Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony.[3] It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, about midway between Johannesburg, about 300 km to the north-west, and Durban to the southeast. The town is located at the junction of the N5 highway, which continues westward towards the provincial capital Bloemfontein, some 340 km to the south-west. This important crossroads in South Africa's land trade routes is surrounded by mesas and buttes. It is located at the base of one of these called Platberg (i.e. "flat / flat-topped mountain" in Afrikaans).
The municipality was placed under administration in 2018 after then-mayor Vusi Tshabalala was removed from office on the basis of corruption allegations.Being situated halfway between Johannesburg and Durban, the town is generally very busy, especially the N3 freeway that runs pass the town. [4]
The town was founded in 1849 and named after British Governor Harry Smith, who tried to persuade the Voortrekkers not to abandon the Cape Colony.
The town was initially laid out by Robert Moffat about 25 km from the present location, in present-day Aberfeldy on the Elands River. That site however proved to be deficient in water and Harrismith was shifted to its present site in January 1850. Twenty-four years later it became a municipality and during the diamond rush at Kimberley, the town became a busy staging post on the Natal transport route. As a direct result of this, hotels, stores and public buildings sprang up.
By the 1880s the town was seen as the second largest in the Orange Free State. The increased infrastructure and traffic in the region made fording of the Wilge river impractical. After heavy rains the swollen river prevented communication, interrupted transport and claimed lives. The government was petitioned and two bridges were opened in 1884, one six miles towards Bethlehem, and another at the current Swinburne. The use of these were taxed until 1905.[5]
Harrismith was a major base during the South African (Anglo-Boer) War and visitors can see the several blockhouses, engineering works and a military cemetery that are evidence of this. The town's main street, Warden Street, is named after Major Henry D. Warden, at that time a British resident in Bloemfontein.
The town is around 90 kilometers west from Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, a town named after Sir Harry Smith's wife, and a similar distance east of Bethlehem. The small nearby hamlet of Swinburne (originally ) is named after Sir John Swinburne, a gold prospector.The townships associated with Harrismith, Intabazwe located in the north and Tshiame in the west of Harrismith.
Present day
Harrismith is well known as an overnight or refreshment stop along the N3 route, and a convenient refuelling stop for trucks and vehicles, but it has much more to offer. Beyond the highway is a tidy town with many elegant late 19th century buildings made of hewn sandstone. There are numerous bed & breakfast places catering to visitors.It is the best access point to the northernmost Drakensberg, including Tugela Falls and Mont-Aux-Sources (accessed via the Sentinel Hiking Trail, in the QwaQwa region of the Free State, 80 km south-west of Harrismith on the R57), Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve (20 km southeast of town on the R74), Royal Natal Park and the uKhahlamba / Drakensberg ParkWorld Heritage Site (66 km southeast via Oliviershoek Pass beyond Sterkfontein Dam) and the spectacular Golden Gate Highlands National Park 50 km south-west of town on the R712.
Harrismith is the centre of one of the five wool producing districts in Southern Africa.
The town is home to the largest truck stop in the Southern Hemisphere, Highway Junction.
Two other places in the world bear the same name: Harrismith Beach and Harrismith House near Bottom Bay in Barbados and Harrismith in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Tourist attractions
Harrismith Town Hall - A graceful sandstone and brick building built in 1907, and a National Monument.
Platberg's western aspect at dusk
Platberg Reserve - One of the most famous landmarks in the Eastern Free State is the 9-kilometre-long, 2,394-metre-high (7,854 ft) Platberg. The reserve covers the western slopes and summit of the mountain, including the former Drakensberg Botanical Garden (founded as a national botanical garden in 1967 but unfortunately now defunct), along with numerous trails and the Donkey Pass road to the mountain summit. The reserve is popular with hikers and mountain bike riders. The two dams in the former wildflower gardens are part of a series of aqueducts, flowing from the Gibson Dam on the mountain summit, that were built as a water supply to support the town and the British troops stationed here after the South African War. A well-preserved sandstone blockhouse from that time guards over this water supply. Much of the southern slopes of the mountain are covered in eucalypt, wattle, and other exotic timber plantations from the time when a forestry centre was based here. Akkerbos, near the base of Donkey Pass, is a grove of oak trees that provided a picnic site during a Royal Tour by the British monarchy, including Elizabeth II in 1947. The reserve is home to herds of eland, black wildebeest, blesbok and mountain reedbuck along with introduced species such as waterbuck and fallow deer.
