Timeline of Pietermaritzburg

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The following is a timeline of the history of Pietermaritzburg. It is part of the Msunduzi Local Municipality in the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

19th century

• 1839
  • Pietermaritzburg founded by Voortrekkers; named after Gerrit Maritz and Piet Retief.^[1]
  • October: Settlement becomes capital of the newly formed Natalia Republic.
• 1840 - Voortrekker Church of the Vow consecrated.^[2]
• 1843
  • British Fort Napier [af] established.^[3][4]
  • Natalier newspaper begins publication.^[5]
  • Settlement becomes capital of the newly formed British Colony of Natal.
• 1846
  • Natal Witness newspaper begins publication.
  • Book Society founded.^[6]
• 1847 - Natal Independent newspaper begins publication.^[7]
• 1851
  • Natal and East African Society and Agricultural Society founded.^[6]
  • In vicinity of Pietermaritzburg, development of Edendale begins.^[8]
• 1856
  • Pietermaritzburg incorporated as a borough.^[9][1]
  • D. D. Buchanan becomes mayor.^[9]
  • Pietermaritzburg officials issue "ordinance permitting the establishment of African locations" (i.e. racial segregation).^[10]
• 1862 - Prison built on Burger Street.^[11]
• 1863 - Mr. William Calder opens High School Maritzburg, later to become Maritzburg College, or, simply "College."^[12]
• 1868
  • William Macrorie becomes bishop of Anglican diocese of Maritzburg.
  • St Saviour's Cathedral, Pietermaritzburg opened.^[1]
• 1874 - Botanical Garden established.
• 1878 - February: Natal Society Museum opens.^[6]
• 1879 - Pietermaritzburg County Football Club formed.^[13]
• 1880 - Durban-Pietermaritzburg railway begins operating.^[2][1]
• 1885 - Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Commerce active (approximate date).^{[chronology citation needed][14]}
• 1888 - Alexandra Park established.
• 1893 - 7 June: Civil rights activist Gandhi removed from train in Pietermaritzburg for defying racial segregation law.^[2]
• 1897 - St. John's Diocesan School for Girls founded.

20th century

• 1901 - Town Hall rebuilt.^[1]
• 1904
  • Electric tram begins operating.
  • Natal Government Museum active.^[15]
  • Population: 31,119.^[1]
• 1910
  • Natal University College founded.[1]
  • Pietermaritzburg becomes part of the newly formed Union of South Africa (British dominion).
• 1911 - Population: 30,555.^[16]
• 1912 - Voortrekker museum founded.[2]
• 1919 - Fort Napier becomes a hospital.^{[chronology citation needed]}
• 1920 - Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School founded.
• 1921 - Comrades Marathon (Durban-Pietermaritzburg) begins.
• 1924 - Beer hall in business on Pietermaritz Street.^[17]
• 1925 - Shuter & Shooter Publishers in business.
• 1927 - Afrikaansmediumskool (school) established.
• 1929 - "Native Village at Sobantu" built.^[17]
• 1931 - Natal Bantu Football Association formed.^[13]
• 1934 - Nux student newspaper begins publication.
• 1944 - Pietermaritzburg Italian P.O.W. Church built on Epworth Road.
• 1948 - Alexandra Park Street Circuit (motor race track) opens.
• 1951 - Dusi Canoe Marathon to Durban begins.
• 1953 - Roy Hesketh Circuit (motor race track) opens.
• 1954 - Edendale Hospital founded.
• 1960 - Alexandra High School for white boys opens.
• 1961 - Pietermaritzburg becomes part of the newly independent Republic of South Africa.
• 1962 - Statue of Piet Retief unveiled.
• 1972 - 6 April: "In the Natal Supreme Court in Pietermaritzburg, at the end of the longest trial of its kind in South Africa, thirteen defendants...are sentenced...for contravening the Terrorism Act."^[2]
• 1979 - Maritzburg United F.C. (football club) formed.
• 1976 - St Saviour's Cathedral, Pietermaritzburg deconsecrated and demolished in 1981.
• 1981 - Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Nativity consecrated.
• 1985 - 5 August: Treason trial begins.^[18]
• 1987 - September: Flood.^[19]
• 1989 - Napierville prison begins operating.^[11]
• 1990 - March: "Seven Day War" occurs.^[2]
• 1991 - Population: 156,473 city; 228,549 metro.^[20]
• 1993
  • April: Unrest.^[21]
  • 6 June: Gandhi memorial unveiled.^[2]
• 1996 - Children in Distress Network (CINDI) organized.^[22]
• 2000
  • Pietermaritzburg becomes part of the newly formed Msunduzi Local Municipality (which includes Edendale, Imbali, etc.).
  • Hloni Glenford Zondi becomes mayor.

