Colesburg

Just 28 kilometres from the Orange River, the perfectly symmetrical cone-shaped hill at Colesberg acted as a landmark for early travellers who set off to explore the unknown interior. It marked the furthest reaches of the Cape colony and was established as a mission station in the hope of bringing peace to a turbulent frontier.

Christianity attracted a large number of hunter-gatherer Bushmen and pastoralist Khoikhoi, but the incoming white farmers saw them as a security threat. As a result the Cape Government closed the missionary stations down. In 1822 the farmers petitioned for town status and like many others it was named after a colonial leader; Sir Lowry Cole, Governor of the Cape. As with most frontier towns, illicit gunpowder and a liquor trade made it a lively place.

This calmed down with the arrival of a Magistrate, but strife returned during the Boer War when several battles were fought in the vicinity. It was even declared "Free State Territory" by Boers who held the town for a few months.

Today Colesburg (a hot, dry place in the centre of the Great Karoo) is a thriving agricultural centre for merino sheep and horse breeding. Certain elements in the soil produce such good grass that many of Cape Town's most talented race horses originated here. The town has a rare mix of architectural styles, ranging from Karoo cottage and Cape Dutch gables to ornate Victorian and symmetrical Georgian. It still has a frontier quality to it, as there is nothing else for miles, but perhaps that is why the people here are so friendly.

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