Klerksdorp, Southern District, North West Province
One of the oldest settlements in the area, dating back to the early 1800’s, Klerksdorp (also called Matlosana) is today a fair sized gold mining city in the Southern District of the North West Province, built on the banks of the Schoonspruit (Clear Stream).
Klerksdorp is situated in the Vaal Reefs area of the Witwatersrand Basin – a gold rich part of South Africa, and the little framing town experienced massive growth on the back of the discovery of gold in the 1800’s.
The Klerksdorp Gold Rush began in 1886, but was soon over, thanks mostly to fighting in the Anglo-Boer War and the internment of Boer women and children in Concentration Camps, where thousands died from disease and starvation, Klerksdorp fell into a state of disrepair. Large companies moved in the late 1930’s to mine seams of gold that were far from exhausted, and Klerksdorp was re-awakened and set on the path to become the city it is today, with a thriving economy based on both gold mining and agriculture, with the 2nd largest grain co-operative in the world.
Klerksdorp Heritage Gallery
Pictures kindly supplied by Bert Gaffen of the Klerksdorp Museum
Attractions in Klerksdorp include several historical buildings and many old heritage homes and guest houses, the Klerksdorp Museum, the North West Transport Museum (where you can see wonderfully preserved steam locomotives) and Mine Tours. Attractions and activities in the surrounding rural area include rock art on the Bosworth farm, horse riding and trails, hikes and walks and fly-fishing, and the Faan Meintjies Nature Reserve, which is a nationally popular birding spot. The Johan Neser Dam (also called the Klerksdorp Dam) to the north-west of Klerksdorp offers recreational facilities, fishing and boating, and there are a number of good golf courses situated in and around Klerksdorp, such as the 18 hole Orkney Gold Course, in Orkney, just south of Klerksdorp.
Notable annual events include the Klerksdorp Airshow.
Klerksdorp’s name was changed to Matlosana after the 1994 elections, but the city is still commonly referred to as Klerksdorp.
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