Knysna, Western Cape

Knysna
An aerial view of Knysna and its waterfront area, with the lagoon visible in the background to the right
Knysna Show map of Western Cape Knysna Show map of South Africa Knysna Show map of Africa  Knysna shown within Western Cape
Coordinates: 34°02′08″S 23°02′56″E / 34.03556°S 23.04889°E / -34.03556; 23.04889Coordinates: 34°02′08″S 23°02′56″E / 34.03556°S 23.04889°E / -34.03556; 23.04889
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Eden
Municipality	Knysna
Established	1871
Government
• Knysna Executive Mayor	Eleanore Bouw-Spies (DA)
Area
• Total	108.77 km2 (42.00 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	51,078
• Density	470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	42.8%
• Coloured	36.8%
• Indian/Asian	0.5%
• White	18.3%
• Other	1.6%
First languages (2011)
• Afrikaans	45.6%
• Xhosa	34.4%
• English	14.7%
• Other	5.3%
Postal code (street)	6570
PO box	6570
Area code	044
Website	http://www.knysna.gov.za/

Knysna (/ˈnaɪznə/; probably from a Khoikhoi word meaning "ferns") is a town with 51,078 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road..

Little is known about the indigenous inhabitants of Knysna, the Khoikhoi. The area east of present-day George was separated by high mountains and deep gorges, making it virtually inaccessible to European travelers.

Nevertheless, the first Europeans arrived in the area in 1760, and the farm Melkhoutkraal (literally translating from Afrikaans as 'milk wood kraal’) was established on the eastern shore of the Knysna Lagoon. Stephanus Terblans, the first European farmer to settle in the area, was given a loan permit to farm here in 1770.

Upon moving to Knysna George Rex, a British-born entrepreneur credited as being the founder of Knysna, acquired the loan rights to Melkhoutkraal in 1804 and later, in 1816, to the farm Welbedacht, which he renamed Eastford. He gave 80 acres (32 ha) of Eastford to the Colonial Government, on which the Royal Navy established the township of Melville. Rex’s properties were sold when he died in 1839.