21st century

• 2001 - Population: 223,519.
• 2002 - Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business formed.^[23]
• 2004 - University of Natal becomes University of KwaZulu-Natal.
• 2005 - Website Msunduzi.gov.za launched (approximate date).^[24]
• 2006 - Zanele Hlatshwayo becomes mayor of Msunduzi.^[25]
• 2010 - May: Mike Tarr becomes mayor of Msunduzi.^[26]
• 2011 - Chris Ndlela becomes mayor of Msunduzi.^[27]
• 2013 - Spring Grove Dam at Mooi River begins operating in vicinity of city.^[28]
• 2016 - Themba Njilo becomes mayor of Msunduzi.^[29][30]
• 2021 - 2021 Pietermaritzburg power outage
• 2022 - 2022 Pietermaritzburg shooting

See also

• Pietermaritzburg history
• List of mayors of Pietermaritzburg
• List of heritage sites in Pietermaritzburg
• List of governors of Natal (British colony), headquartered in Pietermaritzburg 1843–1910
• Timelines of other cities in South Africa: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria

References

1. Britannica 1910.
2. "Sahistory.org.za". Cape Town: South African History Online. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
3. Dominy 1992.
4. Graham Dominy (2016). Last Outpost on the Zulu Frontier: Fort Napier and the British Imperial Garrison. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09824-6.
5. Robert Russell (1899). Natal: The Land and Its Story. London: J. M. Dent & Co.
6. "History". Natalia.org.za. Natal Society Foundation. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
7. Lloyd's 1906.
8. Marc Epprecht (2016). Welcome to Greater Edendale: Histories of Environment, Health, and Gender in an African City. McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-9966-6.
9. Ingram 1898.
10. Merrett 1994.
11. "History of the Old Prison", News24.com, 9 December 2016, Old Pietermaritzburg Prison
12. College 1863-1963, R.W. Kent pp 10, 24
13. John Nauright (1997). Sport, Cultures, and Identities in South Africa. Leicester University Press. ISBN 978-0-7185-0072-6.
14. Blue Book for the Colony of Natal, Natal: P. Davis & Sons, 1885
15. Annals of the Natal Government Museum, vol. 1, London, 1906 – via HathiTrust
16. "British Empire: Province of Natal". Statesman's Year-Book. London: Macmillan and Co. 1921. hdl:2027/njp.32101072368440 – via HathiTrust.
17. Whelan 2015.
18. Alan Cowell (6 August 1985), "South Africa Puts 16 Blacks on Trial in a Treason Case", New York Times
19. "Toll in Rain and Floods Hits 60 in South Africa", New York Times, 30 September 1987
20. "South Africa". Africa South of the Sahara 2003. Regional Surveys of the World. Europa Publications. 2003. ISBN 9781857431315. ISSN 0065-3896.
21. "South Africa Riots Lead to 7 Deaths; Tensions Run High", New York Times, 15 April 1993
22. "Alan Paton Centre & Struggle Archives". Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
23. "About Us". Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
24. "Msunduzi.gov.za". Msunduzi Municipality. Archived from the original on 30 October 2005 – via Wayback Machine.
25. "Hlatshwayo snatches mayorship from Zondi". Iol.co.za. 16 March 2006.
26. "MEC fires official for 13 charges". Iol.co.za. 21 January 2011.
27. "Tough year for Msunduzi Municipality". Iol.co.za. 23 December 2011.
28. "Look after infrastructure, says Zuma", Iol.co.za, 19 November 2013, Mooi Mngeni Water Scheme
29. "Njilo to run for mayor". News24.com. 20 June 2016.
30. "'There will be no aloof councillors'-Njilo". Maritzburgsun.co.za. 24 August 2016.

