Trompsburg is a town in the Free State province of South Africa off the N1 National Route, the major road connection between Cape Town in the Western Cape and Johannesburg in Gauteng.
Trompsburg is the administrative seat of both the Kopanong Local Municipality and Xhariep District Municipality.
The town is situated approximately 113 km south-west of Bloemfontein which is situated in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. Access to the town is via the N1 National Route between Bloemfontein and Colesberg.
Trompsburg is the main hub of merino sheep farming in the Free State Province.
The main social and economic functions of the town include:
- Main local municipal administrative centre
- Regional agricultural services centre
- Regional social centre for health services
- Social functions such as residence, education and social development services
- Transport support services on major route
History
When the railway from the south reached this area in 1891, Trompsburg was laid out on the farm Middelwater which belonged to Jan and Bastiaan Tromp.
Initially the town was known as Jagersfontein Road, before the branch railway was built from Springfontein to Koffiefontein via Jagersfontein.
Later it was named Hamilton after Sir Hamilton J. Goold-Adams, governor of the Orange River Colony from 1902 to 1910. Still later the name was changed to Trompsburg in honour of the owners of the farm.
The town was granted municipal status in 1902.
