Lingwood Trig Beacon - Kloof Conservancy BioGuide
Lingwood Trig Beacon
Name Lingwood Trig Beacon
Location GPS Co-ordinates: S 29° 46.067 E 030° 50.648
Steel vanes on a concrete plinth.
Altitude 499.90 MSL
Trigonometric beacons which were used for land surveying throughout South Africa. These beacons have been replaced by the use of modern Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.
The error margin of the measurements based on the beacons varied depending on the quality of the instruments used but was in the region of 20m. The accuracy of the advanced GPS systems is now within a few millimeters.
The Lingwood Trig Beacon was most probably built in the 1950’s.
The position offers a 360° view of Kloof with views extending out to sea in Umhlanga on the north-east and towards the Drakensberg on the west.
It is the highest point on the eastern escarpment of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve.
The beacon is often erroneously referred to as “Gibson’s Beacon” as the Gibson family lived in nearby Windsor Road.
The beacon fell into disrepair and the metal vanes broke off after many years of neglect. Kloof Conservancy repaired and restored the beacon during 2013 to preserve this bit of local history.
The trigonometric beacons (trig beacons) in South Africa originated from the Western Cape, Cape Town to be exact and they were based on star observations and precisely measured baselines . Sir Thomas Maclear between 1833 and 1870 and Sir David Gill between 1879 and 1907 were initially tasked to verify the size and shape of the earth in the Southern Hemisphere and later to provide geodetic control for topographic maps and navigation charts. From these beginnings the network was extended to eventually cover the entire country and which eventually comprised about 29000 highly visible trigonometric beacons on mountains, high buildings and water towers.
The trig beacons were fixed mainly by angle observations for the horizontal position and trig heighting was used to determine the heights. The position of the trig beacon is at the centre of the pillar and the height is mainly at the top of the pillar. Their heights are based on Mean Sea Level (MSL).
Trig beacons are grouped together to form a network of triangulation and are grouped together according to their positions on earth with the reference to the degree squares e.g. those that are in degree square 2930 will be grouped together and those in degree square 3030 will be grouped together. The degree squares are defined by the lines of Latitude and Longitude.
Note: These notes are an extract from "TYPES OF SURVEY CONTROL" – ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY
M. Seedat, S. Thusi, M. Zaca, N. Ndaba & S. Ndlovu – Surveying & Land Information Dept
eThekwini Municipality Engineering Department
Indawo ephakeme Lingwood
Igama Lingwood Trig Beacon
indawo GPS Co-ordinates: S 29° 46.067 E 030° 50.648
Insimbi eyakhelwa isisekelo sakhonkolo yomele khona ikhomba ukuphakama kwendawo.
Usayizi wokuphakama Kwendawo kusuka olwandle 499.90 MSL
Indlela eyayisetshensiswa ukucwaninga nokucacisa umumo wezwe lonke lase Mzansi Afrika. Lezizindawo eziphakeme zibanjelwe uhlobo olusha lobungcweti nobuchwepheshe olusebenza emhlabeni jikelele.
Ukungashayi khona emkhawulweni wokukala ngendawo ephakeme kuyahlukahluka kuye ngobunjalo bethuluzi elisetshenzisiwe nendawo engama nyathelo angamashumi amabili eceleni ngebanga.
Uhlobo olusha olusa geji kakhulu, sekuba sebangeni eliseduze kakhulu
Lendawo ephakeme yase Lingwood yakhiwa ngeminyaka yenkulungwane namakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye namashumi amahlanu.
Lendawo eseKloof ekuphakama kungamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha ikubosisa phansi olwandle e Mhlanga naphezulu ezintabeni zokhahlamba.
Indawo ephakeme emaqumeni empumalanga yesiqiwi i-Krantkloof . uphawu lwendawo ephakeme njalonjalo luthatheka ngokungekona njenge ndawo ephezulu ebizwa nge Gibson, Njengoba umndeni waka Gibson uhlala emgaqweni oseduze u-Windsor. Uphawu lwendawo ephakeme lwawa kwaphuka insimbi kwafanela ukuba lukhandwe, emva kweminyaka eminingi luzitshiwe.
Kwaze kwasukuma inhlangano yemvelo yase Kloof yalukhanda yalubuyisela endaweni yalo ngonyaka wamakhulu amabili neshumi nantathu , ukuvikela umlando omncane wendawo.
Uphawu lwendawo ephakeme Emzansi Afrika lwadabuka entshonalanga ye Kapa ,ukuba idolobha I Kapa libe sendaweni ekwi iyonayona, isizinda sabo sasisendaweni ekahle ubona nokukala okuyikho. u Mnz Thomasi Maclear phakathi konyaka we nkulungwane namakhulu ayisishiyagalombili namashumi amathathu nantathu nonyaka wenkulungwane namakhulu ayisishiyagalombili namashumi ayisikhombisa no Mnz Davide Gill phakathi konyaka we nkulungwane namakhulu asishiyagalombili namashumi ayisikhombisa nesishiyagalolunye nonyaka we nkulungwane namakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye nesikhombisa bajutshwa ukuqala babheke ubungako nobunjalo bomhlaba emzansi ne Afrika base emva kwesikhathi baletha insebenzo kulawulwa umumo wezintaba ngebalazwe.
Kusuka la kwaqala isixakaxaka semisebe yezokuxhumana sinabele ezweni lonke okwahamba kwagcina sekunezindawo ezinophawu lwezindawo eziphakeme eziyizi nkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nesishiyagalolunye nezibonakalayo ezintabeni nasezakhiweni eziphakeme nasogcinweni lwamanzi olusezindaweni eziphakeme.
Izimpawu zendawo eziphakeme zazilungiswa kakhulu ngezindawo othi uma ukhona ubone nhlangothi zonke, kwasetshenziswa lezondawo ngolayini aba vundlayo ezweni ukuthola ukuphakama kwezinye.
Izindawo ezinezimpawu zendawo ephakeme ziphakathi kwezinsika mase iphezulu lensika iyona indawo ephakeme, ukuphakama kwazo kukalwa kusu kumumo wolwandle.
Iziphawu zendawo eziphakeme zihlanganiswe ngamaqoqwana ngobuxhakaxhaka obuwunxantathu futhi nangezindawo atholakala kuzo emhlabeni nangokusondelana kokuphakama kwawo ezilinganisweni ezikhona . Ubungako bokushiyana kwamazinga okuphakama buvezwa na olayini abehlayo nabavundla emhlabeni wonke jikele.