Hankey is a small town on the confluence of the Klein and Gamtoos rivers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Hankey is located at the intersection of the R330 and R331 Regional Routes. The Avontuur Railway passes through the town.
Hankey falls within the Kouga Local Municipality and the Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
History
Hankey was established in 1826 and is the Gamtoos Valley’s oldest town. It was named after the Rev. William Alers Hankey (1771–1859), an ex-banker and the secretary of the London Missionary Society (LMS).
The purpose of the establishment of the village was to grow mielies and corn for the LMS main station at Bethelsdorp and also to carry out evangelistic work. The first property was “Wagondrift” owned by the Damant Bros, and although the town was planned for 250 families, it started with 25 families. The first inhabitants consisted of a large number of Khoi, a few Mfengos, a few farmers, and mixed “Gamtouer” (1700) descendants.
The LMS founded the station in 1822, terminated it in 1875, and in 1876, it became independent from the LMS. It became a Congregational Church as it is today. The first trustees of the LMS were Dr John Philip and the Rev. William Alers Hankey. The first missionaries were Messrs Miles, Melville, Williams, and later the Philips’ (Will Enowy and Thom Durant Philip)
Dr John Philip was the superintendent. Some of the residents were Windvogel, Diederich, Abraham, Stuurman, Dragoonder, Armoed, Scheepers, Mahtjies, Gerts, Matroos, Konstabel, and Kettledas. The first white farmers were Messrs. Wait, Salmon Ferreira, Stefanus Ferreira, and the Damant Bros.
The first irrigation scheme on the Klein Rivier was started by James Wait in 1827 and completed in 1830. It extended for 5.6 km (3.5 mi), and he was awarded 50 cattle and the use of 50 workers. Part of this irrigation scheme can still be seen today and forms part of the Hankey Golf Course.
The second irrigation scheme on the Gamtoos River, a provincial heritage site in Hankey today, was carried out by William Enowy Philip, the son of the Superintendent of the LMS, Dr John Philip. His inspiration was the window in the hill between Backhousehoek and Vensterhoek, which was dug using pick and shovel and wheelbarrows. The length of the tunnel was 228 metres, and the speed of construction was very slow, about 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft) a day. It was started in April 1843 and completed in August 1844, 15 months later. It was in use from April 1845 to 1970 – a period of 125 years. This was the first-ever tunnel scheme in South Africa.
In 1822 Dr John Philip, the superintendent of the London Missionary Society, established a mission station on the farm Wagendrift and named it after Reverend William Alers Hankey, the treasurer of the London Missionary Society. An irrigation tunnel constructed under the direction of William Philip, the son of Dr John Philip, is today protected as a provincial heritage site.
On 19 August 2002, the remains of Saartjie Baartman were laid to rest on Vergaderingskop, a hill on the edge of town.
As is the case with most South African towns, there are residential areas previously reserved for non-white residents set up on the outskirts of the town. In the case of Hankey, these are Centerton on the western edge of the town (on the opposite bank of the Klein River) and Weston, located about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) to the south-west (on the opposite bank of the Gamtoos River).
