Cathcart, South Africa

Cathcart
Main street in Cathcart
Cathcart Show map of Eastern Cape Cathcart Show map of South Africa Cathcart Show map of Africa
Coordinates: 32°18′S 27°08′E
Country	South Africa
Province	Eastern Cape
District	Amathole
Municipality	Amahlathi
Established	1858[1]
Area [2]
• Total	30.1 km^2 (11.6 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	7,360
• Density	240/km^2 (630/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	93.4%
• Coloured	2.0%
• Indian/Asian	0.1%
• White	4.3%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011) [2]
• IsiXhosa	90.6%
• English	4.5%
• Afrikaans	3.1%
• Other	1.8%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	5310
PO box	5310
Area code	045

Cathcart is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, named after Sir George Cathcart, governor of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope 1852–1853. The town is situated on the N6, 48 kilometres (30 mi) north of Stutterheim en route to Komani. It is the Biltong capital of South Africa.

Establishment

Originally a small military post established during the Eighth Frontier War, Cathcart was established as a village in 1858 when German colonists arrived in the region. The village was formally laid out in 1858 and it only consisted of one inhabited dwelling. It only gained more settlers in the year 1876. It was named after the governor of the Colony of the Good Hope in 1852-1853, Sir George Cathcart. Work on its railway connection to East London on the coast was begun by the Cape government of John Molteno in 1876, and the line was officially opened on 3 November 1879. The Cathcart Shrine was the first built shrine in Africa and it was blessed in 1949.[3]

Religion

Church of Saint Alban at Cathcart in the Eastern Cape South Africa on the road to Aliwal North.

St. Alban's Anglican Church,[a] built in 1886 is a well known landmark in Cathcart and has an unusual and distinctive Western façade.[4]

Education

There are a number of high schools and primary schools in Cathcart. Cathcart High School is located north of the town near the N6 route to Queenstown.[b]

•* Cathcart Primary School •* Cathcart High School •* Fenfield Farm School •* Goshen Public School

Notable people

• Allister Sparks

References

1. St. Alban's Anglican Church is located at 32°17′51″S 27°08′32″E
2. Cathcart High School is located at 32°17′39″S 27°08′32″E

1. Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
2. Sum of the Subplaces Katikati SP, Daliwe SP, Carthcart SP and Rocklands from Census 2011.
3. Burman 1984, p. 83.
4. Menache & David 2015, p. 16.

• Burman, Jose (1984). Early railways at the Cape. Human & Rousseau. ISBN 9780798117609.
• Menache, Philippe; David, Darryl Earl (2015). Church Tourism in South Africa: A Travel Odyssey : Also Featuring, On Tour with Wynand Louw. Menache and David (Self published). ISBN 978-0-620-67799-8.

External links

Media related to Cathcart at Wikimedia Commons