Middelburg, Eastern Cape

History

In 1837 the Cape Colony government proclaimed the district of Colesberg, and established the Town of Middelburg in 1852, so named since it is midway between Graaff-Reinet and Colesberg. It is also approximately halfway between Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein.

The town and surrounding areas are rich in history from the Anglo Boer War. The adjacent Grootfontein College of Agriculture was established as a military camp and training centre for British troops. About 7,000 troops from the Third Manchester Regiment were stationed at Grootfontein - some of them were married, so about 3,000 women and children also lived at Grootfontein.

In 1910 the Union of South Africa took control of the farm after which the Grootfontein School of Agriculture was established in 1911. Today the college offers a two-year Certificate in Agriculture and a three-year Diploma in Agriculture, both accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee.

The Cape Province branch of the National Party was constituted at a congress held in Middelburg on 15 September 1914, two months after the National Party's founding in Smithfield, Orange Free State Province. Over 300 delegates attended the meeting that would also choose Dr D.F. Malan, later Prime Minister of South Africa, as the provincial party's first chairman.

The R56, the shortest route between the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal begins at Middelburg. The town's hospital is Wilhelm Stahl Provincial Hospital.