Uniondale, South Africa

Uniondale
Uniondale, Old Dutch Reformed Church from the fort
Uniondale, Old Dutch Reformed Church from the fort
Uniondale is located in Western Cape
Uniondale
Uniondale
Uniondale is located in South Africa
Uniondale
Uniondale
Coordinates: 33°39′33″S 23°7′26″E / 33.65917°S 23.12389°E / -33.65917; 23.12389
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictGarden Route
MunicipalityGeorge
Area
[1]
 • Total
18.90 km2 (7.30 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
4,525
 • Density240/km2 (620/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
 • Black African8.5%
 • Coloured80.9%
 • Indian/Asian0.2%
 • White8.9%
 • Other1.5%
First languages (2011)
[1]
 • Afrikaans95.1%
 • English1.9%
 • Xhosa1.1%
 • Other1.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
6460
PO box
6460
Area code044
A block house built during the Anglo-Boer War by the British military authorities and the local militia for the defence of Uniondale.

Uniondale is a small town in the Little Karoo in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The town was formed in 1856 by the joining of two towns, Hopedale and Lyons.[2] Its primary claim to fame is the ghost story of the Uniondale hitcher.[2][3] The town is connected by the N9 road to George and the R339 road, down to Knysna.

The Ghost of Uniondale

Main article: N9 road (South Africa) § Uniondale Ghost

In stormy weather on Easter weekend of 1968 a young engaged couple had a car accident on the Barandas-Willowmore road around 20 kilometres from the town. The woman, Maria Charlotte Roux, was sleeping in the back seat of their Volkswagen Beetle when her fiancé lost control of the car. The car overturned and she was killed.

The first reported sighting of a ghost matching her description occurred during the Easter weekend of 1976,[2][failed verification][3] and since then many other sightings have been reported. All involve a female hitchhiker who is given a lift, then disappears a few kilometers down the road, and some have reported car doors opening and closing, laughter and a chill in the air.

This story has many of the basic characteristics of the well-known Vanishing Hitchhiker urban legend, which was described thus by Ernest W. Baughman:

Ghost of young woman asks for ride in automobile, disappears from closed car without the driver's knowledge, after giving him an address to which she wishes to be taken. The driver asks person at the address about the rider, finds she has been dead for some time. (Often the driver finds that the ghost has made similar attempts to return, usually on the anniversary of death in automobile accident. Often, too, the ghost leaves some item such as a scarf or traveling bag in the car.)[[4]]

Famous Residents

Dalene Matthee, author of Fiela se Kind, lived in Uniondale from 1971 – 1978, when her husband was the bank manager.[5] A few of the film locations for Fiela se kind, were also in the town.[6]

Boer War Forts

The town was protected by five forts, four of which are still visible.[7]

Waterwheel

The town also has the largest water wheel in South Africa.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Uniondale". Census 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Uniondale Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Go24, retrieved 16 June 2007
  3. ^ a b Uniondale, Klein Karoo, SA Venues, retrieved 16 June 2007
  4. ^ Baughman, Ernest W. (1966). Type and Motif-Index of the Folktales of England and North America. Indiana University. p. 148
  5. ^ "Getting lost in Uniondale". Getaway Magazine. 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  6. ^ Kotze, Karen (2019-09-19). "Old classic, new twist". False Bay Echo. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  7. ^ https://www.tourismportals.co.za/file/richard_tomlinsons_uniondales_town_guard_forts_of_the_angloboer_war_18991902.pdf
  8. ^ "Uniondale Watermill". Uniondale Tourism. Retrieved 2024-11-15.

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