Durban - At one stage we considered putting down retirement roots in Burgersdorp, which lies at the junction of the R58 (between Aliwal North and Venterstad) and the R391 (which connects Burgersdorp with Hofmeyr).
It never happened, but for the casual visitor the town has many attractions.
Ten of the Eastern Cape’s provincial heritage sites can be found in Burgersdorp. That is no mean feat for a small town, and one can spend fascinating hours trawling the museums.
Looming rather ominously on one hill above the town is an Anglo-Boer War blockhouse known as The Sentinel. Walk or drive up there and you have a splendid view of the town sprawled below. At the top of another hill is splendid walking terrain.
The Dutch Language Monument takes pride of place in the central Burger Square. Built in 1893, it depicts a woman pointing her finger at a book in her hands. Although the main inscription on the monument refers to the Hollandse taal (Dutch language), it can also be understood to mean Afrikaans.
This monument was damaged during the Anglo-Boer War and Lord Milner had it removed. A replica was made and erected in 1907, but the original – missing its head and one arm – eventually turned up in King William’s Town in 1939. It was restored to its rightful spot and the two statues now stand side by side.
Some claim Lord Milner removed the original monument not because it was damaged, but because he was opposed to Dutch (and Afrikaans), and that the replica was built not by the government but by a group of Afrikaners.
Other heritage sites are the tiny Christ Church, Coetzee House, De Bruin House, the Jubilee Fountain, the Old Gaol, the Old Reformed Church Parsonage, and the Old Reformed Church Theological Seminary, which was established here in 1869 by the Gereformeerde Kerk.
In 1905, though, the seminary was moved to Potchefstroom and ultimately became the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.
The town’s Dutch Reformed Church is a splendid building of dressed sandstone, which boasts a huge steeple and clock tower, and a large silver dome and cupola.
The oldest town in the north of the Eastern Cape, established in 1846, Burgersdorp has been a pivotal point in Afrikaner history, religion and culture. The Afrikaner Bond was founded in here in 1881.
Interestingly, while many towns are named after some famous figure, Burgersdorp is named after all its inhabitants. It means “town of citizens”, because it was started on the initiative of 300 Afrikaner families.
The inhabitants became the envy of other Karoo towns because, being sheltered in a valley below the Stormberg Mountains, they enjoyed a somewhat milder climate and had access to their own water from the Stormberg Spruit.
In late 1899, the Battle of Stormberg took place not far from the town.
It was the first British defeat in what became known as Black Week – in which three successive British forces were defeated by Boer irregulars in the Anglo-Boer War.
The other two were at Colenso and Magersfontein.
A memorial to townsfolk who died during the Anglo-Boer War was unveiled in 1908 by the Afrikaner hero General Koos de la Rey.
Sporting fans take pride in the fact that in 1910 the British Lions played a rugby match in the town.
You can visit the Stormberg Co-op Cheese Factory, Era Pellis leather tannery and Groenvlei bird sanctuary. There are a couple of coffee shops and one of the restaurants claims its Karoo lamb is among the finest.
Further afield, the area is often referred to as the Mecca of rock art in South Africa. Many of the paintings, though, are damaged as a result of natural weathering and, sadly, because of vandalism.
The farm Leliekloof has the most and best examples of rock art in the district. Good and easily accessible paintings are also found on the farm Kapokkraal. Both sites are in the Stormberg area.
Myrtle Ryan, Sunday Tribune