Established in 1834, St John's is one of three churches commonly mentioned in historical accounts of the original settlement of Wynberg (the others are the NG Kirk [part of GC821KZ] and the Methodist church [ GC8EEH2]).
Legal authority to establish the church in Wynberg was embodied in Ordinance 6 of 1833 (known as the Wynberg English Church Ordinance), making St John's the oldest Anglican church in Cape Town. The church was built just outside the village and near to the military encampment [GC8EED5] and was consecrated during 1834.
When all individual Anglican church Ordinances were to be incorporated into one Act of the Cape parliament in 1891, St John's church expressed fear this would jeopardise its evangelical expression. A separate act, the St John's Act (Act 9 of 1891) was therefore promulgated to succeed the original ordinance, and it is under this Act that St John's is still governed today.
Prior to the establishment of the Garrison Church in 1905, St John's served as a place of worship for troops based at the Wynberg Military Base.
As the settlements around Cape Town grew, St John's formed the seat of The Parish of St John the Evangelist, Wynberg incorporating new churches in Diep River (St Luke’s, 1897), Kennilworth (Christ Church, 1907), Kenwyn (St Philips Church, 1921), Wynberg (Emmanuel Church, 1928), and Kirstenhof (Church of the Holy Spirit, 1999).
Many of the surrounding buildings belong to the church with names like Rosary House and St John's Cottage. Just across the road, there is a school, Springfield Convent School, that was established by six Irish Dominican nuns in 1871. However, the school established by St John's is located further away, in Ottery Road.
Note: the church has services at 7.45AM, 9AM, and 12PM on Sundays, and you'd be wise to plan your visit to avoid those. You do not need to enter the church grounds to retrieve the cache.
For a list of references and more information, please see: