Bethlehem, Free State

Bethlehem
Bethlehem  Bethlehem shown within Free State
Coordinates: 28°14′S 28°18′E / 28.233°S 28.300°ECoordinates: 28°14′S 28°18′E / 28.233°S 28.300°E
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Thabo Mofutsanyane
Municipality	Dihlabeng
Established	1859[1]
Area[2]
• Total	37.1 km^2 (14.3 sq mi)
Elevation	1,687 m (5,535 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
• Total	76,667
• Density	2,100/km^2 (5,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
• Black African	85.2%
• Coloured	2.1%
• Indian/Asian	0.6%
• White	12.0%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011)[2]
• Sotho	72.2%
• Afrikaans	14.5%
• Zulu	7.0%
• English	2.4%
• Other	3.9%
Postal code (street)	9700
PO box	9700
Area code	058

Bethlehem is a town in the eastern Free State province of South Africa that is situated on the Liebenbergs river (also called Liebenbergs Vlei) along a fertile valley just north of the Rooiberg Mountains on the N5 road.

It is a wheat growing area and named after the biblical Bethlehem (from "Beit Lechem", Hebrew for "house of bread").^[3]

The town lies at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) and this contributes to its cool climate with frosty winters and mild summers. The average annual temperature is around 24 °C (75 °F)

Bethlehem is situated approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) north-east of Bloemfontein, 140 kilometres (87 mi) east of Kroonstad and 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of Harrismith. The town is strategically situated in the heart of the picturesque north-eastern Free State and originally developed as a service centre.^[4] Bethlehem is the seat of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality (this municipality is situated within the boundaries of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality in the Eastern Free State).

The township associated with Bethlehem is called Bohlokong, named after the hloko/bohloko grass Diheteropogon filifolius.^[5]

History

Bethlehem was founded in 1997 on the farm Pretorius Kloof by Jack Selfridge.^[6]

Society and culture

Museums, provincial heritage sites and memorials

A number of heritage sites are located in Bethlehem:

• 14 President Burgers Street^[7]
• A B Baartman Wagon House^[8]
• Loch Athlone Dam Wall^[9]
• Main Building of the Bethlehem Technical College^[10]
• Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mother Church^[11]
• Old Magistrates Court^[12]
• Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church parsonage^[13]
• Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church^[14]
• St Andrews Presbyterian Church^[15]
• St Augustine Anglican Church^[16]
• Strapps Shop^[17]
• The Seminary^[18]
• Town Hall^[19]
• Wooden Spoon Restaurant^[20]

Sport

Premier Soccer League club Free State Stars is based in Bethlehem and plays its home games at Goble Park.

Bethlehem is also the birthplace of notable rugby union players including brothers, Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis.

Coats of arms

Municipal (1)

By 1931, the municipal council had assumed a coat of arms.^[21] The arms were registered with the Orange Free State Provincial Administration in October 1958.^[22]

The arms were : Party per chevron Azure and Gules, a chevron Or, in chief between two springboks couped at the neck respecting each other, proper, a mullet of the third, and in base three maize cobs, the outer ones pilewise, all proper. In layman's terms, the shield depicted a golden chevron between a gold star and two springboks' head on a blue background, and three maize cobs on a red background.

Municipal (2)

A new coat of arms was designed in the 1980s. It was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in June 1989.^[23]

The arms were : Per chevron, Azure and Gules, a chevron Or between in chief a mullet and in base two bars wavy, Argent (i.e. a golden chevron between a silver star on a blue background and two wavy silver stripes on a red background).

The crest was three golden ears of wheat with blue stalks and leaves, tied together with a red band; the motto was Conjuncti prosperamus.

References

1. "Chronological order of town establishment in South Africa based on Floyd (1960:20-26)" (PDF). pp. xlv–lii.
2. Sum of the Main Places Bohlokong, Thorisong, Vuka, Old Location and Bethlehem from Census 2011.
3. Raper, RE. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Human Science Research Council.
4. http://www.dihlabeng.gov.za
5. Rodney Moffet, Grasses of the Eastern Free State: Their descriptions and uses, UNIQWA, Phuthaditjhaba, 1997
6. Theal, George McCall (1900). History of South Africa: The Republics and Native Territories from 1854 to 1872. S. Sonnenschein & co. p. 80.
7. "14 President Burgers Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
8. "A B Baartman Wagon House Muller and Landdros Streets Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
9. "Loch Athlone Dam Wall Pretoriuskloof Nature Reserve Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
10. "Main Building Technical College Bethlehem Wessels Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
11. "Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mother Church Church Square Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
12. "Old Magistrates Court Louw Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
13. "Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church parsonage President Boshoff Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
14. "Old Nederduitse Gereformeerde Mission Church Muller Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
15. "St Andrews Presbyterian Church 144 Cambridge Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
16. "St Augustine Anglican Church 34 Louw Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
17. "Strapps Shop 18 Church Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
18. "The Seminary Wessels Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
19. "Town Hall 20-22 Muller Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
20. "Wooden Spoon Braairestaurant 12 Church Street Bethlehem". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
21. The arms were depicted on a cigarette card issued in 1931.
22. Orange Free State Official Gazette 41 (10 October 1958).
23. http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za

External links

• Bethlehem Information
• Dihlabeng Local Municipality