Swartruggens

Swartruggens
Ou Stasie in Swartruggens
Ou Stasie in Swartruggens
Swartruggens is located in North West (South African province)
Swartruggens
Swartruggens
Swartruggens is located in South Africa
Swartruggens
Swartruggens
Coordinates: 25°39′S 26°42′E / 25.650°S 26.700°E / -25.650; 26.700
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceNorth West
DistrictBojanala Platinum
MunicipalityKgetlengrivier
Established1875
Area
 • Total10.74 km2 (4.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,969
 • Density180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African39.5%
 • Coloured1.8%
 • Indian/Asian5.5%
 • White52.3%
 • Other0.8%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans57.4%
 • Tswana21.9%
 • English14.1%
 • Zulu1.7%
 • Other4.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2835
PO box
2835
Area code014

Swartruggens is a small farming town in North West Province, South Africa that was established in 1875.

Location[edit]

The town is located by the Elands River, 69 km east of the town of Zeerust, 56 km west of the city of Rustenburg and 34 km north-west of Koster. It is on the N4 road.[2]

It takes its name 'Swartruggens' from a series of hills there, formerly known as Zwartruggens, the Dutch name for 'black ridges'.[3]

History[edit]

The town of Swartruggens was founded in 1875 on the farm Brakfontein.

After the Siege of Mafeking, during the Second Anglo-Boer War, one of the supply depots was established by Robert Baden-Powell in Swartruggens, as he moved to Pretoria. [4]

A cemetery for British war dead from the Second Anglo-Boer War is located in the town.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Swartruggens". Census 2011.
  2. ^ Swartruggens - North West Province South Africa Archived 2012-04-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Sciences Research Council. p. 424.
  4. ^ "North West History – Battle of Elands River". Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  5. ^ Wulfsohn, Lionel (1 January 1992). Rustenburg at War: The Story of Rustenburg and Its Citizens in the First and Second Anglo-Boer Wars. L.M. Wulfsohn. p. 255. ISBN 9780620167697.

External links[edit]