|
Klippe Rivier Homestead
During the time of the Dutch East India tenure at the Cape, the "Kompagnie" as it was known, despatched their representatives into the interior in order to trade with the local khoi people who inhabited these areas and to secure provisions such as timber from the forests. One of the well-known Khoi chiefs whom they traded with was Hessaqwas. In 1725, Jan Loots, one of the first 5 Heemraden of the Drostdy held "de Klippe Rivier gelegen aan de Bruintjies Rivier" on loan. This was the beginning of the story of Klippe Rivier, which originally stretched from the Bruintjies River in the west to the Langeberg Mountains in the East. Swellendam, the third oldest town in South Africa, is steeped in a fascinating and rebellious past. In 1795, Swellendam declared itself a free Republic and became one of the capitals of the world for a brief moment in time, until the British occupation of the Cape a few weeks later brought the short-lived Republic to an end. Swellendam was |
 
|
|
settled by
artisans, traders and wagon-makers and by the mid-19th Century, Swellendam was
a thriving metropolis largely created by the mercantile firm of Barry and
Nephews. They even issued their own bank notes. Some of the gracious homes built
by the successful wainwrights as well as the Barry's business complex have been
preserved, such as Auld House. In 1875 a fire revaged the certre of the town,
and the only building to survive was the Oefeningshuis. The other remaining old
buildings are all situated near the western entrance of the town and on the
opposite side of the river surrounding the Drostdy Museum. The Dutch Reformed
Moederkerk built in 1911 is a magnificent eclectic blend of Gothic Renaissance,
Baroque and vernacular Cape elements. Sadly, in 1974, Swellendam's shady
oak-lined main road together with many buildings of historical significance were
sacrificed when the main road was widened. The Publicity Bureau has a leaflet,
which lists the old buildings, "Swellendam's Treasures". |
|
- Site Search
