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.
Bloemhof | |
|---|---|
 Bloemhof railway station | |
  Bloemhof  Bloemhof | |
| Coordinates: 27°39′0″S 25°35′24″E / 27.65000°S 25.59000°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | North West |
| District | Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati |
| Municipality | Lekwa-Teemane Mayor Sebang Motlhabi |
| Established | 1864[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 47.33 km2 (18.27 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,339 |
| • Density | 49/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 26.5% |
| • Coloured | 7.0% |
| • Indian/Asian | 4.2% |
| • White | 61.9% |
| • Other | 0.4% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • 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 |
History edit
It was founded in August 1864 when diamonds were discovered in the area.[4] The town was established on the farm owned by John Barclay, who survived the shipwreck of HMS Birkenhead 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.[4] 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.
Notable people edit
- Lieutenant-General Willem Louw (24 November 1920 – 4 July 1980) was a South African military commander. He joined the South African Army in the Special Service Battalion in 1938.
- Moosa Moolla (12 June 1934) TIC activist, member of COP National Secretariat, Treason trialist, 90 day detainee, MK and ANC member, editor of Spotlight, ANC Chief Representative in India, head of the ANC's Egypt and Middle East mission and the ANC representative on the Permanent Secretariat of the Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation, recipient of the National Award, The Order of Luthuli, in Silver
- Juan-Philip Smith (born 30 March 1994) is a South African rugby union player for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby in the United States.
- Monnapule Saleng Orlando Pirates super star was born and bred in Bloemhof.
Education edit
- Bloemhof Combined School
- Bloemhof primary School
- Boitumelong primary School
- Gaopalelwe Senior Secondary School
- Matlhajaneng Public Primary School
- Thamagane Primary School
- Thuto-Lore Secondary school
- Tshenolo Primary School
- Vaaloewer Combined School
Tourist attractions edit
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.
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Bloemhof". Census 2011.
- ^ a b Bloemhof SP from Census 2011.
- ^ a b Theal, George McCall (1889). History of South Africa: the republics and native territories from 1854 to 1872. London: S. Sonnenschein & co. p. 230.