The annual Platberg Mountain Race is a 15 km foot race, that includes a scrambling ascent and descent of the mountain. This race forms part of the Berg Bohaai festival (literally "mountain mania" in Afrikaans). The race has been described as the "toughest marathon in the world" by Wally Hayward. It originated in 1922 when a British soldier, Major A. E. Belcher, returned to Harrismith where he had been stationed near 42nd Hill during the Second Boer War. He referred to Platberg as "that small hill of yours", and one of the locals immediately bet him that he could not reach the top in less than 60 minutes. He accepted the challenge and covered the distance with eight minutes to spare. Afterwards Major Belcher presented a floating trophy to be awarded as a prize for the first athlete to reach the top of the mountain (the record time today is 22 minutes and 9 seconds). The 15 kilometre race starts from the town's sports grounds, and the route ascends the slopes of Platberg, passing through the terrain where the concentration camp once stood. The top is reached via One Man's Pass, close to which a fort, built during the Second Boer War, is to be seen. After traversing a short stretch along the top, the descent is made via Zig-Zag Pass, and the race is completed at the sports grounds.[6]
Harrismith Golf Course - The scenic 18-hole golf course, arguably the third oldest in South Africa (after the Royal Cape and George Golf Clubs) was founded in 1887.
Dirty Harry - The Dirty Harry is a mountain bike race sponsored by the N3 Toll Company. The Dirty Harry also forms part of the popular Berg Bohaai festival. This festival is held annually in early October.
Kerkenberg - The Voortrekkers camped in the area, while their leader, Piet Retief, descended into KwaZulu-Natal to negotiate for land with the Zulu chief Dingane. Retief's daughter painted her father's name and recorded the date, which was also his birthday, on the rock where they held a church service.
Sterkfontein Dam - The third largest dam in South Africa. Practically all the water is pumped up the escarpment from KwaZulu-Natal. Built before the Lesotho Highlands Water Project was developed, this was a vital source of water for Gauteng. Ideal for water sport enthusiasts and anglers. Sterkfontein Dam is particularly popular with windsurfers.
Bushmen Paintings - Around 5 kilometers out of town in one of local caves well-preserved Bushmen paintings can still be found.
Neo Paintings - Around 5 km from town, this Sotho king painted in caves close to the Sterkfontein Dam.
President Brand Park is a multi-use stadium in Harrismith. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Harrismith United F.C.
Coats of arms
Municipal (1)
By 1931, the Harrismith municipal council had assumed a pseudo-heraldic coat of arms.[7] The shield was divided by a horizontal line, the upper half depicting three upright maize cobs and three sheaves of wheat on a silver background, and the lower half a cornucopia. The crest was a plough, and the motto Grandescunt aucta labore (i.e. by hard work, all things increase and grow).
Municipal (2)
A proper coat of arms was designed (by Schalk Pienaar) in the 1970s, and registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in September 1977.[8]
The arms were : Argent, a chevron Azure between in chief an elephant statant proper and in base a demi-cogwheel issuant Gules, two flaunches Vert each charged with an ear of wheat, Or. In layman's terms, the shield is silver and depicts, from top to bottom, an elephant, a blue chevron, and the upper half of a red cogwheel, and on each side is a curved green segment bearing a golden ear of wheat.
Once again, the crest was a plough and the motto was Grandescunt aucta labore.
References
^Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
^"Sir Harry Smith - An autobiography showing him to have seen warfare in four continents" (PDF). The New York Times. 1902-05-24. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
^"Cosatu welcomes placing of Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality under administration".
