Middelburg is a town situated in the Great Karoo in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It lies in the Upper Karoo, 1,279 m above sea level.
Middelburg is located at the intersection of the N9 and N10 National Routes with the R56 Provincial Route and the R398 Regional Route.
Middelburg falls within the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality and the Chris Hani District Municipality.
The R56 road, the shortest route between the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, begins at Middelburg.
Middelburg’s main hospital is the Wilhelm Stahl Provincial Hospital, located at 9 Hospital Street, Middelburg.
The town got its name from its geographical location, midway between Colesberg and Graaff-Reinet. Also, Middelburg not only lies halfway between Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth (officially renamed Gqeberha), but halfway between Johannesburg and Cape Town as well. As such, it serves as a stopover for many a traveller en route to somewhere.
Lying in the middle of the Karoo, surrounded by mountains in an area recognised for its prolific and naturally occurring herbal plant life, San rock art, and a scenic beauty beyond description, Middelburg is and isn’t like other Karoo towns. The skies are filled with stars at night.
Middelburg, Karoo lies in the middle of its surrounding Towns, approximately 100 km from all. Surrounded by Graaff-Reinet, Cradock, Steynsburg, Colesberg, Richmond & Hanover,( it is no secret as to where the name “Middelburg” came from!)
Despite this being the middle of the Karoo, Middelburg differs from other towns because it has had so few water restrictions, largely due to the surrounding waterfalls and streams that provide the town with its water.
History
In 1837, the Cape Colony government proclaimed the district of Colesberg and established the Town of Middelburg in 1852.
Middelburg and the surrounding areas are rich in history from the Anglo-Boer War. The adjacent Grootfontein College of Agriculture was established as a military camp and training centre for British troops. About 7,000 troops from the Third Manchester Regiment were stationed at Grootfontein – some of them were married, so about 3,000 women and children also lived at Grootfontein.
Currently owned by the Municipality, the Grootfontein Cemetery, which dates back to the Anglo-Boer War, is situated next to and visible from the road leading to the airport and military base. The graves are scattered in the old section.
In proximity to Market Square lie the Dutch Reformed Church, the Methodist Church, and the town hall.
In 1910, the Union of South Africa took control of the farm, after which the Grootfontein School of Agriculture (renamed Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute) was established in 1911. Today, the college offers a two-year Certificate in Agriculture and a three-year Diploma in Agriculture, both of which are accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee.
The Cape Province branch of the National Party was constituted at a congress held in Middelburg on 15 September 1914, two months after the National Party’s founding in Smithfield, Orange Free State Province. Over 300 delegates attended the meeting that would also choose Dr D.F. Malan, later Prime Minister of South Africa, as the provincial party’s first chairman.
