In 1877 the City Council of Cape Town purchased land from the Van Breda family who owned the farm Oranjezigt. They divided the land into three parts, first building the two smaller reservoirs below Camp Street and then building the Molteno Reservoir below Belvedere Road which also provided the city with electricity. The land in between formed a natural park.
David Christiaan de Waal, who was the city councillor at the time and also a member of the Legislative Council of the Cape Colony, decided to develop the park. He loved trees for their “serene dignity and with (their) branches always pointed heavenward, .. a symbol of prayer.” At his instigation thousands of trees were planted in Cape Town and especially in the park. As Mayor of Cape Town, 1889-1890, he developed the park further and it was opened to the public officially in 1895.
At one stage it was called Jubilee Park but it soon reverted to the name it bears today.
The impressive gates and wall along Camp Street were built in 1899 and the wall was extended up Upper Orange Street in 1900. Molteno Road was extended down to meet Camp Street at about this time and it was decided to fence off the park on that side by planting a hedge of Kei apple.
There have been several attempts to build bowling greens and tennis courts on the park land – which plans would have necessitated the removal of about 100 of the oldest trees – but most of these ideas have been fended off.
The bandstand was built in 1904/5 for the Cape Town Exhibition which was held in Green Point and moved to the park after the exhibition was over. It was used for public performances for some years. Sadly it has not been used like this very frequently recently but plans are afoot for this to change.
In the 1950’s De Waal Park became the venue for the annual Theatrical Garden Party, the forerunner of today’s Community Chest Carnival now based in Maynardville. This event raised funds for The Community Chest which “finances 26 of Cape Town’s principal charities”. In the 2011 financial year the Chest supported 429 charities with R15.1 million.
In March 1968 the park was proclaimed a National Monument to be maintained in perpetuity as public gardens and it is now listed as a Provincial Heritage site.
In the late 1980’s vandals broke the Victorian fountain. The Council removed what was left and carefully restored it – but then were reluctant to place it back in the Park. It was only after some bargaining – the fountain was the centrepiece of the council’s display at a Floriade – that the fountain was restored to us.
In 2008 the Friends of De Waal Park was formed to maintain and improve the park for the enjoyment of the adults, children and dogs alike.
What happened to the beautiful fountain and when will it be restored? Is this not part of the park’s history?
In the late 1980’s vandals broke the Victorian fountain. The Council removed what was left and carefully restored it – but then were reluctant to place it back in the Park. It was only after some bargaining – the fountain was the centrepiece of the council’s display at a Floriade – that the fountain was restored to us.