^le Roux, Dr C. J. P. (December 1984). "Vrystaat se oudste brûe vanjaar 'n eeu oud" (PDF). The Civil Engineer in South Africa: 605–606. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
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March 10, 2023
harrismith, town, western, australia, western, australia, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, news. For the town in Western Australia see Harrismith Western Australia This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Harrismith news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa It was named for Sir Harry Smith a 19th century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony 3 It is situated by the Wilge River alongside the N3 highway about midway between Johannesburg about 300 km to the north west and Durban to the southeast The town is located at the junction of the N5 highway which continues westward towards the provincial capital Bloemfontein some 340 km to the south west This important crossroads in South Africa s land trade routes is surrounded by mesas and buttes It is located at the base of one of these called Platberg i e flat flat topped mountain in Afrikaans HarrismithView from the northHarrismithShow map of Free State South African province HarrismithShow map of South AfricaCoordinates 28 17 0 S 29 08 0 E 28 28333 S 29 13333 E 28 28333 29 13333 Coordinates 28 17 0 S 29 08 0 E 28 28333 S 29 13333 E 28 28333 29 13333CountrySouth AfricaProvinceFree StateDistrictThabo MofutsanyanaMunicipalityMaluti a PhofungEstablished1849 1 Area 2 Total138 80 km2 53 59 sq mi Population 2021 2 Total52 765 Density380 km2 980 sq mi Racial makeup 2011 2 Black African87 1 Coloured0 8 Indian Asian1 3 White10 7 Other0 2 First languages 2011 2 Zulu49 4 Sotho32 6 Afrikaans10 4 English3 7 Other3 8 Time zoneUTC 2 SAST Postal code street 9880PO box9880Area code058WebsiteHarrismith Community WebsiteThe municipality was placed under administration in 2018 after then mayor Vusi Tshabalala was removed from office on the basis of corruption allegations Being situated halfway between Johannesburg and Durban the town is generally very busy especially the N3 freeway that runs pass the town 4 Contents 1 History 2 Present day 3 Tourist attractions 4 Coats of arms 4 1 Municipal 1 4 2 Municipal 2 5 ReferencesHistory EditThe town was founded in 1849 and named after British Governor Harry Smith who tried to persuade the Voortrekkers not to abandon the Cape Colony The town was initially laid out by Robert Moffat about 25 km from the present location in present day Aberfeldy on the Elands River That site however proved to be deficient in water and Harrismith was shifted to its present site in January 1850 Twenty four years later it became a municipality and during the diamond rush at Kimberley the town became a busy staging post on the Natal transport route As a direct result of this hotels stores and public buildings sprang up By the 1880s the town was seen as the second largest in the Orange Free State The increased infrastructure and traffic in the region made fording of the Wilge river impractical After heavy rains the swollen river prevented communication interrupted transport and claimed lives The government was petitioned and two bridges were opened in 1884 one six miles towards Bethlehem and another at the current Swinburne The use of these were taxed until 1905 5 Harrismith was a major base during the South African Anglo Boer War and visitors can see the several blockhouses engineering works and a military cemetery that are evidence of this The town s main street Warden Street is named after Major Henry D Warden at that time a British resident in Bloemfontein The town is around 90 kilometers west from Ladysmith KwaZulu Natal a town named after Sir Harry Smith s wife and a similar distance east of Bethlehem The small nearby hamlet of Swinburne originally is named after Sir John Swinburne a gold prospector The townships associated with Harrismith Intabazwe located in the north and Tshiame in the west of Harrismith Present day EditHarrismith is well known as an overnight or refreshment stop along the N3 route and a convenient refuelling stop for trucks and vehicles but it has much more to offer Beyond the highway is a tidy town with many elegant late 19th century buildings made of hewn sandstone There are numerous bed amp breakfast places catering to visitors It is the best access point to the northernmost Drakensberg including Tugela Falls and Mont Aux Sources accessed via the Sentinel Hiking Trail in the QwaQwa region of the Free State 80 km south west of Harrismith on the R57 Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve 20 km southeast of town on the R74 Royal Natal Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site 66 km southeast via Oliviershoek Pass beyond Sterkfontein Dam and the spectacular Golden Gate Highlands National Park 50 km south west of town on the R712 Harrismith is the centre of one of the five wool producing districts in Southern Africa The town is home to the largest truck stop in the Southern Hemisphere Highway Junction Harrismith is also home to the small Harrismith Airport Two other places in the world bear the same name Harrismith Beach and Harrismith House near Bottom Bay in Barbados and Harrismith in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia Tourist attractions EditHarrismith Town Hall A graceful sandstone and brick building built in 1907 and a National Monument Platberg s western aspect at dusk Platberg Reserve One of the most famous landmarks in the Eastern Free State is the 9 kilometre long 2 394 metre high 7 854 ft Platberg The reserve covers the western slopes and summit of the mountain including the former