would go on to represent South Africa in 7 test matches and 4 ODI's.
Rugby Union
Barry Fairy HeatlieFairy Heatlie
Barry "Fairy" Heatlie was a rugby union player, representing both South Africa and Argentina. He was the fifth captain of the South African rugby union team and is attributed as the man who gave the Springboks their famous green jersey.His contributions to the early development of South African...
was born at Glen Heatlie in the district of Worcester, on April 25, 1872, one of nine brothers who were all good athletes and sportsmen. He was selected for Western Province at the age of 18, and for South Africa in his 20th year. Altogether he represented Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
in 41 matches and he was never on the losing side in 26 Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
matches. Heatlie was a big, robust forward and an intelligent, inspiring leader. When Heatlie was given the captaincy of the South Africans for the final test in 1896, he decided to supply his team with jerseys from the Old Diocesan Club. It was a happy coincidence that the jerseys were green and that South Africa therefore won her first international wearing what was to become the national colour. South Africa won the test 5 – 0 and afterwards Heatlie was carried around the field in triumph. Barry Heatlie and his 14 hereos had to rely on public transport to get home after their historic triumph.
In 1882 a Worcester Rugby team played in the first recorded match against De Doorns, “A special train was engaged and a tremendous crowd of enthusiasts proceeded to the Valley for a whole day’s picnicking and some football.” The Church Council complained about this “tendency of the age,” matches played on Saturday afternoon interfered with the Preparation Service for Sunday Sermon. The Rugby Club was founded by Jimmy de Jongh, a local lawyer and started competition in the Western Province Country League in 1884. For the first league match played against Malmesbury, the team left Worcester on the Thursday to only return on Monday. Malmesbury declared match day as a Public Holiday. Charles Heatlie represented the Cape Colony against the first British side in 1891 and under his captaincy Worcester won the Country Cup from 1889 to 1894. The club again won the Cup in 1897 when Noble Heatlie was captain.
Percy Allport was educated at Worcester and became a Springbok
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
when he represented South Africa in 1910. Allport played at fullback in the last two tests of the series against the fourth English touring side. With the series poised at one win each, the third test at Newlands
Newlands, Cape Town
Newlands is an upmarket suburb of Cape Town, South Africa.It is located at the foot of Table Mountain in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, and is the wettest suburb in South Africa due to its high winter rainfall...
created more public interest than any other rugby match up to then and for the first time reports in the old newspapers refer to the “perpetual Newlands roar.” The highlight of the match was undoubtedly a try scored by Allport. It was to be 45 years before Roy Dryburgh became only the second Springbok fullback in history to score a try in a test.
Richard Robins (Dick) Luyt was born at Ceres and was ranked by his contemporaries as a centre as good as Japie Krige. He had the same uncanny ability to create openings for his teammates and it would seem as if he was South Africa’s first hard-tackling centre. Dick Luyt who was a medical doctor settled in Worcester during 1916 and played and captained the Worcester club until 1922.
In 1931, Schalk du Toit and Alvi van der Merwe were selected to tour with Bennie Osler
Bennie Osler
Benjamin Louwrens Osler was a rugby union footballer who played internationally for South Africa. Osler played mainly at fly-half for both South Africa, and his provincial team of Western Province....
’s Springbok side to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with Van der Merwe playing in the test against Wales. Buks Marais who was educated at Worcester became a Springbok in 1949 when he played in two tests against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. He toured with the Springboks to Europe in 1951/52 and played in the test against Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In 1953 he returned to Worcester and again played in the first two tests against the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. In 1952 the Boland Provincial side played in the Currie Cup final against Transvaal
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
. Steve Hoffman, Johan Naude and Albertus van der Merwe played for the Boland team. Hoffman would become a Springbok in 1953 and Van der Merwe would represent the Springboks in 12 tests from 1955 to 1960.
In 1969 Mike Jennings was selected to tour with the Springboks to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The tour would become infamous as the “Demo tour.” Johan Oosthuizen, born and educated at Worcester, would represent the Springboks in 9 tests from 1974 to 1976. During 1996 the All Blacks played a rugby match on their South African tour, against the Boland Provincial side at Esselen Park.
Golf and other sports
The early golfers wore red blazers and long white trousers and played on Church Square during the 1880s. The first GolfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Club in Southern Africa was the Royal Cape Golf Club founded in 1885. The Worcester Golf Club was established in 1896 and competition for the Donnison Cup between these two clubs started in 1905.
By 1892 Izak Meiring, Hennie de Wet and Jas Perkins founded the Mountain Club, the first of its kind in South Africa. Meiring who was a Pharmacist and amateur Surveyor, confirmed Matroosberg as the highest peak in the Western Province. Meiring’s plateau on the Brandwacht Mountains was named for him. The Worcester Athletic and Cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
Club was founded in 1905, the Swimming Club in 1906 and the Piscatorial Club in 1907.
Notable sporting performances
- Dicky Broberg - during 1971 he set a new South African record in the 800m track event when he ran a time of 1 min 44.70 sec. His time was only .40 second slower than the World Record and would be ranked as the fastest time in the world during 1971. As a South African Record it would only be broken during 1996.
- Stefan Hugo - won the Berg River Canoe MarathonBerg River Canoe MarathonThe Berg River Canoe Marathon takes place annually in South Africa's Western Cape Province over a distance of some 240km from Paarl to the small harbour of Velddrif on the West Coast. The two other notable South African canoe races are the Dusi Canoe Marathon and the Fish River Canoe Marathon. ...
in 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1984. - JJ Provoyeur - in 1994/95 he single-handed circumnavigated the globe during the BOC ChallengeVELUX 5 Oceans RaceThe VELUX 5 OCEANS Race is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed in stages, managed by Clipper Ventures Plc since 2000. Its current name comes from its main sponsor, VELUX, a Danish company. Originally known as the BOC Challenge, for the title sponsor BOC Gases, the first edition was...
. He completed the race in 133 days.
Famous residents
- Pieter Hugo Naude - South African artist, known locally as Artist Naude
- C. Louis LeipoldtC. Louis LeipoldtDr. Christian Frederik Louis Leipoldt was a South African poet, who wrote inthe Afrikaans language. Together with Jan F. E. Celliers and...
- South African poet in Afrikaans, writer in English, Afrikaans and Dutch, born in Worcester 1882 - Jean Welz - Austrian born architect and artist, lived in Worcester from 1943 to 1969
- J.M. Coetzee - Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner for literature, lived as a boy in Worcester - David KramerDavid KramerDavid Kramer is a South African singer, songwriter, playwright and director, most notable for his musicals about the Cape Coloured communities, and for his early opposition to apartheid.-Early life:...
- Singer, songwriter, playwright and director - Diana Ferrus - South African poet and story writer in Afrikaans
- Abraham Phillips - South African writer in Afrikaans
- Germano Jean-Pierre Le Roux - South African who invented the Word Bleh
Gallery
- Urban and Structural Development
- Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
- north of Worcester, 144 hectare semi-desert nature garden.
- Old Worcester
Attractions
- Kleinplasie Living Open Air Museum
- KWV Brandy Cellar
- Worcester Wine Route including 11 wineries
- Breedekloof Wine Route including 22 wineries
External links
- Worcester Standard Local newspaper: mostly Afrikaans