Griekwastad, Northern Cape

 


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The town was used as a meeting place for the local people as early as 1802. The first name given was Leeuwenkuil (Lion well) apparently due to a beautiful family of lion being born at a well nearby. It was then named Klaarwater (Clear water) because of the water being particularly clear. It was the London missionary John Campbell who changed the name to Griekwastad in 1912.

(Extracted and translated from Nienaber 1963:230)

List of references:

Maeder, GA & Zinn, C. 1917. Ons kerk album van Hollandsche kerken en leeraren. Capetown: Cape Times. pp 130
Nienaber, Petrus Johannes. 1963. Suid-Afrikaanse Pleknaamwoordeboek : Deel I. Kaapstad: Suid-Afrikaanse Boeksentrum. pp 230
Oberholster, JJ. 1972. The historical monuments of South Africa. Cape Town: Rembrandt Van Rijn Foundation for Culture at the request of the National Monuments Council. pp 196

List of structures:

Mary Moffat Museum: n.d..
Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk: 1962.
Voortrekker Monument: 1938.