South Africa: Vredefort Dome, crater impact site(History of towns)

Vredefort is a small town situated in the Vredefort Dome impact crater. It is part of the LejweleputswaDistrictMunicipality. The town is a rural farming town with only a few businesses. Farmers in the area produce maize, sunflower, millet, ground nuts, corn and some cattle are also raised.

Long before most black tribes ever set foot in the area, it was hunter gatherer people who lived in the area. Rock paintings from the SAN people can still be seen in the area today.

European farmers started settling in the area around 1836 and these were mainly cattle farmers, who were drawn by the open grasslands and good grazing to be found. At the time this area was named “Riemland” by them. A direct translation of this is:” Land of the thong”. These farmer were mainly Afrikaans speakers and named themselves as Boers (farm people). The original farm where the town was laid out, was owned by one Jacobus Sheepers. The town is in the current Freestate province of South Africa, but at that time the area was actually known as “ The Republic of the Orange Freestate”.

The town was formally laid out in 1876 and 20 plots were sold at the time. It then started to serve as the agricultural centre as well as the meeting point for religious meetings. The Vredefort NG Church is still being used today for services and is a good example of the churches built at that time.

Gold was discovered in the area in 1886 on a farm Weltevreden, owned by CJ Bornman. The Great Western Mine produced gold in the area, but it was not a huge find.

The town of Parys was founded in 1887. It was surveyed on the banks of the VaalRiver by a German surveyor, Schilbach, who participated in a military siege of Paris (France). The town was named Parys as it was similar to Paris in France, in that it was also laid out next to a large river. To this day, you will see many small things in Parys that will remind you of this connection to Paris. This even includes a miniature Eifel tower in front of one of the antique shops.

The outbreak of the Anglo – Boer War in 1889 brought things in Parys to a standstill. This war between the Boers and the British brought a period of destruction. A lot of guerrilla warfare took place in this area. As the area was so hilly, with lots of bush and good cover, Boer snipers inflicted huge losses on the British.  By the time that peace came in 1902, most people had to make a fresh start, as both Parys and Vredefort were to all effects destroyed.

In the early days many irrigation canals were built, some still running through the town and these are still being used. As there was so much water available, the town council decided that an electric lighting scheme should be put into use. Water from an irrigation scheme was used to produce electricity and in 1912, the first electric lights glowed in Parys on Christmas day.

Parys lies on the southern bank of the VaalRiver, the second largest river in South Africa. Several islands dot the river in this area and many bird species make this their home. Water sports and water based adventures are a big attraction in this area.

Parys also boasts a whole range of old houses, many of which have been lovingly restored by current owners. Due to its close proximity to several larger towns, Parys has become a magnet for city dwellers who wanted weekend houses in the country side. Many of those people eventually moved permanently and this has led to the property market booming in the area. If you today would try to find a nice old (pre 1940) house, it will be an uphill battle and you will have to fork out huge amounts to get the owners to even consider selling.

The Town Hall was built in the 1930’s in Art Deco style. Although still in use regularly, sadly it has been a bit neglected since apartheid came to an end.

Parys offers most modern conveniences that any person might need. The business infrastructure is well developed as well. There is a state hospital, but in all honesty, no-one who can afford private hospital fees will ever set foot in the state hospital. The quality of care in this and most other state hospitals are dismal to say the least. There are however fantastic private hospitals in most towns around Parys. These include Sasolburg (50m) and Potchefstroom (55km). Potchefstroom also have a large university. The town has its own primary and secondary schools.

Recently two modern golf estates have also been started. Both golf courses have been developed by major stars of the sport. Plots on these are expensive, but the views over the river, is absolutely fantastic. If you are visiting and love golf, do not miss out on the opportunity to play one or both the courses.

The town also host “The Crater cruise” , cycling event once a year. The other main event of each year is the Dome festival. This includes adventure sports, normal sport and entertainment event, complete with bands, stalls and lots to eat and drink.

The festival normally takes place in Oct/Nov of each year. Visit: http://www.domefest.co.za/