This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(December 2009) |
Boshofis a farming town in the west of theFree Stateprovince,South Africa.
Boshof | |
|---|---|
  Boshof  Boshof | |
| Coordinates:28°33′S25°14′E/ 28.550°S 25.233°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Free State |
| District | Lejweleputswa |
| Municipality | Tokologo |
| Established | 1856[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 91.7 km2(35.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 8,509 |
| • Density | 93/km2(240/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| •Black African | 78.5% |
| •Coloured | 10.5% |
| •Indian/Asian | 0.4% |
| •White | 10.1% |
| • Other | 0.5% |
| First languages(2011) | |
| •Tswana | 57.9% |
| •Afrikaans | 28.7% |
| •Sotho | 4.4% |
| •Xhosa | 3.8% |
| • Other | 5.1% |
| Time zone | UTC+2(SAST) |
| Postal code(street) | 8340 |
| PO box | 8340 |
| Area code | 053 |
The town is 55 km north-east ofKimberleyon theR64 road.Established in March 1856 on the farm Vanwyksvlei, which had been named after aGriquawho sowed his crops on it from time to time. Named in honour ofJacobus Nicolaas Boshof(1808-1881), second President of theOrange Free State(1855–59) and founder of its civil service. Became a municipality in 1872.[3]
The local commando was involved in thesiege of Kimberley,notably the disruption of the city’s water supply at Riverton. TheBattle of Boshof,which resulted in the death of theComte de Villebois-Mareuil,was fought nearby on 5 April 1900.
References
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.
- ^abcdSum of the Main PlacesBoshofandSeretsefrom Census 2011.
- ^Raper, Peter E. (1987).Dictionary of Southern African Place Names.Internet Archive. p. 89.Retrieved28 August2013.