A Brief History of Secunda and The Rest of Cosmos Country
A field of cosmos flowers blooms in the late summer in an open grassland, it’s a colorful sight, but where did it all start? Read all about the origins of our beautiful Cosmos Country
Secunda
The name of this town means ‘second’, which originated from the Latin language, and was so-called due to the fact that it was the second extraction refinery making oil from coal. This opening was a result of the oil crisis in the years 1973 to 1974. The location of Secunda was determined not only by the coal fields but also by the volume of water that was available to Sasol from the Grootdraai Dam.
Grootdraai Dam
The first section of the town was established on the 28th day of June in the year 1976, a population of seven thousand people were already present, of which the first resident was Mr Lool Odendaal.
In the year of 1977 Secunda opened its first library and its first permanent clinic’s opening, followed the year after. Both were located within various rooms of a house.
A refinery was the target of an attempted bombing in the year 1980, by a prominent political party. A partly successful second attempt followed a number of years later, but thanks to a strong community Secunda never knelt. These trials of faith were recorded in 2006 in the film Catch a Fire.
Evander
This town, 8 km from Secunda and 36 km from Bethal, was originally part of the Bethal district. It was founded in the year 1955, when mining activities were started by the Union Corporation.
Its name stems from one of the directors of the corporation’s wife, Evelyn Anderson.
The mining activities are now owned by Harmony Gold, who have mined and produced more than 16 tons of gold from the years 2008 to 2010 within the Kimberley Reef in the Evander basin.
Bethal
A combination of the farm wives surnames of Blesbokspruit farm formed the town’s name, Elizabeth du Plooy and Alida Naude. Bethal, known for its farming of maize, sorghum, sunflower seeds, rye and mostly potatoes, was established in the year 1880.
The town’s potato industry and National Potato Festival, of which the latter was discontinued in 2007, made it famous.
Kinross
Kinross is a small town with four gold mines in the area. It is situated between the towns of Trichardt and Devon. In December 1915 it was declared a village and got its municipal status in the year 1965. Its name stems from engineers who built the Springs-Breyten railway, Kinrossin Scotland.
Kriel
Kriel is a town situated in the Nkangala District Municipality, Mpumalanga.
Trichardt
Trichardt is a town proclaimed in the year 1906 and is situated in the Gert Sibande District Municipality, Mpumalanga. It was named after Carolus Johannes Trichardt, the son of the Voortrekker Louis Trichardt.
Our town’s invite and welcome you to come and experience the vast culture and history they have to offer
Related Articles
Book your accommodation right here on ShowMe.
You can find the top hotels, lodges and Airbnb establishments conveniently placed on the map below. All you need to do is click on the place that’s conveniently located and within your budget and then make a booking. What could be easier?
If the map is not where you want to be, click on the ShowMe Pin and then enter the exact name of the location and the map will adjust accordingly.
