TIMELINE
BANTU IRON AGE
Shell maddens containing early Iron Age pottery fragments have been found
at Umhlanga Rocks, Ballito and. Shaka’s Rock Village, dating
back to roaming Bantu civilisation in the period from 400 A.D.
The site of a later iron-age village, of the Bantu, Lala people, can
be visited in the Shaka Valley, near Stanger, dating back to about 1500.
ICE AGE
In the Groutville area, there ate sites of pre-historic Ice-age glacial
activities like wise in the Umvoti, Tongaati and Mbozambo valleys.
SHAKA
Shaka was born in Zululand in 1787, his mother being Princess Nandi,
and his father, the Zulu King, Senzangakhona. In 1816, on the death
of his father, this mighty warrior leader Shaka became King of
the Zulus.
At this time, he was living at his royal settlement, "Bulawayo" in
the heart, of Zululand. He was engaged in forming a vast and very effective
Zulu army of warriors (Impi).
In the early 1800's the area was thickly wooded, with some open patches
or grassland, upon which King Shaka and the Zulu peoples grazed their
vast herds of cattle.
WHITE
SETTLERS
From 1824, the first European Settlers started arriving in sailing
ships from the Cape. They met and obtained land around the Bay from
King Shaka,
calling their tiny settlement. Port Natal. Later, it was to be re-named,
Durban.
These men, Henry Frances Fynn, Lieut. Farewell Captain King, Nathanial
Isaacs, Mr. Hutton, and young John Ross, were befriended and traded
with King Shaka, and the Zulus, who were living in Zululand. Such items
as
the Zulu's elephant; tusk ivory, skins and carvings, were traded for
the White’s beads, cloth, food and trinkets.
KwaDUKUZA
Shaka choose KwaDukuza as his new capital - the area where Stanger
Town now stands - knowing the area was well watered and had good
grazing for
his vast herds of cattle. The new settlement was started in, July 1825,
and was occupied by September. King Shaka called it, DUKUZA (the maze).
It was a massive, oval shaped settlement comprising a huge central
enclosure (kraal) for the royal cattle , and some 2,000 or more beehive
shaped
huts around it. His massive royal hut was built alongside a small spring
and stream.
During the late afternoon of 22 September 1828 (the official date commemorated
is the 24. but is incorrect). King Shaka was seated on a large rock
(which now stands behind his memorial) known as his throne, under a
wild fig
tree in Nyakamubi, when traders arrived. They had come to deliver blue
crane tail feathers and animal skins that they had been sent to gather
for him from Pondoland (Transkei).
SHAKAS DEATH
King Shaka was being attended by his bodyguard, Mbopa. He became
very angry because the traders had kept him waiting, and their
goods were
of inferior quality, according to Mbopa, and a general shouting match
developed. Unbeknown to Shaka, Mbopa and Shaka’s two half-brothers,
Dingane and Mhlangana were planning to assassinate him.
In the confusion, the three assassins put their deadly plan into action.
From behind the nearby stockade of the Nyakamubi kraal, and through a
side opening, behind Shaka's back came Dingane and Mhlangana with their
spears. Mhlangana stuck Shaka on his left side, aiming for his heart,
but instead hit the King's left upper arm. Disgusted, but ever brave,
King Shaka strode away from them, probably heading for the entrance to
Dukuza, and safety, but they followed, striking him repeatedly in the
back. He fell dead at the entrance of the Nyakamubi kraal.
His faithful companion, Pampata guarded the massive, 1 metre, 91 cm
(6 ft. 4 in.) Muscular body all through the night, keeping the wild animals
at bay, with a pole taken from the Nyakamubi fence.
On the following day the three assassins, and others, had a black ox
killed, and wrapped the King’s body in its skin. Inside and near
the entrance of the Nyakamubi kraal, there was a newly dug grain pit.
They lowered Shaka's body and all his possessions down into the empty
pit and filled it with rocks, forming a cairn of rocks over the top.
NEW KING
During the next month Dingane the new King of the Zulus, having had his
half brother, Mhlangana killed, organised the building of a new royal
settlement, in Zululand, called Gungunghlovu. He evacuated all the people
from Dukuza, and the warriors from the three military establishments
in the Urnhlali/Shakaskraal area, Umdumezulu, and Hlomendlini one and
two, back into Zululand.
