Plumstead, Cape Town

Plumstead is a residential suburb situated in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

History
Plumstead was first mentioned when, in 1762, a large portion of the land beyond Wynberg and the Constantia Valley was granted to the free burghers Hendrick Jergens and Johan Barrens, who were Dutch settlers. They called the land 'Rust' (Rest) and 'Werk' (Work).

Twenty years later the land was granted to Hendrick Bouman Brigeraad.

After the decline of the Dutch East India Company, the British occupied the Cape.

An Englishman, Henry Batt, arrived in 1807 and bought 'Rust and Werk' and renamed it Plumstead, after a district of London. He farmed the area for twenty six years, and died in 1833. The farm Plumstead was sub-divided and bought by Messrs. Higgs, Loubscher and Southey. Today, Plumstead consists of a mix of houses built in the 1940s and 1950s and more modern residences.

Geography
The suburb is bordered to the east by the M5 expressway and to the west by the suburb of Constantia.

Education
The suburb contains a number of educational institutions.

Schools:


 * John Graham Primary School
 * Timour Hall Primary School
 * Plumstead Preparatory School
 * Plumstead High School
 * South Peninsula High School
 * Norman Henshilwood High School

Tertiary institutions:


 * Cape Town College of Fashion Design

There are multiple pre-school and educare facilities in Plumstead.

Sports
Plumstead incorporates the Cape Town Cricket Club and Plumstead Tennis Club, both located on Victoria Road. Next to these is the Plumstead Bowling Club.

Governance
Plumstead is divided between wards 62, 63 and 73 of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. The ward councillors are Elizabeth Brunette, Monty Oliver and Carmen Siebritz, respectively, all members of the Democratic Alliance. The Plumstead Municipal Offices are located on Victoria Road.