Villiers, Free State
Encyclopedia
Villiers is a small town situated on the banks of the Vaal River
next to the N3 highway in the Free State
province of South Africa
. It was founded in 1882 on the two farms Pearson Valley and Grootdraai owned by Lourens de Villiers.
, with the Vaal River forming the border. Nearby towns include (and their distance in km):
Villiers is also located roughly 150 km from Pretoria
(South Africa's de facto capital city), and approximately 70 km from the large city of Vereeniging.
and Johannesburg
. De Villiers started with the subdivision of his farms into erven in 1882 and the town was proclaimed by State President F.W. Reitz on 29 May 1891.
In these early days the Vaal River was the important boundary between the Free-State Republic and the then Transvaal Republic. Both Governments erected toll houses on the banks of the Vaal River at the Villiers wagon crossing points, at the site of the current steel bridge. These toll houses remained in force until the creation of the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910.
In the early days during typical Highveld thunderstorms and in the rainy season there were sometimes up to 300 wagons waiting to cross the Vaal river at the Villiers crossing.
The postal service also used this route from Harrismith
, Dundas
, to Villiers, Malanskraal, Heidelberg
and then to the goldfields of the Witwatersrand
. The Van der Berg park was used by the postal service to get “fresh” horses for their wagons. This park was also later used as a marketplace.
Villiers is steeped in history with buildings and structures dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. There are some prime restored examples of Eastern Free-state sandstone architecture and a beautiful church at the centre of town with high pitched slate roof.
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...
next to the N3 highway in the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
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...
. It was founded in 1882 on the two farms Pearson Valley and Grootdraai owned by Lourens de Villiers.
Location
The town is located in the north-eastern Free State, in the eastern half of South Africa. It actually lies at the border of the province of MpumalangaMpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
, with the Vaal River forming the border. Nearby towns include (and their distance in km):
- WardenWarden, Free StateWarden is a town situated in the Free State province of South Africa on the N3 highway between Johannesburg and Durban. The town has one of the largest Dutch Reformed Churches in South Africa, with seating for 1,750. It was named after the former Harrismith magistrate Charles Warden. It is also one...
(98 km) - HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
(60 km) - FrankfortFrankfort, Free StateFrankfort is a small farming town situated on the banks of the Wilge River in the Free State province of South Africa. The town was laid out in 1869 on the farm Roodepoort, and named Frankfurt by Albert van Gordon...
(33 km) - VredeVredeVrede a is town in the Free State province of South Africa that is the agricultural hub of a 100 km² region. Maize, wheat, mutton, wool, beef, dairy products and poultry are farmed in the region. The town was established here after a dispute arose regarding as to where to set up the town in...
(61 km)
Villiers is also located roughly 150 km from Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
(South Africa's de facto capital city), and approximately 70 km from the large city of Vereeniging.
History
The town of Villiers is named after Lourens de Villiers on whose farms the town was first built. The town was established at the Vaal River crossing on the very important transport route between DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
and Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. De Villiers started with the subdivision of his farms into erven in 1882 and the town was proclaimed by State President F.W. Reitz on 29 May 1891.
In these early days the Vaal River was the important boundary between the Free-State Republic and the then Transvaal Republic. Both Governments erected toll houses on the banks of the Vaal River at the Villiers wagon crossing points, at the site of the current steel bridge. These toll houses remained in force until the creation of the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910.
In the early days during typical Highveld thunderstorms and in the rainy season there were sometimes up to 300 wagons waiting to cross the Vaal river at the Villiers crossing.
The postal service also used this route from Harrismith
Harrismith
Harrismith, named after Sir Harry Smith, is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa, situated on the N3 highway approximately midway between Johannesburg, about 300 km north-east, and Durban. The town is at the junction with the N5 highway, which continues west towards the...
, Dundas
Dundas
Dundas may refer to:Places* Dundas, Greenland* Dundas, Minnesota, United States* Dundas, New Brunswick, Canada* Dundas, New South Wales, Australia* Dundas, Ontario, Canada* Dundas, Tasmania, Australia* Dundas, Wisconsin, United States...
, to Villiers, Malanskraal, Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and then to the goldfields of the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
. The Van der Berg park was used by the postal service to get “fresh” horses for their wagons. This park was also later used as a marketplace.
Villiers is steeped in history with buildings and structures dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. There are some prime restored examples of Eastern Free-state sandstone architecture and a beautiful church at the centre of town with high pitched slate roof.
Activities
Town activities include:- Eastern Free-state Sandston Architecture;
- Village strolls through streets of Villiers;
- Villiers Holiday Resort;
- Walking routes through town and sites of interest;
- Horse riding;
- Quad bike route on neighbouring farms;
- A school with personal attention and boarding facilities;
- Guesthouse, coffee shops and pubs.