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The British
Era
(page 7) |
| The Boom Years |
Without political will, little
was achieved to alleviate the conditions in the slums. Instead large funds were
invested in developing infrastructure.
Railways were built, connecting Cape Town to the winelands
(1863), and the length of the Peninsula (1864). Telegraph lines were laid to
Grahamstown (1863) and London (1885). Road building also continued,
particularly the extraordinary construction of mountain passes by the Bains,
father and son.
The building of the harbour from 1860, was particularly ambitious and a prison
for convict labour and a broad gauge railway were constructed for the purpose.
The development of the Cape's infrastructure came just
in time to capitalise on the great diamond boom that started in 1867, and the
economy of the Cape grew fivefold in five years, 1870 - 1875 (more...)
Cape Town itself swelled, as immigrants settled in the city.
The British and European populations grew substantially, and other ethnic
groups became more numerous, including Jews, Indians and Africans (more...)
In 1865 the population was 28,400, in 1891 it had grown to
67,000 and in 1904 171,000. The villages and suburbs became dense urban areas
and settlements spread to the north of the city along Table Bay. The
settlements were racially mixed, although for the 'protection of public health'
municipal officials began to consider moving non-whites into separate
areas.
The outbreak of the South
African War in 1899 led to further immigration and economic growth. Cape
Town did not experience any fighting, although raiding parties did threaten the
winelands. In economic terms the war was a great boom for the city as soldiers
and huge quantities of equipment passed from the harbour to the railways.
The War, however, also
created growing slum areas with an influx of refugees. Families arriving
without possessions were installed in tents along Dock Road. When disease broke
out, they were shifted to Maitland, and when evicted by the Maitland
municipality they tended to drift into District 6.
An outbreak of the plague in 1901 heightened concerns for
public health and municipal officials set about enforcing racial segregation.
For this reason the first townships were developed (more...)
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Heritage Sections
· Culture ·
· Environment
·
History
· Society
Personalities ·
Areas
In this period of Cape History:
Overview
Occupation
Reform
Movement
Afrikaner
Reaction
A City Develops
Imperial
Capital
The Rise of
Prejudice
Boom
Years
The End of British Rule
Conclusion
Bibliography &
Contacts
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