Are you interested to know the Durban meaning in South Africa? If yes, then check out this guide.
The guide will also show you the history of Durban meaning and the city’s historic regalia.
Durban is a city in eThekwini municipality and KwaZulu-Natal province.
Durban Meaning
Durban in Zulu is known as eThekwini, from itheku, meaning ‘the port.’
The city is also called eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area.
Many people in SA have also nicknamed the city Durbs.
Durban was named after Benjamin D’Urban, a British officer and the one-time commander-in-chief of the cape town colony.
This is the Durban meaning in South Africa.
History Of Durban Meaning
Communities of hunters and gatherers initially inhabited the Durban area in 100,000 BC.
The people lived in the areas of KwaZulu-Natal until their gradual displacement, incorporation or extermination by the expansion of Bantu farmers and pastoralists from the north.
The first written history about the area was when it was sighted by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama who sailed parallel to the KwaZulu-Natal coast at Christmastide in 1497 while searching for a route from Europe to India.
He then named the area Natal, which means Christmas in Portuguese.
This is the history of Durban, meaning in South Africa.
The Historic Regalia
The Borough of Durban was proclaimed in 1854, after which the council had to procure a seal for official documents.
The seal was produced in 1855 and was replaced in 1882 with a new one that contained a coat of arms without helmet or mantling that combined the coats of arms of Sir Benjamin D’Urban and Sir Benjamin Pine.
An application was made in 1906 to register the coat of arms with the College of Arms, but it was rejected and later appeared on the council’s stationery from about 1912.
The blazon of arms registered by the South African Bureau of Heraldry was granted to Durban on 9th February 1979 and ceased to be used in 1995.
This is all you need to know about the Durban meaning in South Africa.
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