Hopetown is a town that lies at the edge of the Great Karoo in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.
Overview
| Country: | South Africa |
| Province: | Northern Cape |
| District: | Pixley ka Seme |
| Municipality: | Thembelihle |
| Established: | 1850 |
| Named After: | William Hope |
| Total Area: | 73.86 km² (28.52 sq mi) |
| Population: | 10,259 (2011) |
| Population Density: | 138.9/km² (359.7/sq mi) |
| Time Zone: | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal Code (street): | 8750 |
| PO Box: | 8750 |
| Area Code: | 053 |
About Hopetown
Hopetown is situated on an arid slope leading down to the Orange River. The Bushmen who lived in the region called this The Great River, “Nu Gariep”, as it carries 23 per cent of the total water run-off of South Africa to the sea.
Hopetown is located approximately 122 km south-west of Kimberley (Northern Cape’s capital) and 832 km north-east of Cape Town (the Western Cape‘s capital).
The first diamond discovered in South Africa was found at Hopetown. It was the 21.25 carat Eureka, and soon after its discovery, the 83.5 carat Star of South Africa was found nearby. It was the discovery of this second diamond that started the South African diamond rush.
History
Hopetown was founded in 1850 when Sir Harry Smith extended the northern frontier of the Cape Colony to the Orange River. A handful of settlers claimed ground where there was a natural ford over the Orange River, and by 1854, a rough frontier town had mushroomed up, and a church had been built.
Hopetown was named after William Hope, Auditor-General and Secretary of the Cape Colony Government at the time, and is often mistaken for a town near the Bloemhof Dam on the Vaal River in the Free State province of South Africa, called Hoopstad.
Hopetown was a quiet farming area until several large diamonds, most notably the Star of South Africa and the Eureka Diamond, were discovered there between 1867 and 1869.
The Cape Government Railways were founded in 1872, and the Cape government decided to run the main western line, between the Kimberley diamond fields and Cape Town on the coast, directly through Hopetown. The ford was upgraded to a railway bridge in 1884.
Attractions
The Gazella Game Reserve, on the banks of the Orange River, provides sanctuary for gemsbok, eland, kudu, and springbok.
The ultimate outdoor experience in the vicinity includes white water rafting, game-viewing, bird-watching, and hiking.
- Concentration Camp Cemetery – On the Kromhout Landgoed, Doornbult.
- 33 Church Street – A cutting mark from the ‘Star of South Africa’ was made on a window here to test its authenticity.
- Blockhouse – At Orange River Station.
- Battle of Belmont – Memorials and information panels are part of the N12 Battlefield Route.
- Old Wagon Bridge – Predates the Anglo-Boer War, when one span was dropped and subsequently restored.
- Convict Stone – For lack of a holding cell in the old magistrate’s building, convicts were secured to this stone.
