Calvinia
Encyclopedia
Calvinia is a regional town in the Northern Cape
province of South Africa
named after the Swiss religious reformer John Calvin
. The town belongs to the Hantam Local Municipality
which forms part of the Namakwa District Municipality
. The Calvinia district is part of the Great Karoo
region of South Africa
. The town is just south of the Hantam mountains on the banks of the Oorlogskloof (meaning "War Revine") River.
Calvinia enjoys 80% starlight and is renowned for its kaleidoscope of spring wildflowers coinciding with the Namaqualand
wildflower spectacle.
An asteroid (1245 Calvinia
) is named after the town.
people. The first Europeans in the area were farmers who took their livestock to the area in the 1750s. Farmers received tracts of land in 1813.
On 19 January 1847, at a meeting on the farm Tygerhoek, a new Dutch Reformed Church
congregation was founded for the Hantam region. In 1848 the congregation bought 1,200 hectares of the farm Hoogekraal (Ramskop) from Abraham van Wyk.
The name Hantam is derived from the Khoisan
word !Han=ami, which refers to a plant with edible roots (Pelargonium
bifolium, in Afrikaans
"uintjies"). !Han=ami means "where the red bulbs grow".
The first reverend, N.J. Hofmeyr, proposed that the church be named after John Calvin
. On 30 Oktober 1851 the town was officially named Calvinia. It became a municipality in 1904.
The town is 301 kilometers (470 kilometers by tar road) north of Cape Town
and lies at an altitude of 970 meters.
The average summer temperature is 22°C, with peaks above 40°C. The average winter temperature is 10°C but can fall to -8°C. On the surrounding mountains, snow falls regularly.
This was the place that Abraham Esau garnered the support of the "Coloured" community to fight for the British against the Boers during the Boer War.
is the main languages spoken in Calvinia. The principal religion of the population is Christianity
.
styled Jewish synagogue
built in 1920. The museum portrays the lives of the early European settlers. It diplays a cedarwood horsemill and mounted Cape fat-tailed, Merino
and Dorper
sheep. Unusual specimens such as a 4-legged ostriche and genetically strange sheep can also be viewed.
The Akkerendam Nature Reserve is located three kilometers north of Calvinia. The reserve offers unique flowers and two hiking trails cross the Hantam mountains. The indigenous and rare sterboom (literally translated "star tree")(Cliffortia arboreais) can be seen here.
The Hantam Meat Festival, an agricultural show and great barbecue (Afrikaans
"braai"), take place every year in late August.
The Boekhuis (translated "Book House") was built in 1860 by Jacobus Nel van der Merwe in Cape Dutch
style with a concave-convex gable. It is a historical T-shaped house in Water Street and is made available for the exclusive use of writers.
All four public schools also have boarding houses for both boys and girls.
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
named after the Swiss religious reformer John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
. The town belongs to the Hantam Local Municipality
Hantam Local Municipality
Hantam is an administrative area in the Namakwa District of Northern Cape in South Africa.Hatam is a Khoi name that means "mountains where the bulbs grow". The municipality is named after the Hantam Mountains found in the area.-References:...
which forms part of the Namakwa District Municipality
Namakwa District Municipality
Namakwa is one of the 5 districts of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The seat of Namakwa is Springbok and the region is also known as Little Namaqualand. The majority of its 108 118 people speak Afrikaans...
. The Calvinia district is part of the Great Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
region of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The town is just south of the Hantam mountains on the banks of the Oorlogskloof (meaning "War Revine") River.
Calvinia enjoys 80% starlight and is renowned for its kaleidoscope of spring wildflowers coinciding with the Namaqualand
Namaqualand
Namaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles/440,000 km². It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions - Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the...
wildflower spectacle.
An asteroid (1245 Calvinia
1245 Calvinia
1245 Calvania is a main belt asteroid with a diameter of 26.84 kilometers and a perihelion of 2.6695171 AU. It has an eccentricity of 0.077491 and an orbital period of 1797.7092690 days ....
