Swellendam () is the third oldest town in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

(after

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

and

Stellenbosch Stellenbosch (; )A Universal Pronouncing Gazetteer.
Thomas Baldwin ...

), a town with 17,537 inhabitants situated in the

Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...

province. The town has over 50 provincial heritage sites, most of them buildings of

Cape Dutch Cape Dutch, also commonly known as Cape Afrikaners, were a historic socioeconomic class of Afrikaners who lived in the Western Cape during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The terms have been evoked to describe an affluent, educated sect ...

architecture. Swellendam is situated on the N2, approximately 220 km (140 miles) from both

and

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

History

Early travellers and explorers who visited the Cape in the 16th century traded with the Khoikhoi people who lived on these shores and in the interior. When the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

established a replenishment station at the Cape in 1652, trade continued inland as far as Swellendam. In 1743, Swellendam was declared a magisterial district, the third-oldest in South Africa, and was named after Governor Hendrik Swellengrebel, the first South African born Governor, and his wife, Helena Ten Damme. This outlying settlement soon became a gateway to the interior, and was visited by many famous explorers and travellers including

François Le Vaillant François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * François Amoudruz (1926–2020), French resistance fighter * François-Marie Arouet (better known as Voltaire; ...

(1781), Lady Anne Barnard (1798),

William John Burchell __NOTOC__ William John Burchell (23 July 1781 – 23 March 1863) was an English explorer, naturalist, traveller, artist, and author. His thousands of plant specimens, as well as field journals from his South African expedition, are held by Kew ...

(1815), and Thomas William Bowler (1860). In time, a village was established beyond the Drostdy, where artisans including numerous wainwrights and traders settled. Swellendam was the last Dutch outpost on the eastern frontier, and provided useful crafts services in the region. By 1795, maladministration and inadequacies of the Dutch East India Company caused the burghers of Swellendam to revolt, and on 17 June 1795, they declared themselves a Republic. Hermanus Steyn was appointed as President of the Republic of Swellendam. The burghers of Swellendam started to call themselves "national burghers", after the style of the French Revolution. The Republic was short-lived, and was ended on 4 November 1795, when the Cape was occupied by the

Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...

. With the arrival of British settlers in the early 19th century, the Overberg boomed, and Swellendam was soon the heart of the mercantile empire of Barry and Nephews, created by Joseph Barry, which dominated trade in the area up until 1870. The

Breede River The Breede River (), also known as Breë River, is a river in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Travelling inland north from the city of Cape Town, the river runs in a west to east direction. The surrounding western mountains formed th ...

is the longest navigable river in South Africa and ships sailed 35 km (20 miles) up river to

Malgas Malgas (or Malagas) is a settlement on the right (southwest) bank of the Breede River in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. It is situated 25 kilometres north-west of the Breede River mouth at Witsand, and 30 kilometres south-eas ...

to unload and load merchandise. By the middle of the 19th century, the eastern districts had been colonised by the British settlers and Swellendam had grown in size. The town served as a useful refreshment station on the long, slow journey up the coast. Today Swellendam remains an agricultural area, and contains multiple historic buildings. The first known sketch of Swellendam was of the Drostdy, by Johannes Schumacher in 1776, when he accompanied the son of Governor Swellengrebel to the town. Today the Drostdy forms part of a museum complex that consist of several heritage sites, namely the Drostdy, the old Gaol, and Mayville. The 1936 census recorded a total population 3,784 residents.

Famous pioneer families

Some of the famous families that settled in the region and have since lived there are the Barry family, the

Moodie Moodie is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alma Moodie (1898–1943), Australian violinist * D. Aubrey Moodie (1908–2008), Canadian politician * Benjamin Moodie (1789–1856), Scottish emigrant to the Cape Colony * Canan ...

s from

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, the Steyns (from which came Hermanus Steyn, President of the Republic of Swellendam) the Streicher family, the Van Eeden family, the Rothmann family, the Tomlinson family and the Dunn family. Both

Johannes Brand Sir Johannes Henricus Brand, (popularly known as Sir Jan Brand and sometimes as Sir John Henry Brand or Jan Henrick Brand; 6 December 1823 – 14 July 1888) was a lawyer and politician who served as the fourth President (government title), ...

and Francis Reitz spent some of their childhood in the same Cape Dutch house in Swellendam. Both became presidents of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( ; ) was an independent Boer-ruled sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeated and surrendered to the British Em ...

