History of Stanford

• Province: Western Cape
• Overberg
• Coordinates:34°26′30″S 19°27′20″E
• Area:3.92 km2
• Municipality: Overstrand

Wheat mill and other innovations

This village was established on the farm the Kleijne River Valleij which was granted to Christoffel Brand by the British government in 1801. The farm changed hands several times and was then bought in 1838 by Irishman Robert Stanford who retired from the British army on “Half pay” after having served in Burma. He made several improvements, including building a wheat grinding mill on the stream close to his house. He was also forward-thinking and entrepreneurial, so he bought a boat to transport goods by sea over False Bay to Cape Town, instead of dragging wagons over the Hottentots Holland which was far more time-consuming.

The Neptune scandal

Sadly he lost his fortune due to the “Neptune scandal” which happened as a result of captured rebels being sent here after the failed Irish rebellion. The Dutch colonists were not happy about these convicts being dropped ff at the Cape and would not allow locals to provide the ship with supplies. However, the Governor approached Stanford, reminding him that he was still officially in the employ of The British.

He was therefore duty-bound to comply and as a result, he was shunned and ostracised by locals. The persecution became so bad that he returned to Britain and was reduced to poverty. He died in Manchester at age 70. In 1857, the first plot was bought in the village that was named after him.

Group areas act defied by Mathilda May

In the early 1960s, when the “Group Areas Act” was being enforced and coloured families were moved to Die Skem, a one stalwart Mathilda May held out, refused to move and remained in her house in Langmark Street till she died in the 1980s. Many other people still speak of the sadness of being removed from the houses they were born and raised in.

The license plate prefix for Stanford is CEM and the postcode is 7210 (Streets and Boxes)

local WEATHER TODAY

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Things to see and do in Stanford

• Flouhoogte pass
• Salmonsdam ravine trail
• Klein River
• Panthera Africa Wild Cat Sanctuary
• Stanford is the third most preserved heritage village in the Western Cape.  Get the ‘Historical Stanford on foot’ brochure from the Stanford Tourism Office 028 3410 340
• Hikes, Horse Riding and MTB trails (see listings)

Useful Numbers

• Police: 028 341 0601
• Municipality– 028 341 8500
• Traffic department: Hermanus Traffic Department-028 313 8111
• Fire: 24-Hour Emergency line: 028 313 8000/8111
• Fire Brigade: 028 312 2400
• Water:028 341 8500
• Electricity:028 341 8500
• Ambulance: 10177 or Overstrand Medical Response-078 699 6995
• Post office;Hermanus Post Office-028 312 1500
• Library: 028 341-0640
• Closest hospital;Hermanus Provincial Hospital-028 312 1166
• Clinic – 028 341 0933
• Pharmacy Clicks Pharmacy – Hermanus-028 313 0270
• SPCA: Stanford Animal Welfare Society- 072 318 1519/064 881 2294     sawsstanford@gmail.com
• Tourism office in Queen Victoria Street  028 341 8516 stanfordtourism@overstrand.gov.za
• Community hall 028 341 0640
• Schools:         
• Okkie Smuts Primary School-028 341 0611
•  Die Bron Primary School-028 341 0830
• Tourism (0)28 341 0340