History
The Dutch Reformed congregation was founded in 1851 and the town was established in 1852 on a section of the farm 'Ylandsvalley'. Named after Lady Juana Smith, the Spanish-born wife of Sir Harry Smith, Governor of the Cape Colony. The original 'Ladysmith' was changed to 'Ladismith' in 1879 to prevent confusion with its namesake in Kwazulu-Natal.
Ladismith, as with the rest of the Klein Karoo benefited from the ostrich feather boom period at the beginning of the previous century. This opulence attracted several Jewish families from the Baltic states and at one stage in the early 1900's there were about thirty Jewish families living there. A synagogue as well as a school was built.
Architectural Heritage
The town and district boast several building styles from bygone eras. Several buildings have been declared National Monuments. The town also has its own unique building style – a simplified Georgian style, the so-called 'Ladismith' style. Other styles include Victorian, Neo-Gothic, Lithuanian, Edwardian, Cape Dutch Revival, Regency and Rural (Karoo).
Demographics & Economy
Ladismith forms part of Kannaland Municipality and, in Census 2011, had a population of 3,742 people. The other towns in the Municipality are Calitzdorp, Van Wyksdorp and Zoar, and the Municipal population showed a growth rate of 0.33%.
According to Census 2011, the Kannaland Local Municipality has a total population of 24 767, of which 84,6% are coloured, 9,9% are white, 4,7% are black African, with other population groups making up the remaining 0,8%. Of those 20 years and above, 9,9% have completed primary school, 37,1% have some secondary education, 18,5% have completed matric, and 4,3% have some form of higher education. 6,0% of those aged 20 years and older have no form of schooling. 31,7% of all households are headed by a female.
There are 6 212 households in the municipality, with an average household size of 3,9 persons per household. 76,4% of households have access to piped water inside dwelling/institution and 14,8% have water in their yard. Only 4,2% of households do not have access to piped water.
There are 6 271 employed persons in the municipality; the unemployment rate is estimated at 17,3%, which does not include the 372 discouraged work-seekers who have given up looking for work. Amongst the youth in the area, 2 725 are employed; the youth unemployed rate is estimated at 22,7%, which does not include the 244 youth who fall within the discouraged work-seeker group.
Ladismith serves an extensive farming area with ideal climate for the production of apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines and grapes. Approximately 30% of the total apricot export market comes from the district. There are two cheese factories.
Drives
- Hoeko valley – 12 km east of town on R62. Breathtaking views in spring and autumn of vineyards and orchards.
- Zoar & Amalienstein – 21 km east on R62. Two former mission stations.
- Seweweekspoort – 23 km east on R62. Spectacular rock formations loom on both sides of the road winding for 17 km through the Klein Swartberg mountains to emerge on the northern side in the Karoo.
The road from Amalienstein penetrates the Klein Swartberge through the Seweweekspoort, possibly one of the most awe-inspiring and spectacular of all the mountain ravines in the country. Author and poet C Louis Leipoldt called it one of the "seven wonders" of the old Cape Province. The magnificent vertical peninsula formation sandstone rock-folds, reaching for the skies on both sides of the road, reflect the the inconceivable forces of the volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, forming the chain of Cape ripple-like mountains. Often the converging slopes leave only a narrow passage, just broad enough for the Huis River to pass through, whilst the precipices of naked, distorted rock-faces tower like walls of a natural rampart, obscuring the sun. During 1859 the authorities decided to build a pass through the Poort. The initial work was done by a team of convicts, without the presence of a road-engineer. Progress was slow and in 1860 A F de Smidt, brother-in-law of the renowed pass-builder, Thomas Bains, took charge of the operations. The road was completed in 1862. The pass winds for 17 km through the mountains at a level of 600-1000 m above sea-level. It crosses the stream 23 times, whilst the mountain slopes on both sides reach 1500–2000 m.
There are several stories explaining the origin of the name: it took seven weeks for mounted troops to escort a gang of highway robbers, being banished from Barrydale, through the Poort; or for the authorities to catch a stock-thief who fled into the mountains; or for a gang of brandy smugglers to return through the Poort from Beaufort West. Another explanation is that the Poort was named after a missionary from Amalienstein, Reverend Zwerwick. The local population could not pronounce his name and called it ‘Seweweekspoort". Most authorities though accept that the name is derived from that of the Sevenweek’s fern (Romohra adiantiformis), called ‘Seweweeksvaring’ in Afrikaans, which occurs in moist places and crevices. The ruins of the original toll-house can be seen on the northern entrance to the Poort.
According to tradition, the ghost of one of the first toll-gate keepers, can be seen on dark, stormy nights, when he appears with his lantern, stopping motorists. As soon as they stop, he, with his lantern, disappears as mysteriously as they had appeared.
The Protea Aristata, a very rare protea species, was rediscovered in the 1950's, after it was believed for quite some time to be extinct. This protea flowers in December and in Spring the aloes are in bloom. Other protea species are also found on the higher slopes. The Poort is dominated on the western side by Seweweekspoort peak, at 2 325 m being the highest in the Klein Swartberge as well as the Western Cape
- Dwarsrivier, Voorbaat & Vanzylsdamme – West of town on Laingsburg road. Picturesque valleys with orchards, vineyards, dams and old farm houses. See the awsome damage that was inflicted by the great Laingsburg flood in January 1981, when the railway line was washed away.
Mountaineering
The Klein Swartberg is a mountaineer's paradise with five of the eight highest peaks in the Western Cape situated within 15 km from Ladismith.
- Towerkop: 2 198 m. Although not the highest peak in the range, it is the most well-known and difficult to climb.
The head is dome-shaped, 122 m high and split into two by a crevice 30m wide at the top and 3m at the bottom.
Gustav Nefdt – a 23-year old Ladismith lad – was the first to conquer Towerkop in 1885. The first attempt apparently was in 1850 by Ziervogel et al, but had to quit as a result of bad weather. At this stage it was one of the most difficult peaks in the world to climb and was considered to be unconquerable. Nefdt and a few friends decided to have a picnic at the foot of Towerkop and afterwards attempt to climb the rock. Early the next morning, while his friends were still asleep, he started with his onslaught. It must have been extremely difficult and dangerous for an inexperienced climber, but he reached the summit without any difficulties.
At the top he left one of his socks which he had in his pocket, under a rock to serve as proof of his feat. After this he started his return journey along a much more difficult and dangerous route. To his chagrin, his friends didn’t believe him and two weeks later he did it again, this time with enough witnesses. Two of the men accompanied him and when they reached the summit, Nefdt triumphantly produced his sock from under the rock. In spite of numerous requests to guide other climbers up the rock, Nefdt never climbed Towerkop again.
Seasoned mountaineers describe Nefdt’s route as a very difficult, but exciting route, requiring exceptional technical skills. The first trajectory of approximately 12m is classified as F2 and is called a ‘recess’. After this one has to climb diagonally, followed by a chimney of 30 m. A wide ridge is then reached and after moving to the left, the end is not far away.
- Seweweekspoort: 2 325 m. The highest peak in the Klein Swartberg as well as in the Western Cape.
- Peak Plaats: 2 238 m. The second highest in range
- Steenslang: 2 228 m
- Elandsberg: 2 127m
Hiking Trails
- Elandsberg: 12 km route to Stanley's light
- Towersig: 2 – 12 km in hills above town
- Land & Sand Trail: 14 km route above Zoar
What's On & Special Offers
Ladismith events
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