Oudtshoorn, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
Oudtshoorn is a town in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. With 80,336 inhabitants it is the largest town in the Little Karoo region. The town is home to the world's largest Ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
population with a number of specialized ostrich breeding farms such as the Safari Show Farm
Safari Show Farm
The Safari Show Farm is an ostrich farm located outside of Oudtshoorn in South Africa.The farm specialises in the breeding and conservation well being of ostriches and has over 2,500 animals. The farm also has a museum open to visitors and offers a tour around the farm every half hour to...
and the Highgate Ostrich Show Farm
Highgate Ostrich Show Farm
The Highgate Ostrich Show Farm is an ostrich farm located 10 kilometres south of Oudtshoorn in South Africa.This large farm specializes in the breeding of ostriches and is open to visitors providing specialized information about the various stages of the birds development, provided with the...
.
History
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
, as evidenced by the many rock paintings that are found in caves throughout the surrounding Swartberg
Swartberg
The Swartberg mountains make up a mountain range that runs roughly east-west along the northern edge of the semi-arid Little Karoo in the Western Cape province of South Africa...
mountains.
The first European explorers of the area was a trading party led by a certain Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
Shrijver, who were guided there by a Griqua via an ancient elephant trail in January 1689. The expedition reached as far as present-day Aberdeen before turning back and exiting the Klein Karoo valley through Attaquas Kloof on 16 March of the same year. However, it was only a hundred years later that the first farmers started settling in the region.
The first large permanent structure of the Klein Karoo, a church of the Dutch Reformed
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
denomination, was first erected in 1839 near the banks of the Grobbelaars River. The village (and later town) of Oudtshoorn gradually grew around this church; it was named after Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Pieter van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, who was appointed Governor of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
in 1772 but died on the voyage out.
A small one-room school was opened in 1858, followed by the formation of a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and the founding of an Agricultural Society in 1859. During the same year work was also started on a larger church to replace the original small one.
Unfortunately, 1859 also signalled the start of a long and serious drought which severely depressed the national economy - by 1865 there was serious poverty. When the drought was finally broken by floods in 1869 the depression lifted and Oudtshoorn was transformed from a struggling village to a town of great prosperity.
At one time there was a large Jewish immigrant population mostly from Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and the town was known in the Jewish world as "Jerusalem of Africa".
First Ostrich Boom
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
, whose feathers had become extremely popular as fashion accessories in Europe; they were especially popular for use on hats. Between 1875 and 1880 ostrich prices reached up to GBP 1,000 a pair. The farmers of the region, realising that ostriches were far more profitable than any other activity, ripped out their other crops and planted lucerne
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
, which was used as feed for the ostriches. The rising wealth also finally allowed for the completion of the Dutch Reformed Church - it was opened on 7 June 1879.
Owing to overproduction, the ostrich industry experienced a sudden slump in fortunes in 1885; the town's misery was compounded when it was hit by severe flooding during the same year, which washed away the nearby Victoria Bridge which had been built over the Olifants River
Olifants River (Southern Cape)
Olifants River has its origins in the Traka and Kalkwal Rivers north of the Swartberg, and becoming the Olifants River after flowing through the Toorwaterpoort, flowing west through Oudtshoorn and joining the Gourits River, then heading south to its mouth at Gouritsmond.The northern tributaries of...
only the year before.
Second Ostrich Boom
The ostrich industry recovered only slowly and it was not until after the Second Anglo-Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
of 1899 to 1902 that a second and bigger boom started. It was during this period that most of Oudtshoorn's famously opulent "Feather Palaces" were built. This boom peaked in 1913, before collapsing in 1914. As a result the region's economy was ruined and most farmers returned to more traditional crops.
Afrikaans
C. J. Langenhoven, the town's most famous inhabitant, rose to prominence during the post-collapse period. Considered by many to be one of the fathers of AfrikaansAfrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, Langenhoven was a prodigious writer who provided much of the literature that formed the backbone of the Afrikaans language during its early development.
Festivals
The Klein Karoo Nasionale KunstefeesKlein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees
The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees is an Afrikaans language arts festival that takes place yearly in the South African town of Oudtshoorn. The festival includes both the visual and the performing arts and is officially recognized by the South African government as a national arts festival...
, better known as the ABSA KKNK, ("Little Karoo National Arts Festival"), South Africa's largest Afrikaans language arts festival, takes place in the town on a yearly basis.
Churches
Although Oudtshoorn is moderate in size, it is "church-rich". The oldest church is the Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
(erected in 1837), situated on the corner of Church Street and High Street. Other churches include, Apostolic Faith Mission
Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa
The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa is a classical Pentecostal Christian denomination in South Africa. With 1.2 million adherents, it is South Africa's largest Pentecostal church. Dr. Isak Burger has led the AFM as president since 1996 when the white and black branches of the church were...
, Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Roman Catholic (Roman Catholic Diocese of Oudtshoorn) and other traditional churches. In recent years, the number of Independent churches (also referred to as non denominational churches) have grown dramatically. Independent Churches include the River of Life Church, New Life Ministries, The Vineyard
Association of Vineyard Churches
The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination with over 1,500 affiliated churches worldwide....
and the Oudtshoorn Community Church.
Educational Institutions
Apart from the many high schools in Oudtshoorn, there are also many independent tertiary educational institutions, including the South Cape College, Principia CollegePrincipia College
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
and Timothy Training Institute
Timothy Training Institute
Timothy Training Institute is a non-denominational Christian mission, equipping church leaders with thorough Biblical knowledge and life-application studies, to enable them to better serve their communities and lead their congregations.-History:...
.
Wine
Oudtshoorn is the start of the Route 62Route 62 (South Africa)
Route 62 is a tourist route in South Africa that meanders between Cape Town, Oudtshoorn, the Garden Route, and Port Elizabeth, offering the scenic alternative to the N2 highway...
wine route. Some of the best South African Port style wines are produced in the area surrounding Oudsthoorn.
Rock Climbing
There is world class sport climbing 30 km north of Oudtshoorn (near the Cango Caves). The rock is limestone and the routes are mostly overhanging with awesome stalactites. There are +/-30 single pitch bolted routes, up to 35m long. The climbing is located around the De Hoek Resort camp site.Tourist information
Oudtshoorn and De RustDe Rust
De Rust is a small village at the gateway to the Klein Karoo.De Rust is located at the foot of the Swartberg Mountain range between Oudtshoorn and Beaufort West...
are managed by Greater Oudtshoorn Tourism.
Oudtshoorn's tourism office (GOT) is centrally situated in Voortrekker Road (next to the CP Nel Museum
CP Nel Museum
CP Nel Museum is an ostrich museum on 3 Baron van Rheede Street in the town of Oudtshoorn in South Africa.The building, formerly the Boys High School of Oudtshoorn, was designed in 1906 by a local architect Charles Bullock. Its green domed sandstone facade is considered one of the finest examples...
). Their contact details are:
Landline: +27 (0)44 279 2533.
Website: www.oudtshoorn.com
Tourist attractions
Tourist attractions in Oudtshoorn and the surrounding areas include:- Cango CavesCango CavesThe Cango Caves are located in Precambrian limestones at the foothills of the Swartberg range near the town of Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The principal cave is one of the country's finest, best known and most popular tourist caves and attracts many visitors from overseas...
- Safari Show FarmSafari Show FarmThe Safari Show Farm is an ostrich farm located outside of Oudtshoorn in South Africa.The farm specialises in the breeding and conservation well being of ostriches and has over 2,500 animals. The farm also has a museum open to visitors and offers a tour around the farm every half hour to...
- Highgate Ostrich Show FarmHighgate Ostrich Show FarmThe Highgate Ostrich Show Farm is an ostrich farm located 10 kilometres south of Oudtshoorn in South Africa.This large farm specializes in the breeding of ostriches and is open to visitors providing specialized information about the various stages of the birds development, provided with the...
- Cango Wildlife RanchCango Wildlife RanchThe Cango Wildlife Ranch is a wildlife ranch 3 kilometres north of the town of Oudtshoorn in South Africa.Established in 1977, the Cango Wildlife Ranch is internationally recognised as one of South Africa’s premier attractions in the Western Cape, providing visitors with a world-class experience...
- Oudtshoorn Ballooning
- Swartberg Adventures
The area is also famed for its biodiversity, with the area home to an unusually large number of species of succulent plant
Succulent plant
Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots...
. There are also several wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
producers in the region.
Famous people
- C. J. Langenhoven - Writer, Poet & Politician
- Skipper BadenhorstSkipper BadenhorstSkipper Badenhorst is a rugby union player for the Central Cheetahs in the Super 14 competition and Namibia. He plays as a hooker.-Career:...
- Rugby union player - Lucas "Kabamba" FloorsKabamba FloorsLucas "Kabamba" Floors is a South African rugby union footballer who plays for the Free State Cheetahs in the domestic Currie Cup club competition, and for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in the international Super 14 competition...
- Rugby union player - Arthur NortjeArthur NortjeArthur Nortje was a South African poet.He was born in Oudtshoorn, and went to school in Port Elizabeth, being taught by the acclaimed writer Dennis Brutus...
- Poet - Sid O'LinnSid O'LinnSidney O'Linn is a former South African cricketer who played in seven Tests from 1960 to 1961....
- Cricket player - Pauline Janet SmithPauline SmithPauline Janet Smith is known as one of South Africa's greatest writers.Pauline Smith was born on 2 April 1882 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa, and grew up in the Little Karoo. At the age of thirteen she was sent to boarding school in England and never lived permanently in South Africa again, though...
- Writer - Percival Henry Frederick SonnPercy SonnPercival Henry Frederick Sonn was a South African lawyer and cricket administrator. Sonn became the sixth president of the International Cricket Council, the most senior role at cricket's world governing body, in July 2006...
- Lawyer and cricket administrator - Allan Ladd -Country Singer