Bloemhof is an agricultural town of about 2,000 inhabitants situated on the banks of the

Vaal River The Vaal River ( ; Khoemana: ) is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, east of Johannesburg and about north of Ermelo and only about from the Indian Ocean. ...

North West Province North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mahikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng and south of Botswana. History North West was incorporated after the end of Apartheid in 1994, an ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

History

It was founded in August 1864 when

diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

s were discovered in the area. The town was established on the farm owned by John Barclay, who survived the

HMS Birkenhead Two ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS ''Birkenhead'', after the English town of Birkenhead. * was an iron-hulled troopship launched in 1845 and notably wrecked in 1852. * was a light cruiser launched in 1915, in action at Jut ...

shipwreck in 1852. The place became known as Bloemhof ''(flower court)'' because of the lovely gardens that were planted by Barclay's daughter. In June 1869, the

South African Republic The South African Republic ( nl, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, abbreviated ZAR; af, Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer Republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it ...

's '' Volksraad'' created a new district called ''Bloemhof'' named after the town itself. Currently Bloemhof has a variety of social milieus; it has a township called Boitumelong and former coloured residence called Coverdale. Salamat is also a small residence, formerly an Indian suburb, which is situated in this town.

Notable people

* Lieutenant-General

Willem Louw Lieutenant-General Willem Petrus Louw (Bloemhof, 24 November 1920 – 4 July 1980) was a South African military commander. He joined the South African Army in the Special Service Battalion in 1938, and served in Italy in World War II. Mil ...

(24 November 1920 – 4 July 1980) was a South African military commander. He joined the South African Army in the Special Service Battalion in 1938. *

Moosa Moolla Moosa Moolla (born 12 June 1934) is an Indian South African activist and diplomat. A member of the African National Congress, Moolla was arrested and eventually found not guilty in the 1956 Treason Trial. In 1961, he was arrested and tried fo ...

(12 June 1934) TIC activist, member of COP National Secretariat, Treason trialist, 90 day detainee, MK and ANC member, editor of Spotlight, ANC Chief Representative in India, head of the ANC's Egypt and Middle East mission and the ANC representative on the Permanent Secretariat of the Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation, recipient of the National Award, The Order of Luthuli, in Silver *

Juan-Philip Smith Juan-Philip Smith (born 30 March 1994) is a South African professional rugby union player who plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States. His regular position is scrum-half, but he has played as a fly-ha ...

(born 30 March 1994) is a South African rugby union player for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby in the United States. *Monnapule Saleng Orlando Pirates super star was bornd and bred in Bloemhof (https://www.goal.com/en-za/news/saleng-i-should-have-played-for-kaizer-chiefs-orlando-pirates-star-reveals/blt720aae19431c2ed4)

Education

* Bloemhof Combined School * Bloemhof primary School * Boitumelong primary School * Gaopalelwe Senior Secondary School * Matlhajaneng Public Primary School * Thamagane Primary School * Thuto-Lore Secondary school * Tshenolo Primary School * Vaaloewer Combined School

Tourist attractions

Bloemhof Dam Bloemhof Dam is a dam in South Africa. It was originally known as the Oppermansdrif Dam when under construction during the late 1960s. It is located at the confluence of the Vaal River and the Vet River, on the border between the provinces North W ...

Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve Bloemhof is an agricultural town of about 2,000 inhabitants situated on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province (South Africa), North West Province of South Africa. History It was founded in August 1864 when diamonds were discovered i ...

Sandveld Nature Reserve Sandveld Nature Reserve is a protected area, located on the border between the Free State and North West provinces. Location It is located on the Free State side of the Bloemhof Dam. The Bloemhof Dam lies where the Vaal River and the Vet River ...

* SA Lombard Nature Reserve

References

{{Authority control 1864 in South Africa Populated places founded by Afrikaners Populated places in the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality Populated places established in 1864