History Webs
For the Drakenstein Valley
Historic campsites
In the 1800s and early 1900s, before motorised transport made family holidays in distant places more affordable, many families camped on Paarl Mountain during school holidays. Some of the camp sites were at Meulwater, Oukraal, Pienaarskamp, Groot Oukraal, Krismiskamp, Tredouxkamp, Elsiesbos, Waboomkop and at Kanariedam.
Learn more
Follow the following links to learn more about the geology of the mountain, the Jan Phillip's mountain road, and the history of the wild flower garden at Meulwater.
Reference
* Paarl Post,
22 July 1983
* Paarl Valley 1687-1987,
ed.AG Oberholster, HSRC, Pretoria,
1987.
Granite outcrops
Paarl Mountain has three prominent granite outcrops: Paarl Rock, Bretagne Rock and Gordons Rock. On the eastern slope of Paarl Mountain two rock formations dominate: Paarl Rock and Gladdeklip or Bosmanskop. In 1657 Abraham Gabbema, a bailif in the employ of the VOC, travelled through the valley and referred to the mountain as the "diamond and the pearl" mountain (the Khoikhoi called it Tortoise Mountain). Of the two formations, only Gladdeklip has a mother- of-pearl sheen in winter, and it is Paarl Rock that has a diamond shape.
Significant dates
In 1938 the mountain was declared a commonage for Paarl residents to graze cattle; in 1963 the commonage was declared a national monument; in 1970 ownership was tranferred to the local municipality and in 1979 declared a nature reserve.
VOC cannon on Paarl Rock
VOC cannon on Paarl Rock
The old ship's cannon
was one of several used to signal the arrival of
ships in Table Bay harbour, and to summon men to defend the Cape
settlement. This particular cannon was stationed on a lookout point on
the western side of Paarl Mountain. Some time after the Battle of
Blaauwberg (1806) the cannon was removed by Mr C Voigt, and dragged
with a team of oxen to its present position on Paarl Rock.
It was fired to celebrate Queen
Victoria's Diamond Jubilee;
then on
11 May 1909 when legislation was passed that would allow South Africa
to become a Union. General de Wet was present at the time. Such was the
mood of the country at the time that he apparently said: "As daar enige
van Suid-Afrika se vyande teenwoordig is, maak hulle dan voor hierdie
historiese kanon staan en ek sal hulle aan stukkies blaas."
The last time the cannon was fired was in 1987 during Paarl's 300 year celebrations.