Bloemhof

Bloemhof
Bloemhof railway station
Bloemhof
 Bloemhof shown within North West
Bloemhof
Bloemhof (South Africa)
Bloemhof
Bloemhof (Africa)
Coordinates: 27°39′0″S 25°35′24″E / 27.65000°S 25.59000°E / -27.65000; 25.59000Coordinates: 27°39′0″S 25°35′24″E / 27.65000°S 25.59000°E / -27.65000; 25.59000
Country South Africa
Province North West
District Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati
Municipality Lekwa-Teemane
Established 1864[1]
Area[2]
 • Total 47.33 km2 (18.27 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 2,339
 • Density 49/km2 (130/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
 • Black African 26.5%
 • Coloured 7.0%
 • Indian/Asian 4.2%
 • White 61.9%
 • Other 0.4%
First languages (2011)[2]
 • Afrikaans 72.1%
 • Tswana 7.4%
 • English 7.3%
 • Sotho 4.1%
 • Other 8.9%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street) 2660
PO box 2660
Area code 053

Bloemhof is an agricultural town of about 2,000 inhabitants situated on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province of South Africa.

History

It was founded in August 1864 when diamonds were discovered in the area.[3] The town was established on the farm owned by John Barclay, who survived the HMS Birkenhead shipwreck in 1852. The place became known as Bloemhof (flower court) because of the lovely gardens that were planted by Barclay's daughter. In June 1869, the South African Republic's Volksraad created a new district called Bloemhof named after the town itself.[3] Currently Bloemhof has a variety of social milieus; it has a township called Boitumelong and former coloured residence called Coverdale. Salamat is also a small residence formerly an Indian suburb which is situated in this town.

Tourist attractions

References

  1. ↑ "Chronological order of town establishment in South Africa based on Floyd (1960:20-26)" (PDF). pp. xlv–lii.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Bloemhof". Census 2011.
  3. 1 2 Theal, George McCall (1889). History of South Africa: the republics and native territories from 1854 to 1872. London: S. Sonnenschein & co. p. 230.
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