Bibliography

• "Commercial Directory, Pietermaritzburg", Natal Almanac and Yearly Register: 1868, Pietermaritzburg: P. Davis & Sons, 1867
• "Principal Towns in Natal: Pietermaritzburg", Natal Almanac Directory and Yearly Register, Pietermaritzburg: P. Davis & Sons, 1897 + Street Directory
• J. Forsyth Ingram (1898). Story of an African City. Pietermaritzburg: C. Coester. (About Pietermaritzburg, with illustrations)
• C.W. Francis Harrison, ed. (1903). "City of Pietermaritzburg". Natal: An Illustrated Official Railway Guide and Handbook of General Information. London: Payne Jennings. pp. 51–63. OCLC 8287214.
• "Pietermaritzburg". Twentieth Century Impressions of Natal: Its People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources. Twentieth Century Impressions. Natal: Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company. 1906.
• "Pietermaritzburg" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). 1910. p. 592.
• Alan F. Hattersley (1938). Pietermaritzburg Panorama: A Survey of One Hundred Years of an African City. Pietermaritzburg: Shuter & Shooter. OCLC 652246540.
• Alan F. Hattersley (1940). Portrait of a Colony: The Story of Natal. Cambridge University Press. OCLC 776806583.
• Alan F. Hattersley (1951). Portrait of a City. Shuter & Shooter. OCLC 776806581. (About Pietermaritzburg)
• John Laband and Robert Haswell, ed. (1988). Pietermaritzburg 1838-1988: a new portrait of an African city. Pietermaritzburg.
• Matthew Kentridge. An Unofficial War: Inside the Conflict in Pietermaritzburg (Cape Town: David Philip 1990)
• T M Wills (1991). "Pietermaritzburg". In Anthony Lemon (ed.). Homes Apart: South Africa's Segregated Cities. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-33321-0.
• Dominy, Graham (1 October 1992). "An emblem of peace and security': The construction of Fort Napier and its impact on Pietermaritzburg, 1843-1848". Southern African Humanities. 4 (10): 89–106. hdl:10520/AJA16815564_343.
• Bolsmann, Chris (2014). "Sport and Post-Apartheid South Africa: Revisiting The Race Game". Journal of Sport History. 41 (2): 331–338. doi:10.5406/jsporthistory.41.2.331. JSTOR 10.5406/jsporthistory.41.2.331. S2CID 160428518.
• Thompson, P. S. (1 November 2014). "Pietermaritzburg in the Great War : corporate patriotism and civic sacrifice". Historia. 59 (2): 171–193. hdl:10520/EJC163424.
• Whelan, Debbie (2015). "eMatsheni: The central beer hall as social and municipal infrastructure in twentieth century Pietermaritzburg". Historia. 60 (1): 75–91. doi:10.17159/2309-8392/2015/v60n1a5.

External links

• "Registry: (Pietermaritzburg)". Archivalplatform.org. Rondebosch. (Directory of South African archival and memory institutions and organisations)
• "(Pietermaritzburg)". AfricaBib.org. (Bibliography)
• "(Pietermaritzburg)". Digital Innovation South Africa. University of KwaZulu-Natal. OCLC 225596326. (Articles, images etc.)
• Items related to Pietermaritzburg, various dates (via Europeana)
• Items related to Pietermaritzburg, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)