Lindley, Free State

Lindley
Lindley
 Lindley shown within Free State
Lindley
Lindley (South Africa)
Lindley
Lindley (Africa)
Coordinates: 27°52′S 27°55′E / 27.867°S 27.917°E / -27.867; 27.917Coordinates: 27°52′S 27°55′E / 27.867°S 27.917°E / -27.867; 27.917
Country South Africa
Province Free State
District Thabo Mofutsanyane
Municipality Nketoana
Established 1875[1]
Area[2]
 • Total 23.0 km2 (8.9 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 12,000
 • Density 520/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
 • Black African 95.6%
 • Coloured 0.3%
 • Indian/Asian 0.3%
 • White 3.6%
 • Other 0.2%
First languages (2011)[2]
 • Sotho 83.6%
 • Zulu 6.1%
 • Afrikaans 5.1%
 • Sign language 2.2%
 • Other 3.1%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street) 9630
PO box 9630
Area code 058

Lindley is a small town situated on the banks of the Vals River in the eastern region of the Free State province of South Africa. It was established by an American missionary named Daniel Lindley, who was the first ordained minister to the Voortrekkers in Natal.[3]

The settlement of Lindley was laid out in 1875 on the farm Brandhoek and was proclaimed a town in 1878. The main route to the town is the R707. Lindley, together with its neighbouring towns of Reitz, Petrus Steyn and Arlington form the Nketoana Local Municipality.

Lindley has reestablished their proud rugby union in 2016, after having little success since being ranked first in the Free State in 1994.

Famous inhabitants

Tourist attractions

Tourist attractions in Lindley include a British memorial in the local cemetery to British soldiers who died on 31 May 1900 at Yeomanry Hills during the siege of Lindley, prehistoric stone huts of the original inhabitants of the area as well as a miniature replica of the Dutch Reformed Church that was erected in 1928 in memory of those who died during the Second Anglo-Boer War.

Doornkloof Farm

Doornkloof Farm is located in the Lindley District and was inhabited by Voortrekker leader, Sarel Cilliers during the Great Trek. Various attractions can be found on the farm, including the farmhouse which was built by Sarel Cilliers himself. There is also a tram track that offers a unique walk through history of the farm.[4]

The skirmish of Leeuwkop and Bakenkop

Following British Major-General, Paget's, success in the Free State, Boer General, Christiaan de Wet retired to Leeuwkop, a rocky hill about ten kilometres to the south-east of Lindley where he established a new defensive position along a ridge line running north-east, which had Bakenkop[5] as its most prominent feature.[6]

On 3 July Paget moved his infantry and two guns into the intervening valley towards Leeuwkop, while sending 800 of his mounted troops with six guns against Bakenkop on the left. The commander of the latter detachment, Colonel A.M. Brookfield, took his men onto a ridge 4 000 metres from his objective and returned fire on the five Boer guns which had begun to engage him.

During the ensuing conflict, an artillery officer managed to mount a horse and gallop to the rear. He came upon a detachment of South Australians, under captain A.E.M. Norton, who had been ordered to retire. These he led back to the ridge line just in time to prevent the Boers from carrying away the captured guns. When confronted with the Australians' fire, the burghers promptly retreated taking some of the captured gunners with them as prisoners. The enemy party attacking the left gun section also broke contact and withdrew. In the meantime Paget had seized Leeuwkop and was now able to direct flanking fire from his guns against the Boer artillery. De Wet soon abandoned Bakenkop and made off towards Bethlehem.

During the short but sharp battle, Major Rose and about a dozen South Australians were wounded. The Tasmanian squadron, having been kept on other duty near Lindley, did not join in the fighting until the action was in its final stages with the Boers already driven off.

Leeuwkop and Bakenkop Monument

Leewkop and Bakenkop Monument

On 13 March 2017, an Anglo-Boer War memorial honouring the dead, on both sides, was unveiled outside Lindley on a farm between Leeuwkop and Bakenkop. The monument was unveiled by historian/researcher, Dr Stimson, in honour of his grandfather, Captain A.E.M Norton, who was involved in the skirmish.

Leghoya huts

Leghoya huts or Sedan Beehive stone huts[7] belonged to the first primitive mining people who came to the Rand but they are also found in several towns in the Lindley District including Heilbron and Arlington.[8] Because of the materials used to build these huts, great skill was required, especially when dealing with the roof. The architecture used to create these huts was unique and could be compared to that of the [Innuits]. They set the scene for the passing of the Stone Age in the Free State.[9]

See also

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 Sum of the Main Places Ntha and Lindley from Census 2011.
  3. ↑ "Daniel Lindley". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  4. ↑ https://tracks4africa.co.za/listings/item/w152679/
  5. ↑ http://za.geoview.info/bakenkop,1021692
  6. ↑ http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46303/46303-8.txt
  7. ↑ http://www.sahra.org.za/sahris/node/33402
  8. ↑ Werner, A (1906). "The Aborigines of South Africa". Journal of the Royal African Society. 5 (20): 381–386. JSTOR 715115.
  9. ↑ http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/inventories/inv_pdfo/A1655/A1655-Dc1f-01-jpeg.pdf
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