Oudtshoorn (, ), the "ostrich capital of the world",
is a town in the
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
province of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, located between the
Swartberg mountains to the north and the
Outeniqua Mountains
The Outeniqua Mountains, named after the Outeniqua Khoikhoi who lived there, is a mountain range that runs a parallel to the southern coast of South Africa, and forms a continuous range with the Langeberg to the west and the Tsitsikamma Mountains ...
to the south. Two ostrich-feather booms, during 1865–1870 and 1900–1914, truly established the settlement.
With approximately 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest town in the
Little Karoo
The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...
region. The town's economy is primarily reliant on the ostrich farming and tourism industries.
Oudtshoorn is home to the world's largest
ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
population,
with a number of specialised ostrich
breeding
Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant.
Breeding may refer to:
* Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and rab ...
farms, such as the Safari Show Farm and the
Highgate Ostrich Show Farm , as told by Mnr. Pierre D. Toit.
Bhongolethu is a
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
east of Oudtshoorn. Derived from
Xhosa, its name means "our pride".
History
Settlement
The pioneer farmers in the area that would be known as Oudtshoorn arrived in the 1750s, and became well-established in the area by the end of the 18th century. In addition to rearing livestock, they cultivated wheat and barley, made wine and brandy, and grew tobacco as well as a variety of soft fruit. As market opportunities in neighbouring districts such as
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
and
Mossel Bay developed, the economic benefit of mixed farming came to be understood and utilized.
Initially, the pioneer farmers in the area fell under the administrative and legal sphere of
Swellendam, but in fact George was the closest that inhabitants had to government headquarters. By the 1820s, the increasing population along the
Olifants River and in the valleys of its tributaries increased the need for more local administrative and especially judicial supervision; especially the 1809
Hottentot Proclamation
The Hottentot Proclamation, also known as the Hottentot Code, the Caledon Proclamation, or the Caledon Code, was a decree issued by governor of the Cape Colony the Earl of Caledon on 1 November 1809 to restrict the mobility of Khoikhoi (frequen ...
increased the legal and administrative burdens on slave owners. For these reasons, with its founding in April 1811, the magisterial district of George subsumed Oudtshoorn.
In the 1810s, due to the obstacles south and west of the area, trade contacts with developing towns to the east and north of Oudtshoorn unfolded instead. By the 1830s, the settlers' subsistence farming had transformed into a market economy, laying the foundation for further socio-economic development.
Founding
Farmer Cornelis P. Rademeyer was persuaded by residents in 1838 to make some of his farmland along the Hartebees River available for the construction of the first church in the area. On Sunday, 3 November 1839, the new
Dutch Reformed church was inaugurated.
For the next 40 years, it formed the center of congregational life in the area.
Oudtshoorn gradually grew around this church. During September 1847, following the "urgent wishes of
isneighbors", C.P. Rademeyer requested permission from the Cape government to turn his farm, Hartebees River, into a town,
which he would name after Baron
Pieter van Rheede van Oudtshoorn.
On 12 August 1847, it was announced in the
Government Gazette
A government gazette (also known as an official gazette, official journal, official newspaper, official monitor or official bulletin) is a periodical publication that has been authorised to publish public or legal notices. It is usually establis ...
that a number of wet and dry plots from the Hartebees River would be auctioned on 15 November of that year. The terms of sale stipulated that each plot owner or resident could use 1/500 of the water in the Grobbelaars River, and reserved certain preferential rights in this respect for the original owners.
However, the title deed issued to Rademeyer on 8 March 1832 had included the following
servitude: "irrigation shall be effected by the river called Grobbelaars River." This servitude effectively excluded the entire would-be town from the use of the river's water. Rademeyer successfully applied to the government to have the servitude struck. Civil commissioner Aspeling van George recommended that the original servitude be amended so that water from the river could be led across the farm Grobbelaars River to Hartebees River for irrigation purposes.
In 1848, Oudtshoorn was officially founded.
Development
The founding of Oudtshoorn provided a central service area situated between the Swart and Outeniqua mountains, and by the time that the first resident magistrate, Colonel A.B. Armstrong, arrived in 1855, the settlement had spread over a mile and a half.
It was not until December 1847 that a Thomas Harris started the first state-supported "Farmers' School" next to the Grobbelaars River. Prior to that, even the most prosperous inhabitants employed private tutors, the use of which was forced upon them by the poor state of the roads in the region at the time, the costs of accommodation, as well as the continuing lack of farm workers. Private tutors solved the problem of transport and accommodation, and allowed the children to continue to help with farm work.
