By Correspondent
In 1892 Edward Walter Kermode claimed a farm and registered it as ‘Spring Valley Range.
Kermode had arrived in the country from the Isle of Man with the pioneer column as a personal servant of Archibald Calqhoun, Rhodesia’s first administrator.
However, shortly after registering the farm, in 1895, Kermode returned to the Isle of Man where he married.
The farm has already been surveyed by one, Harry Sawenthal who had a fiancee called Mabel Mann.
Thus, Mabel Mann, realizing that the owner was gone invaded the farm and took it.
This was despite the fact that the title deed was already held by Sawenthal who had gone back.
A legal dispute over the farm ownership later ensued and Mabel Mann won, resulting in her christening the farm Mabel’reign’ in reference to her victory.
Thus the suburb is named after Miss Mabel Mann, fiance of the original surveyor.
Mabelreign Today
Areas falling under the general administrative area of Mabelreign include Greencroft, Haig Park, Sunridge, Ashdown Park, Meyrick Park, St. Andrews Park, Sentosa, Cotswold Hills and Bloomingdale.
The suburb falls under Ward 16 whose Councillor is Denford Ngadziore.
There are a number of shopping centres in the area.
The Mabelreign post office, Mabelreign Police Station, municipality offices, and a local clinic are located on Stortford parade in Mabelreign shopping centre.
Secondary schools in the area include Ellis Robins School, Harare and the Mabelreign Girls High School.
Hallingbury Primary School and Alfred Beit School are also in the area.
Neighbouring suburbs are Marlborough, Avondale and Belvedere.
