Includes bibliographical references. / The primary purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which the historic built environment plays a role in the establishment of a Sense of Place in the South African context with its diverse population and complex political history. The underlying rationale for this focus is that a strong connection between a Sense of Place and the historic built environment has the potential to translate to a strong motivation for its preservation. The focus in this research is on a single case, a historic diamond mining town in the Free State Province of South Africa, dating to 1869, with a rich and diverse history. The research was conducted employing a multi-paradigmatic approach grounded in Phenomenology and Psychometrics.

The vibrant suburb of Fordsburg has a rich history of diverse working class communities. It has long been associated with the Indian community and more recently a new immigrant population from the Indian subcontinent. Transitory communities have left their mark on the suburb and have resulted in changing significances and heritage resources. The study's main aim was to identify what constants have gained significance to become anchors for memory and identity in Fordsburg's landscape of rapid urban and social change. An exploration of Fordsburg's history and evolution was undertaken so as to reflect on multiple interpretations and insights into unacknowledged histories of the area. Themes of identity, urban memory, hybridity and the everyday landscape were examined within the context of Fordsburg. It concluded that there are constants of cultural significance which anchor memory and identity. These constants are located in the ordinary urban landscape of public spaces created in Fordsburg's main roads, public amenities and Fordsburg Square.

The research question posed in this study asks what qualities, characteristics and cultural significance need to be embodied within an urban environment that make the area worthy of conservation-oriented protection through laws and policies. The research question was explored through an assessment of the townscape of Vredehoek, an informally(1) proposed conservation area in Cape Town where there is a relatively high concentration of Art Deco buildings. The selection of Vredehoek as a laboratory within which to ask this question is due to the presence of contested opinions amongst various stakeholders and heritage-claimants about the cultural significance embodied within the built fabric of this place. This study aimed to identify what elements of the built environment of Vredehoek are of special interest, what qualities and characteristics these elements of special interest embody, to understand and articulate the values that inform these qualities, and to identify to whom these elements are valuable and why. Criteria were established with which to determine whether the identified qualities and values are special enough that when synthesised, the resultant significance of the place warrants protection through heritage area designation. The criteria developed with which to assess and evaluate proposed urban conservation areas, including Vredehoek, require that such environments need to embody cultural significance and characteristics informed by an urban history reflected in its authentic manifestations developed over time through continuity of use with a high townscape quality established primarily through the aesthetic unity of its component parts. Through historical research, the studying, mapping and analysis of the area's urban morphology, built environment and natural landscape, and the identification and evaluation of values held by heritage-claimants and views held by those critical of Vredehoek's proposed designation, evidence regarding the conservation-worthiness of Vredehoek has been assembled and assessed within the framework of criteria developed to evaluate heritage area designation. It has been found that the environment of Vredehoek does not embody high townscape quality nor does a strong aesthetic unity of its components exist. Furthermore, the area is not a richly layered environment reflecting continuity of use, the existence of cultural significance within the place is limited to a relatively small part of the townscape - a collection of Art Deco buildings demonstrating a moderate degree of architectural merit. Thus the environment of Vredehoek does not meet the criteria required for heritage area conservation.

Conservation in Montagu started in the early 1970s, with the rescuing and restoration of significant buildings and the declaration of 21 National Monuments (now called Provincial Heritage Sites), which safeguarded those buildings when no other heritage protections were in place. This was followed by a conservation study by Todeschini and Japha in 1990, identifying heritage resources, delineating conservation areas and providing guidelines. This case study has found that, with a few exceptions, the conservation endeavours in Montagu during the past 40 years have been successful.

This study investigates the perceived heritage significance of township churches. This is done by means of a case study which focuses on early churches in Langa, particularly the Wesleyan Methodist and the African Methodist Episcopal churches. The hypothesis is that heritage values are attached to certain churches of Langa and that these are regarded as heritage resources as a result of a particular character or built form. In support of this hypothesis, the intellectual realm of churches and heritage values was explored and the historical and spatial context which informed the development of the churches, investigated. A strong emphasis was placed on ascertaining the heritage values of the Langa community in a series of interviews. To understand the values attached to churches, views have been solicited from community members residing in the neighbourhood of the identified churches, members of the clergy and congregants and a number of 'experts’ - people who have been involved in the study of heritage in Langa, either from an academic or community perspective. Sixteen interviews, which took the form of focused, semistructured discussions, were conducted.

The (Re)Discovery of Mapungubwe in 1933 sparked an ongoing 89-year journey of interpretation, re-interpretation, hidden agendas, scientific racism and an evolution of worldviews. In being as deeply meaningful and entrenched in the South African psyche as it is, Mapungubwe features in a variety of representations. For this thesis, a selection of these representations were made of both those considered historical and contemporary. These were discussed and unpacked in accordance with the broader research question examining if their accuracy matters. In this unpacking archaeological theory is discussed, as well as the nationalist ideologies and racial science which was attributed to it in the early 20th Century. In addition to the selection of representations, a history of the re(discovery) and discoveries of Mapungubwe is also discussed. Ultimately, it does not matter if representations of Mapungubwe are accurate or authentic, as these facets are framework dependent, and have been found to each carry their own meaning or 'truth' around the Mapungubwe story.

This study explores various notions of authenticity in tourism experience and seeks to establish if these notions are compatible with the concept of authenticity in conservation of the built environment. Three wine farms in the Cape Winelands cultural landscape, a proposed serial World Heritage Site, have been studied. The study suggests that object-related or material authenticity is being replaced with alternative notions of authenticity in tourism and that the toured object, for the purpose of winelands tourism in the Western Cape during this period, no longer needs to be authentic.