In 1853, the Dutch Reformed church was officially established as a ''kerkplaats'' (church farm).
Oudtshoorn was proclaimed as its own, separate magisterial district in 1858.
In that same year, the first British settlers settled in the area.
The settlement's growth was constrained by the limited supply of water in the area. In the early years, water was transported to the town in barrels, which were sold for sixpence per bucket. Forced to cope with the lack of water, many of South Africa's earliest irrigation experts hailed from the region. The local economy came to be based primarily upon tobacco and ostrich farming.
A severe drought in 1865 persuaded many of the settlers to move to the
Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...
.
The 1865 census indicated that Oudtshoorn had a population of 1,145.
Ostrich farming
First Ostrich Boom
Oudtshoorn's ostrich industry dates back to 1864.
The main reason for the surge in Oudtshoorn's prosperity was the
ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
, whose feathers had become fashionable accessories among European nobility.
[ Feather exports saw a sharp increase from the Cape Colony during the mid-1860s, which is generally accepted as the launch of the industry in South Africa. By 1870, feather auctions were being held in Mossel Bay.] In 1875, the census counted the town's population to be 1,837.[ Between 1875 and 1880, ostrich prices reached up to ]GBP
Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and t ...
1,000 a pair. The value of ostrich feathers, per pound, equaled almost that of diamonds. The farmers of the region, realising that ostriches were far more profitable than any other activity, ripped out their other crops and planted lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
, which was used as feed for the ostriches. By 1877, feather auctions were also being held in Oudtshoorn itself.[ The rising wealth also finally allowed for the completion of the Dutch Reformed Church, which was opened on 7 June 1879. Such was the worth of the white ostrich feather, that it was dubbed "white gold".][
Owing to overproduction, the ostrich industry experienced a sudden slump in fortunes in 1885; the town's misery was compounded when it was hit by severe flooding during the same year, which washed away the nearby Victoria Bridge, which had been built over the Olifants River only the year before.
The boom had attracted a large ]Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
immigrant population of about 100 families, most of them Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
ns from the towns of Kelme and Shavel, who were fleeing from the Tsarist pogroms. As a result, Oudtshoorn came to be known as "the Jerusalem of Africa". Two synagogues were built, the first in 1888 and the second in 1896, and the first South African Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
school was established in Oudtshoorn in 1904.[ In 1891, Oudtshoorn's population had grown to 4,386 persons.][
]
Second Ostrich Boom
The ostrich industry recovered slowly, owing in part to the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902. Boer forces under Commandant Gideon Scheepers were sighted near Oudtshoorn on 25 August 1901, but moved on because the town was well defended.[ A second and bigger boom started after the war. It was during this period that "feather barons", ostrich farmers who had become rich, built most of Oudtshoorn's famously opulent "feather palaces", their houses, most of them on the west bank of the Grobbelaars River.][ The town grew even more, and in 1904 it claimed 8,849 residents in the census.][ This boom peaked in 1913, during which year the highest-quality feathers cost more than $32 a pound in 2012 prices. Ostrich feathers were outranked only by gold, diamonds and wool among South African exports before ]World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The market collapsed in 1914, according to ''The Chicago Tribune'', as a result of "the start of World War I, overproduction and the popularity of open-topped cars, which made ostrich-feather hats impractical." 80% of the ostrich farmers were bankrupted, and the ostriches were set loose or slaughtered for biltong.[ Domesticated ostriches numbered 314,000 at the end of World War I, but had plummeted to 32,000 by 1930. The Jewish population of Oudtshoorn fell from 1,073 in 1918 to 555 in 1936, and only continued to dwindle.][
For 40 years, Oudtshoorn had been the most important settlement east of Cape Town.]
The successful agriculture pursuits in the area necessitated an extensive and economically significant train system, which was developed in the 1930s. Despite the periodic irreparability of the Cradock Pass and Attakwaskloof in the Outeniqua Mountains, a reputable trade developed between the inhabitants north and south of the range. There was also trade with Cape Town, but its scope is uncertain; in any case, the poor state of the passes Attakwaskloof and Caledonkloof, through the transverse mountains on either side of the Gamka River
Gamka River ( af, Gamkarivier) is a river located in the Western Cape, South Africa. The name '' means 'Lion' and was probably named so by the San people (Bushmen). The river originates north of Beaufort West, generally flowing southwest towards ...
, had a disruptive effect on trade with Cape Town.
Recent history
The end of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
opened new markets for ostrich leather and meat, and as a result the industry eventually recovered.
