[3] It is a semi-rural residential suburb on the north-eastern outskirts of the metropolis surrounded by farms producing wine and wheat.

Precolonial period (before 1652) The first modern humans indigenous to the Cape area included the Khoina and the Khoisan tribes.

The indigenous people lived in the Cape and its surrounding coastal areas dating as far back as 60 000 years ago.

[5] Dutch colonial period (1652-1795) Durbanville's inception can be traced to a fresh water spring located in the town.

Due to the natural spring, Pampoenkraal became a preferred resting place for travellers before continuing on their journey into the interior.

British colonial period (1795-1902) The first portions of land were earmarked as residential properties and allocated in 1806, signifying the start and development of Durbanville.

[7] In 1825 a group of local farmers requested permission from Lord Charles Somerset (governor of the Cape Colony at that time) to build their own church.

Permission was duly granted and the new name persisted until 1886 when it was renamed to Durbanville in order to avoid confusion with Durban - a major port city in the east of South Africa.

[citation needed] The village grew rapidly after the turn of the 19th century and a local wagon industry developed.

[citation needed] Durbanville is situated in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, approximately 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) north-east of the city, bordered by Bellville to the south, Brackenfell to the south-east and Kraaifontein to the east.

The valley is also dubbed as the "Sauvignon Blanc Country" owing to the amount of sauvignon blanc produced here which is favoured by winemakers for its cooler climate (by comparison to the Boland wine region) influenced by the winds of Table Bay and False Bay resulting in a different style of wine produced within the valley.

[14][15][16] Also found in the town are the following smaller shopping centres: Durbanville is surrounded by a number of stoning quarries on the Tygerberg Hills with companies such as Afrimat, Portland and Ciolli Bros operating in the area.

[27][28][29][30] In recent years, there has been a population boom in Durbanville with former farmland been given over to large gated estates such as Pinehurst, Graanendal and Clara Anna Fontein.

[35] However, Durbanville still boasts large quantities of farmland and smallholdings along its borders, despite the recent developments, which has resulted in the town being able to retain its unique country atmospheres.

The principal religion of the population is Christianity with a wide variety of churches in the community Owing to the rich history and heritage of the town, Durbanville boasts its fair share of historical features and attractions largely situated in the CBD and its immediate surroundings including:[36] According to the 2011 Census, the population of Durbanville was 54,286.

[44] The Durbanville municipal council assumed a coat of arms, designed by Ivan Mitford-Barberton and H. Ellis Tomlinson, in April 1948,[45] and registered them at the Bureau of Heraldry in February 1981.The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) The arms, derived from those of Sir Benjamin d'Urban, were : Or, on a chevron between in chief two six-pointed stars Sable and in base a bunch of grapes proper, three garbs Or.

In layman's term, the shield is gold and depicts, from top to bottom, two black six-pointed stars, a blue chevron bearing three golden sheaves of wheat, and a bunch of grapes.