) is named after the town.
History
The earliest known people living in the area were KhoisanKhoisan
Khoisan is a unifying name for two ethnic groups of Southern Africa, who share physical and putative linguistic characteristics distinct from the Bantu majority of the region. Culturally, the Khoisan are divided into the foraging San and the pastoral Khoi...
people. The first Europeans in the area were farmers who took their livestock to the area in the 1750s. Farmers received tracts of land in 1813.
On 19 January 1847, at a meeting on the farm Tygerhoek, a new Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
congregation was founded for the Hantam region. In 1848 the congregation bought 1,200 hectares of the farm Hoogekraal (Ramskop) from Abraham van Wyk.
The name Hantam is derived from the Khoisan
Khoisan
Khoisan is a unifying name for two ethnic groups of Southern Africa, who share physical and putative linguistic characteristics distinct from the Bantu majority of the region. Culturally, the Khoisan are divided into the foraging San and the pastoral Khoi...
word !Han=ami, which refers to a plant with edible roots (Pelargonium
Pelargonium
Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants which includes about 200 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly known as scented geraniums or storksbills. Confusingly, Geranium is the correct botanical name of a separate genus of related plants often called Cranesbills. Both Geranium...
bifolium, in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
"uintjies"). !Han=ami means "where the red bulbs grow".
The first reverend, N.J. Hofmeyr, proposed that the church be named after John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
. On 30 Oktober 1851 the town was officially named Calvinia. It became a municipality in 1904.
Geography
Calvinia is located at 31°28′30"N 19°46′22"E (-31.47500, 19.77278).The town is 301 kilometers (470 kilometers by tar road) north of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and lies at an altitude of 970 meters.
The average summer temperature is 22°C, with peaks above 40°C. The average winter temperature is 10°C but can fall to -8°C. On the surrounding mountains, snow falls regularly.
This was the place that Abraham Esau garnered the support of the "Coloured" community to fight for the British against the Boers during the Boer War.
Culture
AfrikaansAfrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
is the main languages spoken in Calvinia. The principal religion of the population is Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Attractions
The Calvinia Museum is housed in the former art decoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
styled Jewish synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
built in 1920. The museum portrays the lives of the early European settlers. It diplays a cedarwood horsemill and mounted Cape fat-tailed, Merino
Merino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
and Dorper
Dorper
The Dorper is a South African breed of domestic sheep developed by crossing Dorset Horn and the Blackhead Persian sheep. The breed was created through the efforts of the South African Department of Agriculture to breed a meat sheep suitable to the more arid regions of the country...
sheep. Unusual specimens such as a 4-legged ostriche and genetically strange sheep can also be viewed.
The Akkerendam Nature Reserve is located three kilometers north of Calvinia. The reserve offers unique flowers and two hiking trails cross the Hantam mountains. The indigenous and rare sterboom (literally translated "star tree")(Cliffortia arboreais) can be seen here.
The Hantam Meat Festival, an agricultural show and great barbecue (Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
"braai"), take place every year in late August.
The Boekhuis (translated "Book House") was built in 1860 by Jacobus Nel van der Merwe in Cape Dutch
Cape Dutch
Cape Dutch are people of the Western Cape of South Africa who descended primarily from Dutch and Flemish as well as smaller numbers of French, German and other European immigrants along with a percentage of their Asian and African slaves, who, from the 17th century into the 19th century, remained...
style with a concave-convex gable. It is a historical T-shaped house in Water Street and is made available for the exclusive use of writers.
Education
The town has four public schools:- Hantam Secondary School
- Calvinia High School
- Hantam Primary School
- Calvinia Primary School
All four public schools also have boarding houses for both boys and girls.
Famous residents
- Rona RupertRona RupertRona Rupert née Davel was a South African author. Born in Calvinia, South Africa. Her father was a lecturer of Afrikaans and Dutch, before the family moved to Calvinia and bought Doega farm....
is the author of 33 AfrikaansAfrikaansAfrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
books for children and young people.