In the 1940s, two justices of the peace, Ludolph Niepoth Jr. and John O'Connell, were appointed for the Olifants and Grobbelaars rivers, respectively. However, this only relieved the most pressing judicial concerns, and the government was consequently forced to create a local government authority.
The production of specialised agricultural seed is the biggest contributor to the region's wealth today, but ostrich farming remains an important business.
Bird flu
Through late 2004 to late 2005, South Africa lost R700 million in exports as a result of an avian flu outbreak, which also cost the ostrich industry 26,000 birds and 400 employees. The business arm of the ostrich industry, the Klein Karoo Group, stated that the recent ban on exports resulted in an increase of about 500% in local sales.[ Most ostrich farms recovered from the outbreak and continued to operate.][
In April, 2011, a strain of bird flu, H5N2, broke out in Oudtshoorn.][ As a member of the World Organisation for Animal Health, South Africa was required under international law to slaughter infected birds that belonged to farms which had tested positive for bird flu; as a result 38,000 ostriches were culled.][ The ]European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, which had been responsible for 90% of South Africa's ostrich meat exports, banned the import of South African ostrich meat. This resulted in financial difficulties for the region's ostrich farms. Farmers were offered financial compensation by the government in the form of R2,000 for each ostrich culled (about 80% of its worth)[ but this compensation was not enough; they were forced to fire employees, whose UIF (unemployment) benefits were depleted by December, 2011.][ The shortage of birds would also affect factories which depended on ostrich farming.][ Some ostrich farms managed to survive by selling ostrich feathers and leather, but the industry was losing R108 million monthly, and had lost R1,2 billion in total between April, 2011, and January, 2012.][ Tourism was also affected.][ Other farmers resorted to heat-treating the ostrich meat, which killed the virus but also reduced its price on the market.][
As of January 2012, Oudtshoorn's population of more than 200,000 ostriches was the world's largest, and accounted for 80% of the world's ostrich products.][ The ostrich industry in the Oudtshoorn region had directly employed 20,000 people, and generated R2,1 billion per year.] 50% of ostrich farmers had left the industry by 2013.[
The first positive case of a bird flu in South Africa since 2011 was confirmed in April, 2013 on a farm near Oudtshoorn, as the H7N1 virus.] Between the H5N2 virus outbreak of 2011 and the H7N1 virus outbreak of 2013, roughly 50,000 ostriches had been culled.[ The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, ]Senzeni Zokwana
Senzeni Zokwana is a South African politician. He is a former Member of Parliament and served until May 2019 as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, having been appointed by President Jacob Zuma in May 2014. He previously serve ...
, said in October, 2014 that the outbreaks "in the past few years" had cost the country R4 billion.
Municipal crisis
In the years leading up to the 2013 municipal by-elections, Oudtshoorn had been subject to long-standing "acrimonious political battles" and the municipality was also being investigated by a Special Investigating Unit
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is an independent agency of the Government of South Africa, South African government which investigates corruption and maladministration in state institutions. It was first established in July 1997 by Presiden ...
over allegations of malpractice and corruption. On 30 April 2013, Marius Fransman and other African National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...
(ANC) party members were forced to leave Oudtshoorn as a result of a protest against them. Following that incident, the powers of the ANC's sub-regional politicians in Oudtshoorn were suspended, pending an investigation.
The municipal by-elections in August, 2013, resulted in the ANC losing its majority in the municipality of Oudtshoorn. The Democratic Alliance (DA) obtained 12 seats, which, with its alliance partner Congress of the People (COPE), meant that it had secured the municipality for itself.[ On 1 October 2013, George Kersop on behalf of human rights organisation ]AfriForum
AfriForum is a South African non-governmental organisation focused mainly on the interests of Afrikaners, a subgroup of the country's white population. AfriForum has been frequently described as a white nationalist, alt-right, and Afrikaner nation ...
laid charges of corruption, fraud, and financial mismanagement against Ronnie Lottering, the acting Municipal Manager of Oudtshoorn, various officials, and members of the public, with the Hawks, the counter-corruption unit of the South African Police Service
The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in eac ...
(SAPS).
The ANC delayed transfer of municipal power to the DA via legal cases funded through municipal funds, which DA Oudtshoorn caucus leader Christiaan MacPherson stated in July, 2014, had cost R13 million.[ The provincial leader for the DA, Helen Zille, speculated also that the ANC had been siphoning funds from the Cango Caves trust fund to finance the legal actions. John Stoffels, the Oudtshoorn speaker for the ANC, was ordered to pay the costs of the legal actions brought on behalf of the ANC because he had refused to convene council meetings to avoid motions of no confidence against the ruling party. The ANC began to suspend DA councilors on absenteeism charges.] A court order prevented the DA from bringing a motion of no confidence against the ANC, Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa
The Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (ICOSA) is a minor South African political party. It was founded by former Karoo District Municipality manager Truman Prince, who was expelled from the African National Congress (ANC) in 2006. ...
and National Peoples Party executive.