Climate

The region has a predominantly

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

. There are long summer days in January and February. During February and March, summer draws to a close, with prevailing South Easter winds. April and May are autumnal months, with milder days and occasional showers. June and July bring the Cape winter, with mild weather, rain and possible snow on the mountain tops. August and September are the start of spring.

Fauna and flora

Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve PICT3774

Three nature reserves are situated near Swellendam, Marloth Nature Reserve, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve and

Bontebok National Park Bontebok National Park is a species-specific national park in South Africa. It was established in 1931 to ensure the preservation of the bontebok. It is the smallest of South Africa's 19 South African National Parks, National Parks, covering an ...

. Bontebok National Park is where the rare bontebok was protected when it was close to extinction. The population has increased from 17 individuals in 1931 to a sustainable number today. The area is botanically diverse with an abundance of wild flowers and

fynbos Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...

. The 250 hectare (one square mile) indigenous forest at Grootvadersbosch is the most noteworthy in the southwestern Cape. Woods like these are rare to find in the Cape this far west of the Knysna forests. Wildlife such as the formerly endangered bontebok and

Cape mountain zebra The Cape mountain zebra (''Equus zebra zebra'') is a nominate subspecies of mountain zebra that occurs in certain mountainous regions of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. It is the smallest of all existing zebra species and ...

inhabit the area. Other species include

bushbuck Bushbuck is a common name that may refer to one of the following African antelopes: *Cape bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus''), also known as imbabala is a common, medium-sized bushland-dwelling, and a widespread species of ant ...

klipspringer The klipspringer (; ''Oreotragus oreotragus'') is a small antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of its genus and subfamily/tribe, the klipspringer was first described by German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zi ...

, grey rhebuck,

Cape grysbok The Cape or southern grysbok (''Raphicerus melanotis'') is a small antelope that is endemic to the Western Cape region of South Africa between Albany and the Cederberg mountains. Description left, Illustrated in ''The Book of Antelopes'' (18 ...

baboon Baboons are primates comprising the biology, genus ''Papio'', one of the 23 genera of Old World monkeys, in the family Cercopithecidae. There are six species of baboon: the hamadryas baboon, the Guinea baboon, the olive baboon, the yellow ba ...

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family has two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to southern Europe, A ...

, genet and the occasional

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

, as well as a species of ghost frog and a unique forest emperor butterfly. Over 200 bird species found near the town include waterfowl, the

crowned eagle The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (''Stephanoaetus coronatus''), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa, it is restricted to more easterly areas.Sinclair & Ryan ...

black eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South a ...

Narina trogon __NOTOC__ The Narina trogon (''Apaloderma narina'') is a largely green and red, medium-sized (32–34 cm long), bird of the family Trogonidae. It is native to forests and woodlands of the Afrotropics. Though it is the most widespread and cat ...

paradise flycatcher The paradise flycatchers (''Terpsiphone'') are a genus of birds in the family Monarchidae. The genus Range (biology), ranges across Africa and Asia, as well as a number of islands. A few species are bird migration, migratory, but the majority are ...

and the Knysna woodpecker. Witsand, a small coastal town about 50 km (30 miles) from Swellendam, is one of the best whale viewing spots on the South coast as it is the largest whale nursery in South Africa. The town is situated at the foot of the

Langeberg The Langeberg Range is a mountain range in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its highest peak is Keeromsberg at 2,072 m that lies 15 km northeast of the town of Worcester. Some of the highest peaks of the range are located just ...

, and there are many hiking trails, ranging from day-walks to a 5 to 7-day trail.

Agriculture

Wheat, canola, oats, sheep and dairy farming are practised in the area. Sentraal-Suid Koöperasie serves as a

co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democr ...

in the area.

Varia

May 2007 the Swellendam VOR SWV 114.4 MHz was permanently withdrawn.

