Griquatown | Griekwastad
Municipality
District Municipality: Karoo District Municipality
Griquatown is in the arid Great Karoo. The Asbesberge (1615m) lies north of the town. The Gariep River is about 40Km south of the town.
Attractions
Also see the neighbouring towns
The original Council Chamber (Raadsaal) of the Griqua still stands. An execution tree where cattle thieves were hanged can also still be seen.
A monument for Waterboer was later erected near the town's hospital. The execution tree (galgboom) where Waterboer hanged criminals, can be seen in Water Street.
Mary Moffat Museum
The museum is dedicated to Mary Moffat, wife of the London Missionary Society missionary Robert Moffat.
Niklaas and Grietjie cannons
Queen Victoria gave two cannons to the community. The cannons are known as Old Niklaas and Old Grietjie.
San rock art
San rock art can be viewed at Vaalpan. Phone: 053-343-0377
Witsand - roaring sand dunes
The Witsand Nature Reserve is 20km southwest of Postmasburg and 1200m above sea level. Phone: 053-313-1061/2. The surface consists mainly of aeolian (windborne) sand.
Witsand is a 9Km long, 5Km wide series of huge sand dunes between 20m and 30m high that vibrate with a haunting sound when conditions are right. The noise results from build-up of friction between fine, even grains of sand expelling the air trapped between them.
In periods of extreme heat it may be as loud as the howling of a storm.
The dunes are called Witsand (White Sand) as they contrast with the typical reddish sand of the Kalahari. The constant movement of the sand exposes lower leached layers, while the sand of the red dunes does not move, keeping the lighter coloured lower layers below the surface.
Koegelbeen Caves
These caves are about 20Km northeast of Griquatown.
History
The history of the Griqua people is uncertain with many different opinions
and interpretations. What is certain though, is that eventually the people
known as Griqua is the result of the combination of several tribes and people
regarded as outcasts by the European colonists. There is a claim that by 1730
the Grigriquas tribe lived in the area of the modern town. Another tribe,
the Griqua, lived in the
In the early 1800s this area was called Leeuwenkuil (Lion Pool) and Klaarwater (Clear Water).
In 1801 the London Missionary Society representatives William Anderson (1769 - 1852) and Cornelius Kramer established a mission station at Leeuwenkuil. This site was too dry and the mission station was moved to Klaarwater in 1805.
William Anderson (1769 - 1852)
Sketched in 1811 by William John Burchell (1781 - 1863)
The name Griquatown (Griekwastad in Afrikaans) has been used since 1813. Griquatown was the first town established north of the Gariep (Orange) River -- it is about 40Km north of the river.
Robert Moffat (1795-1883) and his wife Mary worked for the London Missionary Society at Griquatown in 1820 before moving to Kuruman to work among the Botswana people.
Robert Moffat (1795-1883)
In the 1820s Griquatown was the capital of an independent state, Griqualand West. Andries Waterboer was elected as Kaptein (Captain). His "palace" was a house with six rooms.
A faction of Griquas were unhappy with the election of Waterboer, and under
leadership of Adam Kok II left
and settled at
Adam Kok II
(© Transgariep Museum)
In 1860 diamonds were discoverd at Kimberely, and many Griquas left Griquatown for Kimberley. Several sold their property to the Dutch (European Afrikaans). By the time of the Griqua Rebellion in 1878 the town's population consisted of about 150 Europeans and 400 Griquas.
Griqualand West
From 1873 to 1880 Griquatown was the capital of Griqualand West, a British colony, but eventually incorporated into the Cape Colony.
Griqua Rebellion - 1878
In 1878 some Griquas were in revolt and indicated that they intended to capture Griquatown. A force of 800 Griquas equipped with Winchester repeating rifles and breech-loaders were lead by Moses Moos. They began looting stores in the vicinity of the town, and apparently also killed some store owners.
The British responded as follows. A force of 150 Zulus left Kimberley 17 May 1878 under the leadership of a certain Bailey and arrived at Griquatown after four days. Col Sir David Harris and volunteers force of 120 men on horses with mule wagons, carrying supplies and ammunition left Kimberley on Saturday night, 18 May 1878. On Tuesday the forces reached Griquatown. On Wednesday another British force of 40 men under Colonel Lanyon arrived from Koegas.
The attacking Griqua rebels were driven back, and when they fled they were pursued. It is reported that 43 Griquas were killed in the pursuit, but during the entire skirmish about 100 were killed, while the British forces suffered 9 deaths.
Anglo-Boer War
On 17 November 1899 Griquatown was captured by Boer forces. Only on 7 June 1900 was the town finally recaptured by the British, under leadership of Lt-Gen Sir Charles Warren. A few months later, on 27 October, some Boer troops entered the settlement and ransacked the post office.
Climate
Griquatown lies in the transitional region between the WWF AT1314 Great Karoo, Nama Karoo ecoregion, and the WWF AT0709 Kalahari Bushveld ecoregions.
This is a semidesert region and summer
temperatures often soar above 40°C during the day, dropping below freezing
at night.
Annual rainfall: between 50mm and
400mm.
Economy
Farming: stock-breeding (mainly sheep). Products include wool and karakul pelts.
Semi-precious stones: Tiger's eye and Jasper.