Company Gardens
The Company Gardens, at the centre of Cape Town, are of great historical significance in terms of the formation of Cape Town, and the conflict that later ensued in South Africa. The gardens are situated in the space dividing the Iziko Slave Lodge Museum, St George's Cathedral, the National Art Gallery, the Cape Town judicial court, and the Iziko Natural History Museum. Today, the Gardens are popular for commuters and walkers, and they serve as a place to eat and bird watch.
The Company Gardens were established in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as an agricultural project for the purpose of supplying trade ships mooring in the harbour, with fresh food supplies. The Gardens were originally split into crop fields (the locations of which can still be seen today in the arrangement of the flower beds) and were irrigated with a system of water channels supplied by a few of Table Mountains’ many streams. During the 17th century, the Gardens were an important supplier of food for those on board Dutch ships moored in Table Bay. But, at the beginning of the 18th century, the VOC went bankrupt and the Gardens fell into disrepair. The British took leadership of the Cape, and neglected the gardens in favor of crops grown in outlying areas. The municipality took control of the Gardens in 1892 and opened them up to the public. Today the gardens are renowned for their great beauty and historical significance.