How Well Do You Really Know Newlands?

As three Newlands estate agents representing Chas Everitt, we are also all long standing residents of this suburb.  We really do live and breathe the Newlands area and we love uncovering the hidden stories that make our home so unique. Beyond the leafy avenues and famous stadiums, there’s a rich history just below the surface.

Here are ten facts to test your local knowledge:

• Newlands was the official country retreat for twelve successive Cape Governors.  
• The first European-style beer in Southern Africa was brewed using water from our own Liesbeek River.   
• The grounds of SACS (South African College Schools) occupy the original site of the Ohlsson’s Anneberg Brewery.   
• A vital water pipeline for the modern brewery runs directly underneath the historic Cardiff Castle Building in Newlands Village.   
• The very first Spur Steak Ranch in South Africa opened its doors on Dean Street back in 1967.   
• Our local streams provide a habitat for the rare Rose’s ghost frog and the tiny sandellia frog.   
• The historic Fernwood manor house still stands today, now serving as a parliamentary sports club.   
• The Liesbeek River is the oldest urbanised river in the country, named by Jan van Riebeeck himself.   
• Newlands is an ice cream capital, boasting three different artisanal gelato and ice-cream parlours.   
• Governor Lord Charles Somerset’s attempt to add a second storey to Newlands House failed when the unbaked brick walls collapsed in the winter rain.