History of Harfield Village
- Province Western Cape
- Coordinates 33.986°S 18.476°E
- Area
- Southern Suburbs
- Municipality; City of Cape Town
This little suburb is also known as “Lower Claremont,” began to develop in the early to mid-19th century. After the naval base moved to Simon’s Town in 1814 and the Main Road was constructed to connect Simon’s Town with Cape Town, Claremont became known as the “Seventh Milestone.” This development led to the establishment of shops and houses, attracting mostly British settlers.
Harfield Village Station and Harfield Road were named after Harfield Cottage, built by Thomas Mathew, an early resident who was a successful cooper and wine merchant. Before the railway line extended to Wynberg in 1864, the area remained rural with only a few farms along a sandy track that became muddy in winter. As late as 1877, the area had only a few houses, mostly occupied by non-Europeans.
By the mid-19th century, about a third of Cape Town’s population practised Islam. As people moved from the city to the suburbs, the Claremont Main Road Mosque was established in 1854 as an offshoot of the Buitengragt Street Mosque, and the Harvey Road Mosque was built in 1909.
In 1931, Harfield Village Station opened to serve the growing working-class population in the area. By the mid-20th century, Harfield Village became popular due to its good public transport and infrastructure. The village has evolved, and today, its residents come from diverse racial and religious backgrounds, living and working together harmoniously.
The postcode for Harfield Village is 7708
WEATHER IN HARFIELD VILLAGE TODAY
see all listings in Harfield Village
Things to see and do in Harfield Village
- Hampstead Park Outdoor Gym Cnr Hampstead Road and Third Avenue, Harfield Village
- Public parks are Surrey, Princess, Purley, and Hampstead. These parks are maintained by Friends of Harfield Parks. This is a community group that works with residents and the council. They clean graffiti, plant trees and flowers, and work on replacing old or dangerous play equipment and they ensure the parks are clean and safe. harfield.parks@gmail.com
Useful Numbers
- Police: 021 657 2250
- Traffic department: Hillstar Traffic Department-0860 103 089
- Fire: Wynberg -021 444 9623
- Water:0860 103 089
- Electricity:0860 103 089
- Ambulance: 10177 orER24 South Metro-086 108 4124
- Post office;021 674 3800
- Library;021 673 2060
- Closest hospital;Claremont private hospital-21 670 4300
Life Kingsbury hospital- ER- 0216704180 - Clinic-021 444 6426
- Pharmacy;021 671 8919
- SPCA: 021 700 4140
- Schools:”
- Livingstone high: 021 671 5986
- Cedar house: 021 762 0649
