Wolseley, Western Cape

Wolseley is a small town in the upper Breede River Valley region of the Western Cape province of South Africa. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 12,130 people.[1] It is located 90 kilometres (60 mi) northeast of Cape Town, in the Land van Waveren valley between the Waterval Mountains to the west and the Witzenberg Mountains to the east.

Wolseley
Wolseley
Wolseley
Coordinates: 33°24′47″S 19°12′06″E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictCape Winelands
MunicipalityWitzenberg
Area
 • Total5.0 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Elevation
260 m (850 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total12,130
 • Density2,400/km2 (6,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African16.0%
 • Coloured73.9%
 • Indian/Asian0.3%
 • White8.0%
 • Other1.8%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans84.0%
 • Xhosa8.9%
 • Sotho3.3%
 • English1.6%
 • Other2.2%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
6830
PO box
6830
Area code023
The Wolseley Blockhouse built in 1901 during Anglo-Boer War.

Geography

Wolseley lies at an altitude of 260 metres (850 ft) on the watershed between the drainage basins of the Breede River, which flows south to the Indian Ocean, and the Berg River, which flows north to the Atlantic Ocean. It is 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Tulbagh, 12 kilometres (7 mi) southwest of Ceres, and 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest of Worcester.

Government

Wolseley is divided between wards 2 and 7 of the Witzenberg Local Municipality, which has its headquarters at Ceres.

Transport

Wolseley is located just off the R46 regional route, which runs north to Tulbagh and the Nuwekloof Pass to the Swartland, and east over Michell's Pass to Ceres. The R43 regional route begins nearby at a junction with the R46, and runs south to the N1 national route at Worcester. The R43 also connects to the R301 over Bain's Kloof Pass to Wellington.

It is also situated on the main railway line from Cape Town to the interior. Wolseley railway station is served by Metrorail's "Boland Blitz" service, with one train per day in the morning from Worcester to Cape Town, and one in the evening in the other direction. Wolseley is also the junction for the now-closed branch line to Ceres.

In the novel Wolseley (2014) by South African author John J le Grange, the town is home to the family of three who travel to Cape Town looking for a better fortune, as well as being the title to the book.[2]

References
  1. Sum of the Main Places Wolseley, Pine Valley and Montana from Census 2011.
  2. Wolseley (novel) listed on www.amazon.com. Retrieved on 2016-07-02.
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