Showing 362 results

The Village Management Board of Kuruman was established on 12 June 1913 under provision of the Villages Management Act, 1881 and sections 80 and 81 of the South Africa Act, 1909, in terms of Proclamation No 144, 1913 (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 269, 11 July 1913).

The Municipality of Kuruman was established on 18 April 1916 under provision of section 10 of the Cape Municipal Ordinance, 1912 in terms of Proclamation No 71, 1916 (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 431, 21 April 1916).

In 1994 Kuruman became part of the Northern Cape Province. It forms part of the Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality, one of three local municipalities that falls under the John Taolo Gaetsewe (formerly Kgalagadi) District Municipality.

The Municipality of Mossel Bay was constituted on 5 July 1865 in terms of Proclamation No 59 of 1865 under provision of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of Mossel Bay together with the municipalities of Great Brak River and Herbertsdale, the Friemersheim Transitional Council, and the transitional representative councils of Mossel Bay and Outeniqua, was disestablished and the Mossel Bay Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5592, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 500, 22 September 2000). The Mossel Bay Local Municipality forms part of the larger Garden Route District Municipality.

According to the Town Clerk all archives, with the exception of council and general standing committees minutes older than thirty years, were destroyed during a fire in 1961.

The Village Management Board of Goodwood was constituted at a public meeting held in Goodwood on 5 August 1925 in terms of the provisions of Ordinance No 10, 1921 (ref 3/GDW 1, p1). The establishment of the Village Management Board was officially gazetted on 5 June 1925 under provision of section four (a) of the Village Management Board Ordinance, No 10, 1921 in terms of Proclamation No 72, 1925 (Province of the Cape Good Hope Official Gazette, No 981, 5 June 1925).

In terms of Proclamation No 129 of 1938 the Village Management Board of Goodwood ceased to exist and the Municipality of Goodwood was constituted on 28 October 1938 under the provision of section four (b) of Ordinance No 10, 1921 and sections ten (a) and ten (e) of Ordinance No 10 of 1921 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette, No 1784, 28 October 1938).

In terms of Proclamation No 27 of 28 May 1996 the Tygerberg Substructure was established on 29 May 1996 with the amalgamation of the Municipalities of Parow, Bellville, Goodwood, Lingelethu West, Durbanville, Mfuleni and parts of Cape Town, Milnerton and the Cape Metropolitan Board (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary, No 5051, 28 May 1996).

The Municipality of Clanwilliam was constituted on 12 March 1900 under provision of Government Notice No 187, 1900 in terms of the Municipal Act of 1882 (The Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 8215, 16 March 1900).

In terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) the Municipality of Clanwilliam was dissolved with effect from 1 January 1995 and the Clanwilliam Transitional Local Council established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette No 4916, 30 December 1994, Proclamation No 128, 28 December 1994).

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Clanwilliam Transitional Local Council together with the Clanwilliam Transitional Representative Council, Citrusdal Transitional Local Council, Graafwater Municipality, Lamberts Bay Municipality, Piketberg Transitional Representative Council and the Vanrhynsdorp Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Cederberg Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5589, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 482, 22 September 2000). The Cederberg Local Municipality forms part of the larger West Coast District Municipality.

According to a declaration signed by the Town Clerk, Clanwilliam in 1987, Council archives prior to 1955 that are missing from the various series in this inventory could not be traced.

The Pinelands Garden City Local Board was established on 28 July 1921 in terms of Proclamation No 164, 1921 under provision of Ordinance No 11, 1921 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 755, 29 July 1921).

The Municipality of Pinelands was constituted on 5 March 1948 in terms of Proclamation No 34, 1948 under provision of Ordinance No 14, 1938 (Province of Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 2338, 12 March 1948). The first election of councillors to the newly constituted Town Council took place on 4 April 1948 (volume 3/PLS 1/1/1/1).

The Divisional Council of De Aar was constituted on 25 January 1919 under provision of Proclamation No 25 of 1919 in terms of Ordinance No 13 of 1917 (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 607, 7 February 1919). The first meeting of the Council was held on 15 November 1919.

On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of De Aar was reconstituted together with the Divisional Councils of Hanover and Philipstown to form the new Divisional Council of Bo-Karoo (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061, 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174, 18 July 1979).

The Divisional Council of Matatiele was established on 1 January 1932 in terms of Ordinance No 13 of 1917 (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 1361 dated 11 December 1931, Ordinance No 30 dated 7 December 1931). On 18 February 1932 the division of Matatiele was subdivided into six districts (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 1374 dated 26 February 1932, Proclamation No 37 dated 18 February 1932). The first meeting of the council was held on 2 April 1932 (4/MAT 1/1/1/1).

On 1 January 1968 the Divisional Councils of Matatiele and Mount Currie were amalgamated in the new Divisional Council of Mount Currie. On 1 January 1969 the name was changed to the Divisional Council of East Griqualand (4/MAT 1/1/1/20; The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 3467 dated 19 July 1968, Ordinance No 11 dated 3 July 1968).

Origin of the Office:
Prior to the establishment of the Surveyor-General’s office, the Inspector of Lands and Woods performed the duties of that office. In November 1828 the first Surveyor-General, Major CC Michell was appointed, holding in addition the posts of Civil Engineer and Superintendent of Works. The Board of Commissioners for Lands (Land Board) was established in the same month and the Surveyor-General was appointed a member of this board. Already in 1826 the Commissioners of Inquiry had set out in detail the duties of the Surveyor-General. No further information as to his duties could be traced until the newly-appointed Surveyor-General received instructions from the Colonial Secretary concerning the running of the Department of the Surveyor-General and Civil Engineer.

