The Company Gardens, bordered by Wale Street in the north and Orange Street in the south, form an important inner city green space, filled with a selection of botanically interesting plants and trees. A central avenue, Government Avenue, runs through the gardens from North to South.
The Gardens are situated on the original site of the market gardens, established by Jan Van Riebeek, who was tasked with supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to passing Dutch vessels en route to and from the East in the 17th century
As the settlement of Cape Town grew, food was procured from farms situated further out and the gardens fell into disrepair. It wasn’t until 1892 when the Municipality took over the gardens and opened them to the public that they took the form that they are today.
The gardens are flanked by landmark Cape Town buildings. The South African National Library, the Iziko South African Museum and Planetarium and the Iziko National Gallery are situated inside the gardens whilst St George’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and the Government Archives are adjacent.
The Gardens include: the Rose Garden designed and built in 1929; the oldest cultivated pear tree in the Cape; the Delville Wood memorial garden set up in memory of those South Africans who died in the battle of Delville Wood during the First World War; an aviary; historic trees and a garden tea room.
The gardens are used extensively by Capetonians as an area to eat, walk and relax. They form a thoroughfare between the top of town and the vibrant Kloof Street area.
The Gardens host the annual Cape Town Festival.
