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Perched on the outskirts of Observatory in Cape Town, just above the Black River, stands the South African Astronomical Observatory; initially known as the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, it has multiple telescopes, a museum, a mechanical workshop that can “build, maintain and support the various instruments used on telescopes in Sutherland”, and a library.

Now, the observatory is turning 200, and on the day of our visit, the place is bustling with people busy sanding the inside of the building, painting walls, and preparing the observatory ahead of the celebrations.

Published October 19, 2020Updated September 16, 2024
Delgoa Bay is a Bay on the South East coast of Mozambique, East Africa, near the South African border. Discovered by António do Campo, a member of Vasco da Gama’s expedition (1502), it was first explored by Lorenzo Marques, a Portuguese trader, in 1544. It was important as an outlet for ivory and slaves, as a way station for Indian Ocean trade, and as an avenue of approach to South African diamond fields and goldfields. Ownership was contested by the Portuguese, Dutch, English, and Boers until by arbitration (1875) it was awarded to Portugal.
Published October 19, 2020Updated October 19, 2020
The Royal Observatory occupies a small wooded Hill about 6 km East of central Cape Town, within a Conservation Area known as; the Two Rivers Urban Park. Its location was originally chosen to be within view of the Table Bay, the anchorage in front of the City, to permit the visual signaling of time to visiting ships, because of the treacherous Sea, hence the name: 'Cape of Storms'.
Published October 19, 2020Updated October 20, 2023

The name is of biblical origin, also spelled: "Dal Josafat or Dal Josaphat".

Published October 16, 2020Updated May 27, 2022

Personal Information

Mabel Palmer
Born: May 22, 1876 in Northumberland, England
Died: November 16, 1958

Dr Mabel Palmer (nee Mabel Atkinson) was born on 22 May 1876 near Stocksfield in Northumberland, England. Her father, J.B. Atkinson, was a mine inspector, and her mother, Jane Atkinson, a militant suffragette. Her mother’s activism most likely had an impact on young Palmer, who would later become a prominent feminist campaigner.

Published October 16, 2020Updated October 16, 2020
Wagendrift Dam and Moor Park Nature Reserve is situated just off the N3 highway, near Estcourt. The Reserve is roughly 980 square Kilometers, in extent and includes a popular picnic and fishing spot. An Iron Age site dating back to AD 1300 is found on Makhabeni Hill overlooking; Moor Park and is listed as the first known Iron-Age Settlement in Southern Africa. On the Southern side of the Dam, there are large fossil beds with many fossilised trees lying exposed at ground level.
Published October 16, 2020Updated March 19, 2025

“Imbali” is the IsiZulu word for: “Flower”. Imbali Township was established in 1958 and built in the mid-1960s to settle the City workers and employment seekers away from the City of, Pietermaritzburg. In 1964 the Department of Bantu Affairs in partnership with Pietermaritzburg Co-operation took over the control of the Area.

Published October 15, 2020Updated October 22, 2020

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