Originally this area was used as a wagon halt by farmers who brought their produce to Bellville. As it was 12 miles (20km) from Cape Town it was simply called 12th Mile Stone.
In 1860 the area was “moved” to its current location, 24km from Cape Town. A year later it was renamed Belleville, after the Surveyor-General of the Cape, Charles Davidson Bell. A railway station was built and the station itself was named Hardekraaltjie.
The railway line between Cape Town and Belleville was built specifically to transport goods to Bellville, so in 1886 the name was changed again to Durban Road. However in 1904 the area once again became known as Bellville, with the only change being the spelling.