Towns and suburbs

Paarden Eiland

paarden eiland

History of Paarden Eiland

Paarden Eiland was originally inhabited by the !Uril’aekua people (Goringhaiqua as the Dutch spelled it)

The battle of Salt River took place here, and it was also the scene of the tragic loss of the Jonge Thomas where Wolraad Woltemade performed his heroic rescue but drowned in the process.

Paarden Eiland (“Horse Island”) in Dutch was originally a big sand bar surrounded by waterways that were populated with hippos. During the wet winter months,  there was just a single point of entry to the rest of the peninsula. The river broke through the sandbar close to where  Duncan dock is today.

Over time, land reclamation projects, especially in the 20th century, altered the natural flow of the Salt River and the Black River. The rivers were canalised, and the estuary was filled in to accommodate urban expansion and industrial activities.  The area was drained in the early 20th century to make way for the Culemborg shunting yards and the Salt River Power Station in the 1920s. ( It was declared as an industrial area in 1935) It developed rapidly after World War ll. Today, the original river mouth has been significantly modified, with much of it rerouted or covered.

 The iconic Wolraad Woltemade

The postcodes for Paarden Island are 7405 (Streets) and 7420 (Boxes)

WEATHER IN PAARDEN ISLAND TODAY

see all listings in Paarden Island

Useful Numbers in Paarden Eiland

  • Police: Maitland-021-5069451
  • Traffic department:0860 103 089
  • Fire: Brooklyn-021 510 5180
  • Water:0860 103 089
  • Electricity:0860 103 089
  • Ambulance:10177
  • Post office;021 511 4312
  • Closest hospital/clinic; Brooklyn-Albow Gardens Clinic-021 444 5950
  • Library: Brooklyn -021 444 5994
  • Pharmacy;Barclay Square Pharmacy-012 341 8072
  • SPCA: Cape Of Good Hope- 021 700 4140

Suburbs adjacent to Paarden Island are Brooklyn; Kensington and Salt River

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