Bellville – Stadion & Velodrome

1954 – Bellville’s Old Stadium in Voortrekker Road

The first hockey test match to be played on the Bellville Sports Ground took place last Saturday when the South African women’s team defeated England 2 – 1. Approximately 5 000 enthusiastic spectators arrived at the grounds. The ground appears to be a marvellous future venue for big Cape sporting events. (Cape Times, 21 August 1954)

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Women playing hockey at the old Bellville Stadium on Voortrekker Road.
(Cape Times, 21 August 1954)

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Bellville – Fenisiërs was dalk 600 v.C. al reeds in Bellville

Fenisiërs was dalk 600 v.C. in die Kaap

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Dekades gelede het talle argeoloë in Pinelands na die oorblyfsels van ‘n Fenisiese skip gesoek. Daar is ‘n kans die Fenisiërs het voor Dias rondom die Kaap geseil, maar dit is nou nog nie geheel en al ‘n sekerheid nie.
Sedert die Britte die Kaap in 1806 beset het, was daar al sprake van ‘n Fenisiese skeepswrak van 600 v.C.
Volgens stories oor die eeue heen vertel, het mense vragte van die wrak se hout weggery omdat dit glo baie goeie brandhout was.
Jose Burman se boek The Unofficial History of the Cape vertel hieroor.

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Bellville – Charles Bell

Bellville se groot held

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Charles Bell, die staatslandmeter en kunstenaar, waarna Bellville vernoem is. Kyk sy cool, gerespekteerde baard! Twee maande voor Charles Davidson Bell se sewentiende verjaardag het hy, geseën met ‘n flinke sin vir humor, ‘n briljante brein en ‘n artistieke talent, in die lente van 1830 vir die eerste keer voet aan wal gesit in Kaapstad.
Hy is in 1813 in Skotland gebore en is deur sy oom, kol. John Bell, toe die koloniale sekretaris, Kaap toe genooi.
Charles was baie goed met die kwas . . . Die jong man het Kaapstad-tonele en plaaslike persoonlikhede met ‘n humoristiese en oplettende oog geteken en geskets.
Toe hy 21 was, het hy aangesluit by dr. Andrew Smith se “Expedition for Exploring Central Africa”. Tydens dié reis moes hy ‘n sketsdagboek van die expedisie hou deur sketse van die landskappe en die inboorlinge wat hulle raakgeloop het, te maak.
Hy was ook baie goed met die hout . . . hy het ‘n groot liefde gehad vir hout en houtsneewerk.

Volgende in Charles se visier was ‘n loopbaan in siviele diens. Op die ouderdom van 24 was hy reeds ‘n gekwalifiseerde landmeter.

Toe hy 36 was, raak hy die voorsitter van die Old Mutual en ontwerp die welbekende Old Mutual-embleem (die een met die drie ankers).
Die volgende jaar, 1850, het Charles en sy vrou geskei. Hulle het drie kinders saam gehad. Hy het laterjare weer getrou.

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Bo: Die kunstige Charles het ook ‘n goue medalje gewen vir die “beste oorspronklike historiese skildery” getiteld “Die landing van Jan van Riebeeck by die Kaap van Goeie Hoop in 1652”.

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Bellville – 1977, 78 Unibell Squatters

Bellville – 1977, 78 Unibell Squatters

The crisis began in 1977, when city officials called for all squatters at Unibell (in Bellville South) to leave their homes, for they would be demolished.
More than 2 000 huts and 15 000 people were to be driven from their homes. These unfortunate people, most of whom were from Transkei, were given absolutely nothing and told to leave as soon as possible.
In reply, the squatters claimed to have nowhere to go.

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Meanwhile, sicknesses were common in Unibell due to no sewage and waste removal programmes and diseases threatened to spread far beyond the humble borders of the squatter camp known as Unibell. Squatters continued ignoring warning/notice letters handed to them by administration officials. What could they do? Some of them had stayed in Unibell for more than six years and claimed that they would rather die in the dirt than leave their shacks. (The Argus, 10 August 1977)

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