Town Hall - Revision history

Darryl: /* The South African context */

2026-06-23T09:22:30Z

The South African context

Darryl at 09:20, 23 June 2026

2026-06-23T09:20:40Z

Darryl at 09:16, 23 June 2026

2026-06-23T09:16:20Z

Darryl: /* Eastern Cape */

2026-06-23T09:11:04Z

Eastern Cape

Darryl: /* Named halls in South Africa */

2026-06-23T09:09:48Z

Named halls in South Africa

Darryl: /* The South African context */

2026-06-23T09:05:15Z

The South African context

Darryl: /* The South African context */

2026-06-23T09:00:58Z

The South African context

Darryl at 09:00, 23 June 2026

2026-06-23T09:00:14Z

Darryl at 08:58, 23 June 2026

2026-06-23T08:58:45Z

Satj at 07:12, 5 March 2018

2018-03-05T07:12:23Z

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 ==The South African context==
-The term "town hall" ("dorpsaal" in [[Afrikaans]]) is the most common one, often applied without regard to whether the building serves or served a town or a city.
+The term "town hall" ("dorpsaal" in [[Afrikaans]]) is the most common one used, often applied without regard to whether the building serves or served a town or a city.
 In the past and today in South African local government, a [[city hall]], [[town hall]], or [[municipal building]] all referred to the chief administrative building of a city,  town or other municipality. Today [[civic centre]] is also quite common. They all usually house the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees and functions as the base of the mayor of a city or town.

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Eastern Cape==
+* [[East London City Hall]]
 * [[King William's Town Town Hall]]
 * [[Port Elizabeth City Hall]]
@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 ==Free State==
 * [[Bloemfontein City Hall]]
 ==Gauteng==
 * [[Benoni Town Hall]]
 * [[Johannesburg City Hall]]
-* [[Pretoria Town Hall]]
+* [[Pretoria City Hall]]
 ==KwaZulu-Natal==
 ==Limpopo==
 ==Mpumalanga==
@@ Line 51: / Line 54: @@
 * [[Cape Town City Hall]]
 * [[Claremont Town Hall]]
+* [[Bellville South Community Hall]]
 *  [[George Town Hall]]
 * [[Paarl Town Hall]]

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 * [[King William's Town Town Hall]]
 ==Free State==
 * [[Bloemfontein City Hall]]
 ==Gauteng==
 * [[Benoni Town Hall]]
 * [[Johannesburg City Hall]]
@@ Line 47: / Line 49: @@
 * [[Barkly West Town Hall]]
 ==Western Cape==
 =Return to=

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Eastern Cape==
 ==Free State==
 * [[Bloemfontein City Hall]]

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 For more information on specific city, town, municipal or community halls, see under the names of specific towns or cities:
-* [[Barkly West Town Hall]]
+==Eastern Cape==
 * [[Benoni Town Hall]]
 * [[Johannesburg City Hall]]
-* [[Pretoria Town Hall]]
+* [[Barkly West Town Hall]]
 =Return to=

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 In the past and today in South African local government, a [[city hall]], [[town hall]], or [[municipal building]] all referred to the chief administrative building of a city,  town or other municipality. Today [[civic centre]] is also quite common. They all usually house the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees and functions as the base of the mayor of a city or town.
-The terms are broadly used to refer to a venue usually implying a civic hall used for events to promote and enhance the quality of life of the community, such as shows, banquets, receptions, art exhibitions, dances, theatrical and musical productions and festivals in South African towns. This was a concept taken over from British usage during the colonial period.
+The terms are also broadly used to refer to a larger venue such as a civic hall used for events to promote and enhance the quality of life of the community, including shows, banquets, receptions, art exhibitions, dances, theatrical and musical productions and festivals in South African towns. This was a concept taken over from British usage during the colonial period.
 == Municipal hall and community hall==

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 The terms [[Town Hall]] ([[Dorpsaal]] in Afrikaans) and [[City Hall]] ([[Stadshuis]] in [[Dutch]] or [[Stadsaal]] in [[Afrikaans]]) commonly refer to the municipal offices and the public hall in a town or city.
 = Meaning of the terms '''[[City Hall]]''' and '''[[Town Hall]]''' =
@@ Line 28: / Line 26: @@
 =Named halls in South Africa=
-For more information on specific city, town, municipal or community halls, see:
+For more information on specific city, town, municipal or community halls, see under the names of specific towns or cities:
 * [[Barkly West Town Hall]]
 * [[Bloemfontein City Hall]]
 * [[Pretoria Town Hall]]
 =Return to=

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The terms [[Town Hall]] ([[Dorpsaal]] in Afrikaans) and [[City Hall]] ([[Stadshuis]] in [[Dutch]] or [[Stadsaal]] in [[Afrikaans]]) commonly refer to the municipal offices and the public hall in a town or city.
 For more information on '''specific''' halls,  see under the names of specific towns or cities - e.g. [[Johannesburg City Hall]] or [[Benoni Town Hall]].
@@ Line 6: / Line 5: @@
 = Meaning of the terms '''[[City Hall]]''' and '''[[Town Hall]]''' =
 The term "town hall" ("dorpsaal" in [[Afrikaans]]) is the most common one, often applied without regard to whether the building serves or served a town or a city.
-In the past and today in South African local government, a '''[[city hall]]''', '''[[town hall]]''', or '''[[municipal building]]''' all referred to the chief administrative building of a city,  town or other municipality. Today civic centre is also quite common. They all usually house the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees and functions as the base of the mayor of a city or town.
+In the past and today in South African local government, a '''[[city hall]]''', '''[[town hall]]''', or '''[[municipal building]]''' all referred to the chief administrative building of a city,  town or other municipality. Today ''[[civic centre]]'' is also quite common. They all usually house the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees and functions as the base of the mayor of a city or town.
-Described by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as a "large hall used for the transaction of the public business of a town, the holding of a court of justice, assemblies, entertainments, etc.; the great hall of the town-house or municipal building; now very commonly applied to the whole building"
+The terms are broadly used to refer to a venue usually implying a civic hall used for events to promote and enhance the quality of life of the community, such as shows, banquets, receptions, art exhibitions, dances, theatrical and musical productions and festivals in South African towns. This was a concept taken over from British usage during the colonial period.
-In South Africa its use to refer to a venue usually implies a civic hall used for events such as shows, banquets, receptions, dances, theatrical and musical productions in South African towns. A concept taken over from British usage during the colonial period. See the name of the particular town for specific halls (e.g. Barkly West Town Hall).
+This is a special category of hall, referring to community halls built by urban municipalities, often in the black townships surrounding the town or city, in order to provide facilties for munuicipal activities (payments, clinics, meetings) and as venues for social and artistic events. Under the Apartheid government these were particularly important since they made it possible to separate black and white (European and Non-European) audiences from using the same facilities, in accordance with the apartheid regulations. Many [[Black theatre]] or [[Community theatre]] events, variety performances, dances and so on took place in these halls, but of course this meant the authorities could exert control access to the venues and thus also the content of the work being presented.
 == Architecture ==
 As symbols of local government, city and town halls have distinctive architecture, and the buildings may have great historical significance.  Notable are the city halls built under the British rule in the late 19th century, many of them designed by prominent architects.
-== Use as venue ==
+For more information on specific city, town, municipal or community halls, see:
-The state provided so-called “community halls” in many of the “Native townships” which could be and were used for performances of variety, dance, plays and the like. The problem in later years was that they remained the only formal performance spaces in the townships, and were controlled by the township administration – hence could be used as a censorsip mechanism. ****
+* [[Barkly West Town Hall]]
-Sources
+* [[Pretoria Town Hall]]