Milnerton | |
|---|---|
 View ofTable Mountain from Milnerton beach | |
 | |
| Coordinates:33°52′S18°30′E / 33.867°S 18.500°E /-33.867; 18.500 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Area | |
• Total | 43.70 km2 (16.87 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 95,630 |
| • Density | 2,188/km2 (5,668/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 29.9% |
| • Coloured | 17.3% |
| • Indian/Asian | 2.6% |
| • White | 47.7% |
| • Other | 2.4% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • 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 |
Milnerton is a seaside town onTable Bay and is located north ofCape Town inSouth Africa. It is located 11 kilometres to the north of the city's centre.
Milnerton lies on the Western Seaboard ofCape Town, also known as the Blaauwberg Coast, just north of the city alongTable Bay. Although Milnerton is a town in its own right, it still regarded as asuburb of Cape Town. It is bordered by Cape Town andGoodwood to the south,Blouberg to the north andParow to the east.[2][3]
Much of the town is situated east of theDiep Riverlagoon (Milnerton Lagoon) with the exception of the coastal suburbs of Woodbridge Island, Sunset Links and Sunset Beach situated west of the lagoon. Milnerton Central, only about 0,1 km2 in size is situated between Marine Drive and Koeberg Road and is situated east of Woodbridge Island.[4]
Suburbs of the greater Milnerton area include:[5]
One of the most identifiable features of Milnerton is itslagoon, formed where the Diep River enters the sea, with palm trees adorning the lagoon banks.
The lagoon is also known asSchitt's Creek, due to the pungent smell that is emitted into the adjacent environment.
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 woodenbridge is now anational heritage site, the bridge went through an upgrade phase and has since been reopened to the public. A newer bridge allows cars to cross to the island. TheMilnerton Lighthouse is also a popular landmark found on the island. The beach is a popular recreational area, especially over weekends and public holidays.
Milnerton's beach is well known for its view of Table Mountain and is a popularsurfing spot. The water is generally cold as a result of theBenguela 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.
Milnerton is the location of twonature reserves which are owned and managed by the City of Cape Town. TheTable Bay Nature Reserve Milnerton Racecourse Section is situated inside the race tracks of the old Milnerton Racecourse.
TheN7 (Cape Namibia Route) is the main highway bisecting Milnerton, running north–south fromMalmesbury toGoodwood and passing the interchanges at Bosmansdam and Plattekloof Roads. TheN1 highway borders Milnerton to the south, passingCentury City andPaarden Eiland and runs east–west fromPaarl toCape Town. TheR27 (Marine Drive; Otto du Plessis Drive) roughly runs north–south along the coast fromMelkbosstrand andTable View towards Cape Town.
Milnerton is also served by fivemetropolitan routes linking it to surrounding towns and cities in theCity of Cape Town. TheM5 (Koeberg Road) runs N to S fromKillarney Gardens toMuizenberg. TheM8 (Bosmansdam Road) runs W to E from Milnerton to Plattekloof. TheM12 (Giel Basson Drive) runs N to S from Burgundy Estate and Sunningdale toParow andGoodwood. TheM13 (Tygerberg Valley Drive) roughly runs W to E from Milnerton toRichwood andDurbanville. TheM14 (Plattekloof Road) runs W to E from Milnerton to Plattekloof.
The area is well serviced by public transport, many of theMyCiTi bus routes run through the Milnerton area with routes T01 to T03 and D05 going through theR27 and bus routes running to and fromCentury City making use of designated bus lanes.[6] TheGolden Arrow Bus Service also operates as a private commuter-service in the Milnerton area.[7]
Milnerton had its own municipality from 1955 to 1996. The town council assumed a coat of arms, designed byCornelis Pama, in October 1963,[8] and registered it with the Cape Provincial Administration in February 1966[9] and at theBureau of Heraldry in February 1968.[10]
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 mottoPer mare per terram.
