Springfontein
| Springfontein | |
|---|---|
| Country |  South Africa |
| Province | Free State |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | |
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Springfontein is a small mixed farming town in the Free State province of South Africa.
The town was established in 1904 on the farm Hartleydale, which was part of the farm Springfontein. The name Springfontein, which is Afrikaans for "jumping spring", stems from the existence of a spring on the farm. A village management board was established in 1904 and the town attained municipal status in 1912.[1] Farming with sheep, cattle and maize is prevalent in the district,[2] and in the early part of the twentieth century the Springfontein Creameries were one of the main employers.[3]
The town is an important railway junction on the main line to Johannesburg, being the point where the Bloemfontein line converges with the East London and Port Elizabeth lines and where a westward line to other Free State towns commences.[4]
[edit] Anglo-Boer War
During the Second Boer War/Anglo-Boer War, there was a British concentration camp here where 704 women and children died largely due to the severe winter of 1901.[citation needed] Their graves can be seen in the concentration camp cemetery. During the war the camp was visited by Emily Hobhouse during her investigations of conditions in the camps.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa, Vol 10, p 233; Erasmus, On Route in South Africa, p 384
- ^ Free State Department of Tourism, 'Free State' (pdf), undated 200-?. Accessed via the web.
- ^ Braby's Orange Free State Directory, 1916]
- ^ Free State Department of Tourism, 'Free State' (pdf), undated 200-?. Accessed via the web.
- ^ Free State Department of Tourism, 'Free State' (pdf), undated 200-?. Accessed via the web.
Coordinates: 30°15′45″S 25°42′14″E / 30.2625°S 25.70389°E
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