Milnerton

Milnerton is a seaside town on Table Bay and is located directly north of Cape Town in South Africa. It is located 11 kilometres to the north of the city's centre.

Milnerton
View of Table Mountain from Milnerton beach
Milnerton Show map of Western Cape Milnerton Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 33°52′S 18°30′E
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Area [1]
• Total	43.70 km^2 (16.87 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	95,630
• Density	2,200/km^2 (5,700/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
• Black African	29.9%
• Coloured	17.3%
• Indian/Asian	2.6%
• White	47.7%
• Other	2.4%
First languages (2011) [1]
• English	55.5%
• Afrikaans	18.0%
• Xhosa	14.0%
• Other	12.4%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	7441
PO box	7435
Area code	021

View from Milnerton beach towards Cape Town, showing Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill.

The Milnerton area includes Cambridge Estate, Century City, Edgemead, Bothasig, Da Gang, Joe Slovo Park, Lagoon Beach, Milnerton Ridge, Monte Vista, Royal Ascot, Sanddrift, Summer Greens, Tygerhof and Woodbridge Island.

Milnerton lagoon

One of the most identifiable features of Milnerton is its lagoon, formed where the Diep River enters the sea, with palm trees adorning the lagoon banks.

Woodbridge Island

Woodbridge Island is not actually an island, but rather the area south of Milnerton Golf Club on the peninsula separating the lagoon from the ocean. Two bridges join Woodbridge Island to the mainland of Milnerton proper. The wooden bridge is now a national heritage site, the bridge went through a upgrade phase and has since been reopened to the public. A newer bridge allows cars to cross to the island. The Milnerton Lighthouse is also a popular landmark found on the island. The beach is a popular recreational area, especially over weekends and public holidays.

Milnerton beach

Milnerton's beach is well known for its view of Table Mountain and is a popular surfing spot. The water is generally cold as a result of the Benguela current that flows along Africa's western shore .The beach is also managed by Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club, who help to prevent drownings on the beach and surrounding area. Every Wednesday during summer the surfski and stand up paddlers use the SE winds and race the Downwind Dash series to Big Bay beach.

Nature reserves

Milnerton is the location of two nature reserves which are owned and managed by the City of Cape Town. The Table Bay Nature Reserve Milnerton Racecourse Section is situated inside the race tracks of the old Milnerton Racecourse.

Coat of arms

Milnerton had its own municipality from 1955 to 1996. The town council assumed a coat of arms, designed by Cornelis Pama, in October 1963,[2] and registered it with the Cape Provincial Administration in February 1966[3] and at the Bureau of Heraldry in February 1968.[4]

The arms were : Per chevron ploye Or with two horse-shoe Gules, and barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent (i.e. the shield was divided by a curved chevron-shaped line, the upper part displaying two red horseshoes on a gold background and the lower part having eight silver and blue stripes with wavy edges).

The crest was a red demi-horse and the motto Per mare per terram.

References

• Milnerton.info. Accessed 28 April 2006.

1. "Main Place Milnerton". Census 2011.
2. Western Cape Archives : Milnerton Municipal Minutes (16 October 1963).
3. Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette 3332 (18 February 1966).
4. http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za%5B%5D

External links

• Milnerton.org - Latest news and information about Milnerton
• Live web cam views onto the Milnerton Lagoon and Cape Town
• Milnerton Central Residents Association