This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(February 2012) |
Colesbergis a town with 17,354 inhabitants in theNorthern Capeprovince of South Africa, located on themain N1 roadfromCape TowntoJohannesburg.
Colesberg
Koolsberg in Afrikaansorthography | |
|---|---|
Top:Dutch Reformed Church,middle left: Coniston House, right: Main Street, bottom left: Horse and Mill, right: Kemper Museum. | |
  Colesberg  Colesberg  Colesberg | |
| Coordinates:30°43′00″S25°06′00″E/ 30.71667°S 25.10000°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | Pixley ka Seme |
| Municipality | Umsobomvu |
| Established | 1830[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 174.84 km2(67.51 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 16,869 |
| • Density | 96/km2(250/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| •Black African | 67.4% |
| •Coloured | 25.7% |
| •Indian/Asian | 0.6% |
| •White | 5.3% |
| • Other | 1.0% |
| First languages(2011) | |
| •Xhosa | 59.5% |
| •Afrikaans | 33.1% |
| •Sotho | 2.8% |
| •English | 1.8% |
| • Other | 2.9% |
| Time zone | UTC+2(SAST) |
| Postal code(street) | 9795 |
| PO box | 9795 |
| Area code | 051 |
In a sheep-farming area spread over half-a-million hectares, greater Colesberg breeds many of the country's top merinos. It is also renowned for producing high-quality racehorses and many stud farms, including one owned by renowned golfer,Gary Player,are nearby.
History
editFounded in 1830 on an abandoned station of theLondon Missionary Society,and initially named Toverberg after a nearby hill, it was renamed Colesberg after SirGalbraith Lowry Cole,then Governor of theCape Colony.[3]The site of the town lay on one of the well-travelled routes used by traders, hunters and explorers to gain access to the interior. Towerberg or Coleskop is a prominent hill near the town and a landmark easily seen from a distance by travellers.
Colesberg saw a large number of battles and skirmishes during the secondAnglo-Boer War,and the Colesberg Garden of Remembrance is located just outside the town.
A number of1820 Settlersestablished farms in the Colesberg district. Outnumbered as a religious group, some attended theMethodist Churchand others theDutch Reformed Church,where services in English were specially held for them. Anglican officials inCape Townappointed Dr CEH Orpen as rector and the first services were conducted in the Court House and the London Mission Chapel, which became known as St Stephen's Church. In 1852 the construction of the Anglican Christ Church was started, having been designed bySophy Gray,wife of the Cape Town bishopRobert Gray.
TheColesberg Bankwas founded in 1861.[4]Michael Davitt wrote while documenting theSecond Boer War,that the previous generation noted the village as a rendezvous for hunters and diamond miners.[5]
Past residents
edit- Hennie Bingle,rector of thePUK
- General Piet Cronje,a South African general in both the Anglo-Boer wars.
- Danie du Plessis,Head of the South African Railways & co-founder of The AfrikanerBroederbond
- Frans du Toit,a South African Economist, and Trade Commissioner.
- Ricardo Loubscher,South Africa national rugby union teamplayer & rugby coach
- Zamani Saul,Premier of the Northern Cape
- Nicolaas Theunissen,South African Test cricketer
- Nombulelo Lilian Hermans (Former ANC regional treasurer and regional deputy chairperson, Member of the National Assembly of South Africa)
Cityscape
editArchitecture
editThe town boasts many buildings that were built in a blend ofCape DutchandGeorgian architecturewith ceilings of reed, andyellowwoodtimbers, and others that display a range of designs reflecting the changes of 19th century building. Originally plots were pegged out and sold on the site of the town to fund the building of theDutch Reformedchurch.
Society and culture
editMuseums, monuments and memorials
editA large number ofHeritage Sitesregistered with theSouth African Heritage Resources Agencyare located in Colesberg.
Economy
editFarming in the area is dedicated almost entirely to horses andmerinosheep. While in a sheep-farming area spread over half-a-million hectares, greater Colesberg breeds many of the country's top merinos. Colesberg is renowned for producing high-qualityracehorsesand many stud farms, including one owned by legendary golfer,Gary Player,are nearby. Theostrich-feather boom of the early 1900s, which left many farmers rich, is long forgotten.
The town has a thriving tourism industry, in part because it represents a rough halfway point between Johannesburg and Cape Town.[6]There is a hotel, amotel,and many guest houses and B&Bs around town, most having restaurants andpubson-site. Severalguest farmsoperate in the district offering accommodation with 4x4 trails, mountain bike trails,game hunting(mainlyspringbok,wildebeestandblesbok) and bird watching. Three major service stations with on-site shops, restaurants and toilet facilities are located on the N1 at Colesberg. Small industries are located in town, including a sheep abattoir, a factory which makes a range of furniture to order and apanel beater.
The Doornkloof Nature Reserve is located near Colesberg on the confluence of theOrangeand Seekoei Rivers.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Robson, Linda Gillian (2011)."Annexure A"(PDF).The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact(PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii.hdl:2263/26503.
- ^abcd"Main Place Colesberg".Census 2011.
- ^Raper, R.E.Dictionary of Southern African Place Names.Human Science Research Council. p. 119.
- ^The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited."Standard Bank Group – Historical Overview"(PDF).p. 2.[permanent dead link]
- ^Davitt, Michael (1902).The Boer Fight for Freedom.The University of Michigan: Funk & Wagnalls. pp.357.
- ^Krige, Nadia."South Africa's Halfway Towns".Traveller24.News24.Retrieved29 January2020.