Architecture

File:Moederkerk Swellendam.jpg, Building of the

Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NGK) is a Reformed Christian denomination in South Africa. It also has a presence in neighbouring countries, such as Namibia, Eswatini, and parts of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

in Swellendam, also known as the "Wit Kerk" by locals (originally built 1798). It is a replica of a famous steeple in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

File:Old Drostdy, Swellendam.JPG, The Old Drostdy File:Restored mill at Swellendam.jpg, A restored mill File:JVDS House.JPG, JVDS House

Gallery

File:St Luke's Mission Church.JPG, St Luke's Mission Church File:18 Swellengrebel.JPG, Swellengrebel Street File:Historical Village, Swellendam. 06.jpg, Drostdy Museum File:Old Post Office, Swellendam.JPG, Old post office File:George V coronation monument Swellendam.JPG, George V Coronation Monument File:Breede River with Langeberg Mountains as backdrop ... (32817316145).jpg, Bontebok National Park File:1938 Monument with canons. (Gelofte, 1838), Swellendam. 01.jpg, 1938 Monument

Notable People

* Gert Alberts, 19th century

Boer Boers ( ; ; ) are the descendants of the proto Afrikaans-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled the Dutch ...

explorer *

Annie Botha Annie Botha ( Emmett; 3 July 1864 – 20 May 1937) was a South African civic leader and political hostess. She was the wife of Louis Botha, who served as the first Prime Minister of South Africa.. Death date is given here as 21 May 1937. She ...

, First Lady of South Africa * Benjamin Duff, rugby union player * Nicholas Myburgh, farmer, lawyer and politician * Alec Reid, rugby union player *

Francis William Reitz Francis William Reitz Jr. (5 October 1844 – 27 March 1934) was a South African lawyer, politician, statesman, publicist, and poet who was a member of parliament of the Cape Colony, Chief Justice and fifth State President of the Orange Free ...

, politician * Pieter Rossouw, rugby union player * Maria Elizabeth Rothmann, writer *

Jimmy Sinclair James Hugh Sinclair (16 October 1876 – 23 February 1913) was a South African cricketer who played in 25 Test matches from 1896 to 1911. He scored South Africa's first three Test centuries and was the first person from any country to score a ...

, cricketer * Adré Smith, rugby union player * Hermanus Steyn, former president of the Swellendam Republic * Francis Sutton, cricketer * Marius Swart, politician and businessman * Paul Treu, rugby union player * Dirkie Uys, Voortrekker hero * Piet Uys, Voortrekker leader * Braam du Toit, Composer and Filmmaker * Fleur van Eeden, stunt performer *

Christia Visser Christia Visser (born 2 March 1992) is a South African actress and singer. She received a SAFTA nomination for her performance in the film '' Tess'' (2016). She began releasing music in 2019. Her debut album ''Gemaklik Verlore'' (2020) was nom ...

, actress and singer

Coats of arms

Drostdy arms – In 1804, when the Cape Colony was ruled by the

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...

, the government assigned armorial seals to each of the drostdyen, i.e. administrative districts. Swellendam was given the arms of its founder, Hendrik Swellengrebel, namely a golden shield displaying a blue fleur de lis with a red band. An anchor was placed behind the shield.Pama, C. (1965) ''Lions and Virgins''. The British authorities discontinued the drostdy seals in 1814, and replaced them with the royal coat of arms.''Cape Town Gazette'' 418 (15 January 1814). Municipality (1) – The town of Swellendam established a municipality in 1843. Some time later, the town council decided to adopt the old drostdy arms (although it was not the legal successor to the drostdy). It mistook the fleur de lis for a sheaf of wheat, and thus actually created a new design.Western Cape Archives : Heraldic Information (CAD 1/2/16). Municipality (2) – In 1929, the town council learned that the Swellengrebel arms actually depicted a fleur de lis and not a sheaf of wheat. It changed the municipal arms accordingly. Both arms were depicted o
cigarette cards
issued in 1931. Divisional council – The divisional council, i.e. the local authority for the rural areas outside the town, assumed its own coat of arms on 15 November 1974.Western Cape Archives : Swellendam Divisional Council Minutes (15 November 1974). and registered it at the Bureau of Heraldry in October 1975.https://archive.today/20120629122538/http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl The arms – ''Per pale Azure and Or, a fleur-de-lis and in chief two mullets of six points counterchanged'', i.e. a shield divided vertically into blue and gold, and a fleur de lis below two six-pointed stars – were designed by Cornelis Pama. The crest was an anchor entwined with a grapevine with the motto ''Lucem spero''.

References

External links

* *
History of Swellendam
{{Authority control Populated places founded by Afrikaners Populated places in the Swellendam Local Municipality Populated places established in 1746 Populated places established by the Dutch East India Company Hot springs of South Africa Former republics bg:Швелендам