Douglas is a town situated near the confluence of the Orange

Orange River

The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...

 and Vaal River

Vaal River

The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...

s in the Northern Cape

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...

. On this fertile soil nestles the town of Douglas. The town itself is a green patchwork of dramatic contrast - space for the solitary and activity for the energetic. Douglas is divided in three sections or locations named Bongani, Breipaal and Douglas.

Location

Douglas lies about 100 km Southwest of Kimberley, the famous city of diamonds. These two are connected by the R357 highway.

History

The town was founded in 1848 as a mission station on the farm Backhouse by the Reverend Isaac Hughes. In 1867, a group of Europeans from Griquatown signed an agreement giving them the right to establish a town. The town was named after General Sir Robert Percy Douglas

Robert Percy Douglas

Major-General Sir Robert Percy Douglas, 4th Baronet of Carr was a British Army officer who became Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.-Military career:...

, Lieutenant Governor of the Cape Colony.