Dukuza was deserted and soon returned to bush, grass and weeds.
FIRST
WHITE SETTLERS
The first White family settled at the Umvoti River Mouth in 1836.
It was Mr. Willem Landman together with his wife, Maria who was the
daughter
of Piet Retief.
FIRST
MISSIONARY
In 1840 an American Missionary, Reverend Aldin Grout, and his wife
Charlotte established one of the earliest Mission Stations and school
at Groutville
outside Stanger. He encouraged the growing of sugar in the area and
also established a sugar Mill called Umvoti Sugar Mill now called
Melville.
SUGAR
In 1846 Mr. Edmond Morewood was granted a large farm near Umhlali,
which he called "Compensation". Where he practiced the first commercial
sugar cane growing.
Inspired by a visit to the islands off South Africa's East Coast, (Mauritius,
Reunion etc.) He had been introduced to sugar cane growing and the
sugar industry there. He had seed cane shipped back to Natal, which
he planted.
He built a small mill there, using the masts of a sailing ship wrecked
off Compensation Beach (now Ballito), which he cut to lengths to form
rollers to squeeze out the juice from the cane. In January 1851 he
proudly took his first processed sugar to the Durban market for sale,
and is
thus acclaimed as the pioneer of the Natal sugar industry.
With his sugar venture under way, and cane growing better than expected,
other European immigrants from England and Scotland began to arrive
and obtain land between Durban and the Urnhlali river; along the Natal
North
Coast; Verulam; the Umdloti River Valley; Morelands farms, Tongaat.
The development of the sugar industry raced ahead, and soon there were
many
sugar farms and mills in the area.
MILITIA
The Umhlali area, which was the original Militia and Maqestarial area
at the time, was called "Williamstown", under the 45th Division.
STANGER
In the Early 1872, under Liege Hulett, the farmers sent a petition
to the Government in Durban, asking for permission to create a town
here
and move up the magistracy and militia. With the necessary permission
granted in 1872, and the site of Dukuza chosen. The initial layout
of the town having been surveyed and drawn up by the second Surveyor
General
of Natal, Dr Peter Sutherland.
The first buildings erected were the Police complex and a fort for
the Mounted Divisions of the Militia - Unfortunately the fort was demolished
in 1971. These two sites were chosen because they were both on high
ground,
and at the Police complex, there is a strong spring from which to draw
water (as Shaka found and used).This developing group of buildings,
with the residency, the Magistrate’s house and the first shops, was
then declared and named, "STANGER" on 10 February 1873.
The name, "Stanger", originates from a Viking Pirate from Stavanger,
Norway, whose descendants were the "Stanger" family from England.
Dr William Stanger, after who the town of Stanger is named, was the first
Surveyor General of Natal.
CHURCHES
Liege Hulett was responsible for building the first Churches in this
area, in the early 1870's; the Kearsney Chapel, and later, the Methodish
Church of Stanger as well as others at Kearsney for the Indians working
on his estates there.
FIRST SCHOOL
Our first School, a multi-racial one called "Whites", (later
referred to as the Mission School), was formed in 1893 in a small house.
on the corner of Jackson and Hulett Streets, opposite the Methodist Church,
which was rented from the Seedat family of Stanger. It schooled children
of all races, closing as a school in 1923 with 200 pupils.
A young man by the name of Mr. Anthony A Simon, a European, who had run
a school for Indian children at Isipingo on the Natal South Coast, had
been persuaded by a friend, (later to become his father-in-law) Mr. Joel
Peters, to come up to tiny Stanger Village to open a school, as there
was none here. He is the "grandfather'' open a school, of Stanger's
schooling system.
His son and daughters all took up the teaching profession and taught
in local schools, likewise some of his grandchildren. 1895, in two rooms
set aside as a school for White children of this area, the owner of the
large house, Mr. H R Dukes, became our second Headmaster. This is where
Stanger South Indian School now is, and was referred to as the Stanqer
European Government School, and remained thus until recently On 5 August
when the new High and Secondary European schools were built, in 1966
and 1976.
In 1920, the school built for the India opposite the old Stanger Country
Club was Indian children. Soon schools for Coloureds and Zulus were built,
and many more since, to cater for the growing number of children of this
area.
RAILWAY
Sir Liege Hulett also had a large part to play in the organisation of
the extension of the railway system from Verulam to Stanger, and later
to Zululand. It reached Stanqer in 1897.
