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==Geography== Rondebosch lies between the slopes of [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]] in the west and the [[M5 (Cape Town)|M5]] freeway in the east; it is one of the [[Southern Suburbs, Cape Town|Southern Suburbs]] of Cape Town, which lie along the eastern slope of the [[Table Mountain]] massif. The suburb's western border with the [[Table Mountain National Park]] is defined by the [[M3 (Cape Town)|M3]] freeway. To the north are the suburbs of [[Rosebank, Cape Town|Rosebank]] and [[Mowbray, Cape Town|Mowbray]], while to the south are [[Newlands, Cape Town|Newlands]] and [[Claremont, Cape Town|Claremont]]. The eastern border of Rondebosch is the M5 freeway; beyond the freeway are Sybrand Park, [[Athlone, Cape Town|Athlone]] and [[Rondebosch East]]. The [[Southern Line (Cape Town)|Southern Line]] railway divides Rondebosch in two; the only road within Rondebosch that crosses the railway is the Belmont Road bridge. Main Road (the M4) runs north-south through the area west of the railway, while Campground Road runs in the same direction east of the railway. The third north-south through route is Milner Road, further east close to the M5. The area around the intersection of Main Road and Belmont Road is Rondebosch's main commercial area, with several small shopping malls and two supermarkets. Also located in this area is [[Rondebosch railway station]], which is the main public transport facility in the suburb. A smaller commercial area lies just to the east on the corner of Belmont and Campground Roads; there is also a row of shops along Belvedere Road in the southeastern part of the suburb. The rest of the suburb is used for educational and residential purposes, with the residential areas being generally denser further to the west where the influence of the [[University of Cape Town]] is felt. Two canalised streams run from the slopes of Table Mountain through Rondebosch; the [[Liesbeeck River]] runs northwards between Main Road and the railway, while the [[Black River (Cape Town)|Black River]] runs in a northeasterly direction through the eastern part of the suburb. The terrain is generally flat east of the railway line, while to the west it slopes upwards towards Devil's Peak. The flower ''[[Erica turgida]],'' was endemic in area between Rondebosch, [[Kenilworth, Cape Town|Kenilworth]] and [[Wynberg, Cape Town|Wynberg]] before becoming extinct in the wild.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Erica turgida |url=https://pza.sanbi.org/erica-turgida |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=pza.sanbi.org |publisher=PlantZAfrica}}</ref> ===Landmarks=== On the slopes of Devil's Peak above Rondebosch is the main campus of the [[University of Cape Town]]. [[File:9 2 111 0110-The Woolsack-Rondebosch-Wynberg-s.jpg|thumb|"The Woolsack," a house now owned by the University of Cape Town where [[Rudyard Kipling]] used to stay when visiting Cape Town in the 1890s and 1900s. ]] The historic [[Groote Schuur]] estate in Rondebosch includes presidential and ministerial residences with Cape Dutch origins. The [[Groote Schuur]] building is the biggest, rebuilt by [[Cecil Rhodes]] according to a design by [[Herbert Baker]] after a fire in 1896. The presidential residence, [[Genadendal Residence|Genadendal]] (formerly Westbrooke), also dates back to Cape Dutch times. "The Woolsack" is a historic house within the grounds of the University of Cape Town that is now used as student housing. Previously part of Cecil Rhodes's estate at Groote Schuur, it was frequently used by the famous British poet and author [[Rudyard Kipling|Ruyard Kipling]] when he used to visit Cape Town for his winter holidays between 1898 and 1908.<ref name="autobio">{{cite web |last=Kipling |first=Rudyard |year=1935 |title=''Something of Myself'' |url=http://ghostwolf.dyndns.org/words/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/SomethingOfMyself/index.html |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223004314/http://ghostwolf.dyndns.org/words/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/SomethingOfMyself/index.html |archive-date=23 February 2014 |access-date=6 September 2008}}</ref> The home of [[Simon van der Stel]] (first governor of the [[Cape Colony]]) is now part of [[Rustenburg Junior School]]. This building dates back to the 17th century, although it has undergone many alterations over the years. Its summer house, dating from 1760, remains as a monument just below the university. Other historic buildings in the area include the Rondebosch Town Hall, now occupied by the [[Rondebosch Library]], and St. Paul's Church, which was designed by [[Charles Collier Michell]]. [[Rondebosch Common]], once a military campground, is a national monument and an important [[fynbos]] conservation area. The [[Baxter Theatre]] in Rondebosch is Cape Town's second biggest theatre complex, after the [[Artscape Theatre Centre]] in the city centre. ==== Rondebosch Fountain ==== [[File:The_Fountain_Rondebosch_by_TD_Ravenscroft.png|thumb|A street scene of Main Road Rondebosch in 1900. The recently installed Rondebosch Fountain can be seen to the left in the foreground.]] {{Main|Rondebosch Fountain}} The historic centre of Rondebosch is the Main Road, with the Victorian cast iron [[Rondebosch Fountain]] being a historic landmark. Originally known as the Moodie Fountain, it was one of South Africa's first electric streetlights. It was built by the [[Saracen Foundry]] in Glasgow and presented to the community by George Moodie as a gift in 1891.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sahra.org.za/sahris/sites/921110036|title=9/2/111/0036 {{!}} SAHRA|website=www.sahra.org.za|access-date=2018-12-22|archive-date=2018-12-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222174553/https://www.sahra.org.za/sahris/sites/921110036|url-status=dead}}</ref> The lamp was first turned on, on 25 April 1892 and was initially powered by Moodie's private power plant until a municipal power plant on the Liesbeeck River was completed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://heritage.eskom.co.za/electricity_in_south_africa.htm|title=Eskom Heritage: FIRST CENTRAL POWER STATION - 1891|website=Eskom|access-date=21 December 2018|archive-date=31 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231134905/http://heritage.eskom.co.za/electricity_in_south_africa.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The fountain was destroyed in a road accident in 2015<ref>{{cite web |date=24 August 2018 |title=Project to reproduce landmark Rondebosch fountain almost complete |url=http://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/316692/in-pics-project-to-reproduce-landmark-rondebosch-fountain-almost-complete |publisher=CapeTalk}}</ref> and rebuilt in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=FORD |first=WESLEY |date=2020-10-01 |title=Rondebosch fountain restored |url=https://www.southernsuburbstatler.co.za/news/rondebosch-fountain-restored |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Southern Suburbs Tatler |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
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