Drakensberg Botanical Garden founded as a national botanical garden in 1967 but unfortunately now defunct along with numerous trails and the Donkey Pass road to the mountain summit The reserve is popular with hikers and mountain bike riders The two dams in the former wildflower gardens are part of a series of aqueducts flowing from the Gibson Dam on the mountain summit that were built as a water supply to support the town and the British troops stationed here after the South African War A well preserved sandstone blockhouse from that time guards over this water supply Much of the southern slopes of the mountain are covered in eucalypt wattle and other exotic timber plantations from the time when a forestry centre was based here Akkerbos near the base of Donkey Pass is a grove of oak trees that provided a picnic site during a Royal Tour by the British monarchy including Elizabeth II in 1947 The reserve is home to herds of eland black wildebeest blesbok and mountain reedbuck along with introduced species such as waterbuck and fallow deer The annual Platberg Mountain Race is a 15 km foot race that includes a scrambling ascent and descent of the mountain This race forms part of the Berg Bohaai festival literally mountain mania in Afrikaans The race has been described as the toughest marathon in the world by Wally Hayward It originated in 1922 when a British soldier Major A E Belcher returned to Harrismith where he had been stationed near 42nd Hill during the Second Boer War He referred to Platberg as that small hill of yours and one of the locals immediately bet him that he could not reach the top in less than 60 minutes He accepted the challenge and covered the distance with eight minutes to spare Afterwards Major Belcher presented a floating trophy to be awarded as a prize for the first athlete to reach the top of the mountain the record time today is 22 minutes and 9 seconds The 15 kilometre race starts from the town s sports grounds and the route ascends the slopes of Platberg passing through the terrain where the concentration camp once stood The top is reached via One Man s Pass close to which a fort built during the Second Boer War is to be seen After traversing a short stretch along the top the descent is made via Zig Zag Pass and the race is completed at the sports grounds 6 Harrismith Golf Course The scenic 18 hole golf course arguably the third oldest in South Africa after the Royal Cape and George Golf Clubs was founded in 1887 Dirty Harry The Dirty Harry is a mountain bike race sponsored by the N3 Toll Company The Dirty Harry also forms part of the popular Berg Bohaai festival This festival is held annually in early October Sterkfontein Dam with Platberg s plateau forming the horizon Kerkenberg The Voortrekkers camped in the area while their leader Piet Retief descended into KwaZulu Natal to negotiate for land with the Zulu chief Dingane Retief s daughter painted her father s name and recorded the date which was also his birthday on the rock where they held a church service Sterkfontein Dam The third largest dam in South Africa Practically all the water is pumped up the escarpment from KwaZulu Natal Built before the Lesotho Highlands Water Project was developed this was a vital source of water for Gauteng Ideal for water sport enthusiasts and anglers Sterkfontein Dam is particularly popular with windsurfers Bushmen Paintings Around 5 kilometers out of town in one of local caves well preserved Bushmen paintings can still be found Neo Paintings Around 5 km from town this Sotho king painted in caves close to the Sterkfontein Dam President Brand Park is a multi use stadium in Harrismith It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Harrismith United F C Coats of arms EditMunicipal 1 Edit By 1931 the Harrismith municipal council had assumed a pseudo heraldic coat of arms 7 The shield was divided by a horizontal line the upper half depicting three upright maize cobs and three sheaves of wheat on a silver background and the lower half a cornucopia The crest was a plough and the motto Grandescunt aucta labore i e by hard work all things increase and grow Municipal 2 Edit A proper coat of arms was designed by Schalk Pienaar in the 1970s and registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in September 1977 8 The arms were Argent a chevron Azure between in chief an elephant statant proper and in base a demi cogwheel issuant Gules two flaunches Vert each charged with an ear of wheat Or In layman s terms the shield is silver and depicts from top to bottom an elephant a blue chevron and the upper half of a red cogwheel and on each side is a curved green segment bearing a golden ear of wheat Once again the crest was a plough and the motto was Grandescunt aucta labore References Edit Robson Linda Gillian 2011 Annexure A PDF The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806 1872 Approach methodology and impact PhD thesis University of Pretoria pp xlv lii hdl 2263 26503 a b c d Main Place Harrismith Census 2011 Sir Harry Smith An autobiography showing him to have seen warfare in four continents PDF The New York Times 1902 05 24 Retrieved 2008 10 21 Cosatu welcomes placing of Maluti A Phofung Municipality under administration le Roux Dr C J P December 1984 Vrystaat se oudste brue vanjaar n eeu oud PDF The Civil Engineer in South Africa 605 606 Retrieved 16 January 2017 Harrismith Mountain Race Retrieved 2011 03 10 The arms were depicted on a cigarette card issued in 1931 http www national archsrch gov za permanent dead link Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harrismith Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harrismith amp oldid 1143881031, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
