Robertson is a town in the

Western Cape Province 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 ...

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 ...

founded on the theft of KHOIKHOI First nation land and cattle, known as the valley of wine and roses, at the heart of the wine route - Route 62. Khoikhoi First nation land was stolen in 1853 and named after Dr , a Scottish

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 ...

minister. Situated in the fertile Robertson Valley, farming and wagon building were the town's original industries. However, after the Second

Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

of 1899, the wagon building industry collapsed when the railways took over the transport of all goods. Robertson subsequently became famous for its ostrich farming, but this industry collapsed as well shortly after World War I, and the farmers of the area turned to wine and fruit farming. Later, several successful racehorse stud farms were founded. Agriculture remains the mainstay of the town's economy.

Tourism

Tourism has grown in recent years and the town has several Western Cape provincial heritage sites, such as the Pink Church (1859), the Museum (1860), the Edwardian-style house 12 Piet Retief Street (1904), the Victorian-style house at 59 Van Reenen Street (1914), and the Powder House (used as a store for gunpowder). Robertson has a population of over 20,000 civilians

Skydiving at Robertson

Western Province Sport Parachute Club (WPSPC) - Skydive Robertson The Western Province Sport Parachute Club (WPSPC) provides a facility for sports skydiving and student training and is operated and managed on a volunteer basis by a committee elected by its members. The club is a not-for-gain body corporate under ...

, founded in 1972, is the oldest remaining skydiving club in South Africa. In July 2008, the club relocated to Robertson. WPSPC operates from

Robertson Airfield Robertson Airfield , licensed according to South African Civil Aviation Authority standards,South African Civil Aviation AuthorityCAA websitelink retrieved 18 February 2012 is an unmanned municipal airport situated 1 km to the east of the ...

on weekends and public holidays and facilitates tandem skydiving and student training, and provides a facility for sports skydivers. The 2011 South African National Skydiving Championships was hosted by Skydive Robertson and held at Robertson Airfield. This is the first time the national skydiving championships has been held in the Western Cape. Robertson Tourism website
Retrieved 19 February 2012

Robertson Airfield

is an unmanned airfield, with a 1 600 meter asphalt runway, situated 1 km to the east of Robertson.

Gallery

Image:klaasvoogds.jpg, The Klaasvoogds valley from a 4x4 on the Pat Busch Private Nature Reserve, Robertso
Pat Busch Private Nature Reserve
Image:Rosendal-Winery.jpg, The Rosendal Winery & Wellness Retreat in Klaasvoogds, Robertson

References

{{Authority control Populated places in the Langeberg Local Municipality Populated places established in 1853 1853 establishments in the Cape Colony