He also built a famous narrow gauge railway upon which two short trains,
one goods, one passenger, ran between Stanger Stationed Kearsney, to
his tea factory. The two engines are preserved at Darnall.
WARS
Soon after the formation of the Militia in Stanger in 1873, and the
Mounted Division Fort here, these two buildings, plus the Hulett
House at Kearsney,
the store at Thring's Post and Mr. Duke’s house in Stanger, were
heavily fortified as protection laagers against threatened attacks
by the Zulus under Dingane. Many of our local men joined the Forces,
led
by Captain (later Col.) Friend Addison. The Forces massed along the
banks of the Tugela River, the boundary, at Fort Pearson, on this side
of the
river, and at Fort Tenedos on the opposite bank.
The Zulu King then was King Cetshwayo. He had been given "an Ultimatum" under
the famous "Ultimatum Tree" on the bank of the river, to
return stolen cattle, to stop killing and harassing the White farmers
and to
pay his taxes, in the December of 1878, which he did not comply with.
Thus, in January 1879 the Anglo/Zulu War of 1879 started and lasted
until his capture in August 1879. The farming families in that area
were brought
for safety to Stanger.
Between 1906 to 1907, we learn of another Zulu attack against the White
Settlers, led by a sub-chief called Bambata, who, with his followers,
rebelled and came against the Europeans from Greytown down Kranskop
way. Thring's Post, Mapumulo and Kearsney, before they were stopped
by the
troops from Stanger. Again the same venues were laagered against them.
A few Whites were killed before Bambata was captured and killed. This
became known as the "Bambata, rebellion", in which, once
again, many of our local men took an active part under Captain Friend
Addison.
In both the graveyards at Fort Pearson and in the Stanger Cemetery,
are graves of the men who died during these two wars.
Also, both men and women from this area were actively engaged in the
two World Wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, and outside the Borough Offices
there stands a Memorial to those who gave their lives during these wars.
Our young men are, even today, helping to defend our land, South Africa,
against the onslaught of threatened terrorism and Communist take-over.
Stanger Town gradually grew, with its European and Indian peoples working
side by side.
HOTELS
The two hotels, Victoria and Stancrer Hotel, were built in 1873 by
Mr. Samuel Knox, who had a small hotel in the Urnhlali area, known
as the "Umhlali
Inn", which stood alongside the wagon trail from Durban to Zululand.
TELEPHONES
The telephone system of Stanger was started in 1901, with Miss Tilly
Gielink the first telephonist.
VEHICLES
Motor vehicles first made their appearance along the potted, dusty
dirt roads of Stanger from the early 1930's. One of the first cars
belonged
to Mr. Smith, the Lawyer. Dr Bruce also owned one of the early cars.
Stanger's streets were first tarred in the 1940's.
WATER
The spring and stream, which Shaka used, which ran beside his royal
palace, and now the Police Station, then goes underground. This is
why our Town
Hall basement always has water in it. Shaka's Indaba Tree's roots tap
it. It then runs underground and past the Victoria Hotel where Mr.
Knox sunk two wells to draw Stanger's first public water from it.
ELECTRICITY
In the late 1920's, Mr. Gilmore, who owned a substation for electricity
where Emmetts show room now stands in Reynold Street, was able to erect
Stanger's first two street lights and empower them. They stood on the
opposite corners, Couper and Reynold Streets, the one, outside the
Victoria Hotel. These lights operated between the hours of 5.00 p.m.
and 11.00
p.m. only. In 1952, the Stanger Hydro-Electric Scheme was brought into
operation, channeling water from the Umvoti River through turbines,
to form electrical power for this area. The local farmers devised
their
own sources of power, using water or gas operated generators.
MEMORIAL
Later, in 1932, the Zulu people built over the grave the white concrete
memorial, which is seen today.
POST OFFICE/LIBRARY
The first Post Office and Library of Stanger stood off Jackson Street,
between the present Post Office and First National Bank.
”TOWN" BOROUGH"
Stanger Village was granted "Township" status in 1920 and ”Borough" status
in July 1949, Stanger's first Mayor was Leo Lavoipierre, who was also
the first Chairman of the Town Board. They lived and farmed up at Warrenton,
between Stanger and Kearsney. Warrenton House, their home, still stands.
He died in office as Mayor in 1966.
