Melville, Gauteng

Melville
Melville, Johannesburg
Melville
 Melville shown within Gauteng
Location within Greater Johannesburg
Melville
Melville
Melville (South Africa)
Melville
Melville (Africa)
Coordinates: 26°10′33″S 28°0′32″E / 26.17583°S 28.00889°E / -26.17583; 28.00889Coordinates: 26°10′33″S 28°0′32″E / 26.17583°S 28.00889°E / -26.17583; 28.00889
Country South Africa
Province Gauteng
Municipality City of Johannesburg
Main Place Johannesburg
Established 1896
Area[1]
 • Total 1.72 km2 (0.66 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 3,355
 • Density 2,000/km2 (5,100/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
 • Black African 33.4%
 • Coloured 3.2%
 • Indian/Asian 5.2%
 • White 55.6%
 • Other 2.7%
First languages (2011)[1]
 • English 50.4%
 • Afrikaans 22.7%
 • Zulu 6.4%
 • Tswana 4.5%
 • Other 15.9%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street) 2092
PO box 2109

Melville is a bohemian suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. It is the location of many restaurants and bars, which are mostly frequented by students from the nearby University of Johannesburg, located in Auckland Park, and the University of the Witwatersrand, located in Braamfontein. It is one of the city's most popular tourist destinations. The suburb is west of the Johannesburg CBD. It is located in Region B of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

History

Prior to the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886, the suburb lay on land on one of the original farms that make up Johannesburg, called Braamfontein.[2] The suburb was proclaimed on 5 October 1896, and is named after the land surveyor, Edward Harker Vincent Melvill.[2] In the public sale notice, the suburb was described as a "picturesque and healthy spot in the vicinity of Johannesburg with a magnificent view of the wooded country to the north with the blue Pretoria ranges stretching like lines of steel against the horizon".

Geography

Melville is also well known for the Melville Koppies (an archeological site, with rolling hills of grassland with views over the city), and is near the historic suburb of Sophiatown.

Culture and contemporary life

The area, along with Parkhurst, Greenside and Emmarentia, is one of the few areas of the Northern Suburbs to have cafes, restaurants and shops lining the streets rather than in enclosed shopping centres. The majority of the restaurants are located along 7th Street, although there are a few new restaurants and nightclubs on Main Street, as well as a Spar grocery store. There are over 30 guest houses in the vicinity, and Melville is a popular stopover in Johannesburg for tourists. On 7th Street, in addition to restaurants, there are several bars and a tattoo studio; the street is a popular hang-out for the cosmopolitan crowd.

The popular soap opera, 7de Laan, used views of 7th Street, Melville in its opening visuals.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Sub Place Melville". Census 2011.
  2. 1 2 Raper, Peter E.; Moller, Lucie A.; du Plessis, Theodorus L. (2014). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. 1412. ISBN 9781868425501.
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