On 1 August 1881 the Division of Uniondale was subdivided into six districts for Divisional Council purposes (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 6170 dated 2 August 1881, Proclamation No 124 dated 1 August 1881). The first meeting of the council was held on 1 October 1881 (volume 4/UNL 1/1/1/1).
On 1 July 1976 the Divisional Council of Uniondale was reconstituted together with the Divisional Councils of Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Klein Karoo-Langkloof.
On 16 January 1857 the Division of Tulbagh was subdivided into six districts for Divisional Council purposes (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 2790, 20 January 1857, Proclamation dated 16 January 1857). The first meeting of the council was held on 25 May 1857 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 2828 dated 24 April 1857, Notice dated 15 April 1857).
On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Tulbagh was reconstituted together with the Divisional Council of Ceres to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Witzenberg (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 dated 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 dated 18 July 1979).
On 31 December 1891 the Division of Vanrhynsdorp was subdivided into six districts for Divisional Council purposes (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 7359 dated 1 January 1892, Proclamation No 377 dated 31 December 1891). The first meeting of the council was held on 18 March 1892 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 7376 dated 1 March 1892, Notice dated 22 February 1892).
On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Vanrhynsdorp was reconstituted together with the Divisional Council of Clanwilliam to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Cederberg (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 dated 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174, 18 July 1979).
The Divisional Council of Robertson was constituted on 23 February in terms of Proclamation No 21 of 1859 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 3014 dated 25 February 1859).
On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Robertson was reconstituted together with the Divisional Council of Montagu to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Wynland (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 dated 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 dated 18 July 1979).
The division of Paarl was granted a Divisional Road Board in terms of Ordinance No 8 of 1843. This Board sat for the first time on 7 September 1848 and functioned until it was superseded by the Divisional Council.
The Divisional Council of Paarl was proclaimed on 9 July 1855 in terms of Act No 5 of 1855. According to the requirements of the said act, the division was divided into six districts comprising various field cornetcies. The original division was:
(1) Southern Paarl; (2) Northern Paarl; (3) Klein Drakenstein; (4) Wagonmaker’s Valley and Groenberg; (5) Paardeberg and Behind the Paarl; (6) Great Drakenstein and Fransche Hoek
The Regional Services Council for the Cape Metropole and surrounding areas covering the Divisional Council areas of the Cape, Stellenbosch and Paarl was established in terms of section 3(1)(a) of the Regional Services Council Act, 1985 (Act No 109 of 1985) with effect from 9 January 1987. The Divisional Councils of the Cape, Paarl and Stellenbosch were abolished as from 30 June 1987 and the functions taken over by the Western Cape Regional Services Council as from that date.
On 5 January 1858 the division of Mossel Bay was subdivided into six districts for divisional council purposes under provision of Act No 12 of 1857 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 2893, 8 January 1858, Proclamation of 5 January 1858).
On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Mossel Bay was reconstituted together with the Divisional Councils of George and Knysna to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Outeniqua (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061, 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174, 18 July 1979).
A magistrate’s court was established at Wynberg on 23 January 1839 (Government Gazette No 1727 dated 25 January 1839, Ordinance No 1 dated 23 January 1839). For the period 26 May 1884 – 19 July 1888 an Additional Resident Magistrate of the Cape district held court at Wynberg (Government Gazette No 6490 dated 27 May 1884, Proclamation No 115 dated 26 May 1884). A magistrate was again appointed to this office on 19 July 1888 (Government Gazette No 6996 dated 20 July 1888, Proclamation No 126 dated 13 July 1888).
A Magistrate’s Court was established at Wellington in the district of Paarl on 1 January 1894 (Government Gazette No 7567 dated 29 December 1893, Government Notice No 1261 dated 28 December 1893). Mr JI Herbert was appointed magistrate at Wellington (Government Gazette No 7567 dated 29 December 1893, Government Notice No 1262 dated 28 December 1893).
In terms of Government Notice No 575 of 28 April 1939 a Special Justice of the Peace was appointed for Vredenburg in the District of Malmesbury (Government Gazette, 28 April 1939). In terms of Government Notice No 1804 of 2 September 1949 a Court of the Assistant Resident Magistrate was established at Vredenburg (Government Gazette, 2 September 1949).
“According to an Amended Report of the Committee appointed on 21 July 1854 taking into consideration as to places where additional Civil Commissioners and seats of Magistracy should be placed, the Governor of the Cape Colony, acting under the powers vested in him by the Act ‘For Amending and Consolidating the Laws relative to the Courts of Resident Magistrates, 1856 (Act 20 of 1856)’ , erected, constituted and established a Court of Resident Magistrate at Knysna, and declared the boundaries of the district to be as follows – On the west by the Swart River, on the North by the Outeniqua Mountains, on the East by the boundaries of the division of Uitenhage and on the South by the ocean”. The first Civil Commissioner and Magistrate was James Fichat.
On 28 February 1887 a Special Justice of the Peace was appointed at the Millwood Gold Fields in the district of Knysna. Patrick Fletcher was appointed the first Special Justice of the Peace. In the same year a Periodical Court to be held by the Magistrate of Knysna was established at Millwood. During August 1916 a Periodical Court to be held by the Magistrate of Knysna was established at Plettenberg Bay.
