Greytown

Greytown is named after Sir George Edward Grey who later became Premier of New Zealand. The Zulu people called the town Umgungundlovana (which means little elephant).

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

Greytown is located on the banks of the Mvoti River. The town is on the R622 toMooi River, on the R33 between Dundee and Pietermaritzburg, and on the R74 between Stanger and Colenso.

Small places in the area are: Mvozana, Kranskop, Fort Mtombeni, Sevenoaks, Dalton, Muden, Leate's Drift, Tugela Ferry and Pomeroy.

The town is surrounded by watttle-tree forests, which are now an unwanted species.

Museums

Greytown Museum

The Greytown Museum is located in the old Magistrate's building (Drostdy), which was built in 1879, and a National Monument.

The museum exhibits the cultural history of the town with artifacts from the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) and the Bambatha rebellion of 1906.

Culture rooms exhibit from the cultures of Victorian children, Hindu, Muslim and Zulu peoples. Medical items and office equipment are also on display.

The museum has two cannons. One was brought to town, according to legend, by an 18 year old shipwrecked girl, accompanied by about 10 Zulu who transported the cannon. The other is a British Naval gun fired by the magistrate when mail arrived - which happened only about once every two months.

Tractor Museum

The Tractor Museum is home to tractors manufactured during the era 1920 - 1953. The museum is just outside the town on the R622 to Mooi River.

Architecture

There are several typical Victorian buildings.

Town Hall

Construction of the Town Hall began in 1897 but was halted during the Anglo-Boer War. After the war, the building was completed and opened in 1904.

Bhambatha Rebellion Memorial

There is a memorial to the four policemen and Trooper Aston and his dog, who were killed at Ambush Rock on the 4 April 1906 during the Bhambatha Rebellion.

Umvoti Vlei Nature Reserve

The Umvoti Vlei Nature Reserve (267Ha) is 11Km south from town and is a sanctuary for wetland birds. There is a hide to make watching unobtrusive.

Lake Merthley

Lake Merthely offers recreation such as fishing and picnicking, with camping sites and ablutions.

Sevenoaks Conservancy

The Sevenoaks Conservancy offers bird watching.

San paintings

There are San rock paintings on the R33 towards Dundee.

The Kop

The Kop is a hill on the R74 to Stanger about 45Km from town. It overlooks the Tugela River Valley, which is about 700m lower.

Bird watchers can view the following birds here: black eagles, rock kestrels, white-necked ravens, lanner falcons, rock pigeons, red winged starlings, alpine and black swifts, lesser- and larger-striped swallows.

Things to do

4x4 trails, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, traditional Zulu culture.

History

Greytown was surveyed in 1850 and became a municipality in 1915. The Zulu people called the town Umgungundlovana (which means little elephant). They called Pietermaritzburg Umgungundlovu (which means big elephant).

In 1854 a Lutheran church was built in Greytown.

In 1861 a church bell was imported to serve the Afrikaans en English communities - to call them to church services. The bell disappeared. In 1935, 74 years later, during the construction of cottages, the bell was found buried.

A strikingly designed Town Hall was opened in 1904.

Chief Bhambatha and the Rebellion of 1906

When the magistrate of Kranskop introduced poll tax on the local people, Chief Bhambatha (Bhambatha ka Mancinza Zondi) of the Zondi tribe refused to do so. During this resistance, known as the Bhambatha Rebellion, four policemen were killed.

When Bhambatha and a group of perhaps several thousand approached Greytown, the Europeans hid in the town hall. The rebellion was eventually crushed.

Famous Greytown people

Sarie Marais

The words of an Afrikaans folk song, based on a melody Ellie Rhee, which was sung during the American Civil War. The song Sarie Marais supposedly refers to a Voortrekker woman of that name, who died at 38 years old after the birth of her 11th child.

Louis Botha

General Louis Botha (1862 – 1919)
Prime Minister of Transvaal 1907
Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa 1910

Louis Botha was born on a farm 5Km south of Greytown.

Climate

Today's Weather Report for Greytown

Economy

Timber, sugarcane.

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