Buying a home in Durbanville is certainly an investment in a superb suburban lifestyle. Known for its big houses and large properties, Durbanville is a popular residential area in the Western Cape. This section will provide you with interesting information on Durbanville’s historical background, giving you a retrospective sense of the area that you are buying into.
The original Pampoenkraal outspan was a meeting place for local farmers coming from the inland via Roodezand to Cape Town. In 1825, a group of Tygerberg farmers requested permission from Lord Charles Somerset to build their own church.
The Dutch Reformed Church was commended and inaugurated a year later. A small village grew up between the Church and the outspan and was named Pampoenkraal. The inhabitants changed the name of the town to Village D’Urban after a petition in 1826. To prevent confusion with Durban in KwaZulu Natal, the town ultimately changed its name to Durbanville in 1886.
Durbanville grew rapidly after the turn of the century and a local industry developed. The King brothers’ Wagon Works was a crucial component in the town’s development and soon became known nationally. Durbanville had its own courthouse, gaol and magistrate from the 1970s. The old courthouse still exists within the Rust-en-Vrede complex, originally erected in 1850. There is still much of the historical architecture to be found in the city today, giving Durbanville its quaint rural atmosphere.
History of Rust & Vrede
The building of this historic complex dates back to the mid 1800s. Rust-en-Vrede reflects a harmonious blend of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architectural elements. The original building housed a jail and police headquarters until 1856 when a courthouse was built. It was here that the first Village Management Committee met and Durbanville was registered as a municipality in 1901.
When a new magistrate’s court was built in Bellville, a clock maker bought the property in 1926. It was converted into four semi-detached houses, with the Meenely family occupying the front section. The Municipality bought the property back from the Meenely estate in 1979 and it was proclaimed a national monument on 26 October 1984. It now houses the Durbanville Cultural Society, the Clay Museum, the Potters Shop, the Gallery Café and a Tourism Office.
History of Onze Molen
Another of Durbanville’s historic monuments is the Onze Molen, a windmill reputedly erected by a burgher named Johannes Jacobus Uys who bought the property in 1801. The earliest examples of windmills in the Cape were found along the Liesbeek and Black Rivers, but the steady increase in demand for wheat products rendered these mills inadequate.
In the early 20th century, the roof, wings and machinery were removed and in later years the windmill became derelict. It was eventually turned into a labourer's cottage. The land was bought by Mr. B. Brinkworth in 1963 and renamed Onze Molen. After renovations appeared impractical, the building was sold to the National Building Society and much of the restoration was based on the well-known Mostert Mill situated on De Waal Drive in Cape Town. The beautifully restored mill is just one of the historical masterpieces preserved in Durbanville and stands as the proud centrepiece of the Onze Molen development.
