Founded in 1849, Whittlesea was as a military outpost created to protect white settlers during the Frontier War of 1850-1853. The town was named after Whittlesea in Cambridgeshire, birthplace of Sir Harry Smith (1787-1860), Governor of the Cape Colony from 1847 to 1852.
Whittlesea is a semi-rural town situated in the Hewu district, 37 km south of Queenstown, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The town is made up townships of Ekuphumleni, Bhede, Extension 4, Extension 5 and Sada. Surrounding Whittlesea are 36 villages which make up the Hewu (meaning “flat land’ in Xhosa) district.
Key Statistics 2011
| Total population | 14,756 |
| Young (0-14) | 32,8% |
| Working Age (15-64) | 61,5% |
| Elderly (65+) | 5,7% |
| Dependency ratio | 62,6 |
| Sex ratio | 84,9 |
| Population density | 960 persons/km2 |
| No schooling aged 20+ | 9,6% |
| Higher education aged 20+ | 11,5% |
| Matric aged 20+ | 22,4% |
| Number of households | 4,051 |
| Average household size | 3,6 |
| Female headed households | 53,1% |
| Formal dwellings | 98,2% |
| Housing owned/paying off | 55,7% |
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 96,9% |
| Weekly refuse removal | 68,9% |
| Piped water inside dwelling | 89,6% |
| Electricity for lighting | 97,8% |