Boshof

Boshof
Boshof

 Boshof shown within Free State

Coordinates: 28°33′S 25°14′E / 28.550°S 25.233°E / -28.550; 25.233Coordinates: 28°33′S 25°14′E / 28.550°S 25.233°E / -28.550; 25.233
Country South Africa
Province Free State
District Lejweleputswa
Municipality Tokologo
Established 1856[1]
Area[2]
  Total 91.7 km2 (35.4 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2]
  Total 8,509
  Density 93/km2 (240/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
  Black African 78.5%
  Coloured 10.5%
  Indian/Asian 0.4%
  White 10.1%
  Other 0.5%
First languages (2011)[2]
  Tswana 57.9%
  Afrikaans 28.7%
  Sotho 4.4%
  Xhosa 3.8%
  Other 5.1%
Postal code (street) 8340
PO box 8340
Area code 053

Boshof is a farming town in the west of the Free State province, South Africa.

Town 55 km north-east of Kimberley. Established in March 1856 on the farm Vanwyksvlei, which had been named after a Griqua who sowed his crops on it from time to time. Named in honour of Jacobus Nicolaas Boshof (1808-1881), second President of the Orange Free State (1855–59) and founder of its civil service. Became a municipality in 1872.[3]

The local commando was involved in the Siege of Kimberley, notably the disruption of the city's water supply at Riverton.

References

  1. "Chronological order of town establishment in South Africa based on Floyd (1960:20-26)" (PDF). pp. xlv–lii.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sum of the Main Places Boshof and Seretse from Census 2011.
  3. Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Internet Archive. p. 89. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
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