On 10 April 2014, AfriForum indicated that it had requested Helen Zille's intervention in the Oudtshoorn and Kannaland regions due to the "rampant municipal mismanagement". In July, 2014, Western Cape Finance MEC Ivan Meyer
Ivan Henry Meyer (born 28 March 1962) is a South African politician who has been serving as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Agriculture since 2019. He has held multiple positions in the provincial cabinet. Meyer was elected to the Weste ...
, and Local Government MEC Anton Bredell
Anton Wilhelm Bredell (born 26 April 1965) is a South African politician for the Democratic Alliance. He is the current Western Cape Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and a Member of the Wes ...
, probed claims that the Cango Caves trust fund was being misused for municipal purposes. It was claimed that more than R16 million had been moved from the accounts, which were intended for maintenance and infrastructure development of the caves.[
The ANC and its political allies had yet to hand over control of the municipality to the DA and the COPE by July 2014. The DA, AfriForum, and the Oudtshoorn ratepayers association together filed a request with the Western Cape High Court that DA councillors who had been suspended be reinstated, and that the ANC mayor, speaker and town managers surrender their offices to the DA and COPE.][
In October, 2014, Francois Human, Director of Corporate Services for the municipality of Oudtshoorn,] compiled allegations against his ANC colleagues, such as incidents of corruption, bribery and intimidation, and forwarded them to political leaders, the South African Revenue Service
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is the revenue service of the South African government. It administers the country's tax system and customs service, and enforces compliance with related legislation. It is governed by the SARS Act 34 of ...
(SARS), the Special Investigations Unit and the SAPS.[
]
Demography
According to the 2011 census, Oudtshoorn had 61,507 inhabitants—17,640 in Bridgeton, 14,724 in Bongolethu and 29,143 in the rest of the town. 70.9% of the population described themselves as "Coloured
Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...
", 15.3% as "White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
" and 12.5% as " Black African". The predominant language is Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
, spoken as the home language of 87.8% of inhabitants, while 7.4% speak Xhosa and 2.6% speak English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
Society and culture
Afrikaans
C. J. Langenhoven
Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven (13 August 1873 – 15 July 1932), who published under his initials C.J. Langenhoven, was a South African poet who played a major role in the development of Afrikaans literature and cultural history. His poetry was ...
, the town's most famous inhabitant, rose to prominence during the post-collapse period. Considered by many to be one of the fathers of Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
, Langenhoven was a prodigious writer who provided much of the literature that formed the backbone of the Afrikaans language during its early development.
Festivals
The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees
The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (Afrikaans for ''Little Karoo National Arts Festival'' and usually abbreviated to ''KKNK'') is an Afrikaans language arts festival that takes place yearly in the South African town of Oudtshoorn. The festival i ...
("Little Karoo National Arts Festival"), better known as the KKNK, is South Africa's largest Afrikaans language arts festival, and takes place in the town on a yearly basis.[
]
Museums, monuments and memorials
* CP Nel Museum
* Gottland House, 72 Baron van Rheede Street
Churches
The oldest church is the original Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
, which is situated on the corner of Church Street and High Street. Other churches include, Apostolic Faith Mission, Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
, Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
, Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
(Roman Catholic Diocese of Oudtshoorn
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oudtshoorn ( la, Oudtshoornen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Oudtshoorn in the Ecclesiastical province of Cape Town in South Africa.
On 4 May 2020, Noel Andrew Rucastle, a priest of the Archdiocese of ...
) and other traditional churches. In recent years, the number of independent churches (also referred to as non-denominational church
Nondenominational Christianity (or non-denominational Christianity) consists of churches which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally aligning with a specific Christian d ...
es) have grown. Independent Churches include the Joshua Generation Church, The Vineyard and the Oudtshoorn Community Church.
Educational Institutions
Apart from the many high schools in Oudtshoorn, there are also independent tertiary educational institutions, including the South Cape College.
Military
The Oudtshoorn army base houses the South African Infantry School
The South African Infantry School is within the Army Base in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape. The Infantry School, now at Oudtshoorn, was established in November 1953, after a history dating back to the South African Military School in Bloemfontein, est ...