Department of the Surveyor-General and Civil Engineer:
The office of Surveyor-General and the office of Civil Engineer were distinct but both offices fell under the superintendence of the Surveyor-General. The Assistant Surveyor-General was the immediate head of the Surveyor-General’s office and the Civil Engineer was the immediate head of the Civil Engineer’s office. Each office was under the direction of its own immediate head, and, in the absence of the Surveyor-General, the Assistant Surveyor-General had no power of superintendence over the Civil Engineer’s office.

Although the Surveyor-General was empowered to superintend the Civil Engineer’s office, the Civil Engineer was to receive instructions in routine matters direct from the Government in order to avoid a multiplicity of business in the hands of the Surveyor-General. The Surveyor-General had the right to inspect the work of the Civil Engineer’s office which task he was expected to perform periodically.

The Civil Engineer’s office was removed from the jurisdiction of the Surveyor-General in 1848, being organised under the direction of the Colonial Civil Engineer.

Development:
The Surveyor-General’s office fell under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Secretary from 1829 to 1872, when the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works became the minister of state responsible for the control of the office until 1892. From that year the Surveyor-General’s office fell under the Department of Lands, Mines and Agriculture. The re-organisation of the department in terms of Act No 14 of 1893 resulted in the Surveyor-General being placed under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture.

On 31 May 1910 control over the surveying of land passed into the hands of the Union Government and the Surveyor-General came under the authority of the Department of Lands.

Organisation of the Office in 1829:
Originally the Surveyor-General’s office consisted of the following officials:
(1) The Surveyor-General,
(2) The Assistant Surveyor-General,
(3) The Chief Clerk, whose duty it was to keep all records, books and papers of the office, except those more properly belonging to the drawing department. He was also to perform the duty of Secretary of the Land Board,
(4) The Draftsman, whose duties included the execution of all diagrams annexed to deeds of grant and he was to keep all plans and diagrams, etc., and
(5) One other clerk.

As the work of the office expanded the number of members of staff increased.

Functions:
The functions of the proposed post of Surveyor-General were set out in the report of the Commissioners of Inquiry in 1826. No further details could be traced in connection with the proposed functions of the post until January 1829 when it was stated that the Surveyor-General was to receive all reports from Civil Commissioners concerning lands to be granted. The Surveyor-General had to lay such reports before the Land Board, which, in turn, submitted reports to the Government. All titles, leases and other papers relating to land had to be prepared by the Surveyor-General.

Sub- and Related Offices:

The Deputy Surveyor-General, Eastern Province including Various Land Commissioners:
In 1855 the office of the Deputy Surveyor-General, Eastern Province, was established as a sub- or branch office of the Surveyor-General’s office to deal with land matters in the Eastern Province. The office was abolished in 1867. The Surveyor-General did not continue to use the files and registers. The archives which were kept intact in his office, before being transferred to this repository, constitutes the separate archives group of the Deputy Surveyor-General, Eastern Province (reference DSGEP).

The archives of a number of land commissioners are also included in the archives of the Deputy Surveyor-General.

Surveyor-General, Griqualand West and the British Bechuanaland Land Commission

These two archives which have been kept separate, relate to the administration of land matters in Griqualand West and British Bechuanaland before those territories were annexed by the Cape Colony in 1880 and 1895 respectively.

The Archives:
The archives of the Surveyor-General housed in this repository comprises mainly the various series letters received and letters despatched, their relevant registers and indexes, correspondence files and financial papers.

List of Surveyor-Generals
Name and Date of Appointment:
Michell, Colonel CC (1829)
Bell, CD (1848)
De Smidt, A (1872)
Marquard, L (1889)
Horne, JT (1892)
Jurisch, CLHM (1902)
Van Renen, H (acting, 1904)
Cornish-Bowden, AH (acting, 1905)
Cornish-Bowden, AH (1906)

The Municipality of Somerset West was constituted on 6 November 1903, in terms of Proclamation No 350, 1903 under provision of the Municipal Act, 1882 (The Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette, No 8600, 27 November 1903).

On 1 February, the local authorities of Somerset Municipality, Strand Municipality, Gordon’s Bay Municipality, Lwandle Town Council, Macassar Management Committee and Sir Lowry’s Pass Management Committee were dissolved and each one replaced by a Transitional Metropolitan Substructure. The new Cape Metropolitan Council was created which included all the substructures (The Province of the Western Cape Official Gazette No 4929, Proclamation no 18).

On 28 May 1996, the substructures were dissolved, and a new Helderberg Substructures was created, remaining part of the Metropolitan Council (The Province of the Western Cape Official Gazette No 5051, Proclamation No 27).

On 4 December 2000, the Cape Metropolitan Council and the substructures were abolished, and the new City of Cape Town was created ((The Province of the Western Cape Official Gazette No 5588, Proclamation No 479).

The Municipality of Knysna was constituted on 12 October 1881 under provision of proclamation No 169 in terms of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of Knysna, Sedgefield Transitional Local Council, Belvidere Estate Transitional Local Council, Brenton Transitional Local Council, Knoetzie Transitional Local Council, Outeniqua Transitional Representative Council and Rheenendal Transitional Local Council was disestablished and the Knysna Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5592, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 504, 22 September 2000). The Knysna Local Municipality forms part of the larger Garden Route (formerly Eden) District Municipality.