Church Square, located in the corner of Spin and Parliament Streets, was one of the first areas of Cape Town to be developed. The square once functioned as a slave market connected to the Slave Lodge, built in 1679. In 1701 the Dutch Reformed Church, the Groote Kerk, which today is known as the Old Supreme Court, was erected on its southern side and later, the eastern boundary was defined by a spinning factory.

The square was a convenient place for slaves to wait for their masters while they attended church. They waited under the shade of a tree at the entrance to the square, close to where the carriages were kept. The original tree which became known as the Slave Tree was cut down but has now been replaced by a similar one.

Between 1730 and 1753 Church Square became a meeting place for local dogs. They became such a menace for church goers that the city employed a dog-catcher to stop them harassing those attending church. Historians believe the dog menace was directly related to the smallpox epidemics of 1713 and 1750 when, at the church graveyard, bodies piled up at a rather alarming rate.
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The square was declared a National Monument on 17 February 1961.

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​Visit my online gallery for more images of iconic buildings and places in and around Cape Town, botanical works and images of African animals and birds in both monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.
Click here for prices.

Contact me:
by phone on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com

Proteas usually flower during spring time and are used for ornamental practices as cut flowers and for decoration. Protea cynaroides, the king protea, is South Africa’s national flower. It symbolizes change and transformation across cultures.
Proteas first attracted the attention of botanists visiting the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century and many species
​were introduced to Europe in the 18th century, enjoying a unique popularity at the time amongst botanists.

 In local tradition, the Protea flower represents change and hope. 90% of the species occurs in the Cape Floristic Region, a narrow belt of mountainous coastal land from Clanwilliam to Grahamstown. The extraordinary richness and diversity of species characteristic of the Cape Flora are thought to be caused in part by the diverse landscape where populations can become isolated from each other and in time develop into separate species.

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Visit my online gallery for more images of botanical works, African animals and birds,
iconic buildings and  interesting locations in and around Cape Town, available in monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.
Click here for prices.

Contact me:
by phone on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com