Anna Basson Blog

Who was Murray of Murray Street, Stellenbosch?

by 'nDromer | Local News
Murraystraat, a beautiful street on campus, is named after John Murray.It leads to the entrance of the US botanical gardens.JOHN MURRAY (1826 - 1882)John Murray might easily be confused with his younger brother Andrew Murray, who started the Huguenot College in Wellington.Both brothers made an big impact in South Africa as th...  Continue reading

Who was Merriman of Merriman street in Stellenbosch?

by 'nDromer | Local News
Where does the name Merriman Street come from?John X Merriman was a British politician who became Prime Minister of the previous Cape Colony in 1908. Here he is seen sitting on the stoep with his wife, friends, servants and dogs.He wasn't a life long Stellenbosch resident, but is often associated with the farm Rustenberg, whe...  Continue reading

The story of Van Riebeeck street

by 'nDromer | Local News
Van Riebeeck street lies between Plein street and Jonkershoekweg.One of Stellenbosch's heritage writers, Mrs Annie Hofmeyr, wrote a book about the street, tracing its history house by house.Different namesShe explains that Van Riebeeck street has had 3 different names. Names like 'church street' and 'Andringa' are much older ...  Continue reading

The earliest streets in Stellenbosch

by 'nDromer | Local News
What do the four earliest streets in Stellenbosch tell us about what people valued at the time?Dorp street - the unofficial firstDorp street, 'de wapad naar de Caab',  joined the Cape to Stellenbosch and was one of the first roads to develop. This was the main trade route for farmers wanting to sell wine, wheat and other prod...  Continue reading

Die storie van Pleinstraat

by 'nDromer | Local News
In die 1800's was Pleinstraat een van die deftigste strate in Stellenbosch met heelwat Victoriaanse tweeverdiepinghuise. Maar omdat Pleinstraat die sakekern van die dorp was, het meeste van die ou geboue intussen plek gemaak vir nuwe onwikkelings.Vandag is daar nog net 'n paar oorblyfsels van die vroeë geskiedenis in Pleinstr...  Continue reading

The story of Plein Street

by 'nDromer | Local News
In the 1800s Plein Street was one of the grandest streets in Stellenbosch, with rows of Victorian double story houses. But since it was part of Stellenbosch's CBD, the street's older buildings soon gave way to development.Today there are only a few remnants of its early history.[caption id="attachment_1434" align="aligncenter...  Continue reading