.
The Oudtshoorn airport is the site of 45 Air School used for training in World War II from 11 November 1940 to 20 August 1945. Known as RAF Oudtshoorn, it operated under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zea ...
, flying Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) a ...
and Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle is a British single-engine light bomber that was designed and manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed during the mid-1930s for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a monoplane successor to the Hawker Hart and Hi ...
41 aircraft. Providing Air Observer (Type B) training, it trained aircrew from all over the Commonwealth in navigation, bombing, and air gunnery. Since 199
Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA)
operates here (initially founded as National Test Pilot School of South Africa - NTPS SA).
Wine
Oudtshoorn is the start of the Route 62
The following highways are numbered 62:
Australia
* Kennedy Developmental Road - Queensland State Route 62
Canada
* Alberta Highway 62
* British Columbia Highway 62
* Newfoundland and Labrador Route 62
* Highway 62 (Ontario)
* Winnipeg Route 62 ...
wine route. Some of the best South African Port style wines are produced in the area surrounding Oudsthoorn.
Tourism
Tourist information
Oudtshoorn and De Rust
De Rust is a small village at the gateway to the Klein Karoo, South Africa. The name is Dutch and literally translates to "The Rest", referring to the town's original purpose of being a resting place for settlers en route through the challenging t ...
are managed by Greater Oudtshoorn Tourism, whose tourism office is centrally situated in Voortrekker Road, next to the CP Nel Museum.
Tourist attractions
Tourist attractions in Oudtshoorn and the surrounding areas include:[
* Buffelsdrift Game Lodge
* Cango Caves
* Cango Ostrich Farm
* ]Cango Wildlife Ranch
The Cango Wildlife Ranch is a wildlife ranch 3 kilometres north of the town of Oudtshoorn in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by ...
* Highgate Ostrich Show Farm
* Oudtshoorn Ballooning
* Swartberg Adventures
* Wilgewandel Holiday Farm
The area is also famed for its biodiversity, as it is home to an unusually large number of species of succulent plant
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...
. Several wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
producers also exist in the region.
Notable people
* C. J. Langenhoven
Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven (13 August 1873 – 15 July 1932), who published under his initials C.J. Langenhoven, was a South African poet who played a major role in the development of Afrikaans literature and cultural history. His poetry was ...
- writer, poet, and politician
* Etienne Leroux
Etienne Leroux (13 June 1922 – 30 December 1989) was an Afrikaans writer and a member of the South African Sestigers literary movement.
Early life and career
Etienne Leroux was born in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape on 13 June 1922 as Stepha ...
- Afrikaans author and key member of the South African Sestigers
The Sestigers (Sixtiers), also known as the Beweging van Sestig (the movement of sixty), were a group of influential resistant Afrikaans-language writers in the 1960s started by André Brink and Breyten Breytenbach, which also included Reza de W ...
literary movement
* Skipper Badenhorst
Skipper Badenhorst (born 1 December 1978 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa) is a rugby union player for the Cheetahs in the Super Rugby competition and Namibia. He plays as a hooker.
Career
Skipper matriculated in 1996 from Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool ...
- Rugby union player
* Denovan Ekstraal - cricket player
* Errin Ewerts
Errin Ewerts (born 25 May 1988) is a South African cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler who played for South Western Districts. He was born in Oudtshoorn
Oudtshoorn (, ), the "ostrich capital of the world ...
- cricket player
* Lucas "Kabamba" Floors - Rugby union player
* Arthur Nortje
Arthur Kenneth Nortje (16 December 1942 – 11 December 1970) was a South African poet.
Life
Nortje was born in Oudtshoorn and went to school in Port Elizabeth, where he was taught by the acclaimed writer Dennis Brutus. After school he studied ...
- poet
* Bobbie Irvine MBE - World Champion ballroom & Latin American dancer
* Sid O'Linn
Sidney O'Linn (5 May 1927 – 11 December 2016) was a South African sportsman who played Test cricket in seven Tests for South Africa between 1960 and 1961 and professional football for South Africa.
Born Sidney Olinsky into a Jewish family, ...
- cricket player
* Pauline Janet Smith - writer
* Percival Henry Frederick Sonn - lawyer and cricket administrator
* Wilma van der Bijl - Miss South Africa 1987
* Bertha le Roux - Miss Teen South Africa 2005
References
External links
Oudtshoorn Municipality
Oudtshoorn Tourism Bureau
{{Authority control
Climbing areas of South Africa
Karoo
Populated places established in 1857
1857 establishments in the Cape Colony