| Paterson | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -33.4394°N 25.9685°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Eastern Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Sarah Baartman |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Sundays River Valley |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 4.3 |
| Population Total: | 5582 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 77.0% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 20.4% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.3% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 1.5% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.8% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 66.7% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 23.2% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 5.9% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Sign language |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 1.8% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 2.3% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 6130 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 6130 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 042 |
Paterson is a settlement in Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town is located some 80km (50miles) north-west of Alexandria and 21km (13miles) north of Nanaga on the N10 National Route.[2]
The village was laid out in 1879 at Sand Flats railway station, which had been reached by the Midland System of the Cape Government Railways on 1 April 1876.[2] [3] [4] [5]
The new town was named after John Paterson (1822–1880), member of Parliament and founder of the Eastern Province Herald and of the Grey Institute for Boys, who established the town.[2] [5]
The first Paterson to become a railwayman was James, who joined the Cape Government Railways as a clerk at Port Elizabeth in 1882. After rising to many senior posts in the Operating department, South African Railways General Manager Sir William Hoy appointed him in June 1913 as Divisional Superintendent at Kimberley, where he retired in 1920.[5]
Four generations and 180 cumulative years of Paterson railway service later, the fourth generation (and sixth member) of the Paterson family joined what was by then SA Transport Services in Johannesburg. During 1962, Sandflats railway station was eventually also named "Paterson".[5]