Nostalgia
A look at Cape Town long ago
ADDERLEY STREET c.1880s
Adderley Street in the heart of Cape Town has always been the city’s principal thoroughfare. Originally called Heerengracht after the canal that ran along the street, it was a simple road that linked the Dutch settlement with the docks at Table Bay. In 1850 the name changed to Adderley Street in honour of Charles B Adderley, a British politician who thwarted the Crown’s plan to turn the Cape into another convict colony. Adderley Street was once the favoured address of the city’s upper class – to stroll along the oak-shaded pavements and to see and be seen. It soon became the city’s main commercial street and today numerous shops, small cafes and a beautiful flower market can still be found here.
If you have a story about Cape Towns bygone days - an anecdote, memory or family legend - please email emma@hsm.co.za.