Robertson, South Africa

Robertson
Clockwise from top: View of Robertson, Dutch Reformed Church, Druid's Lodge, Robertson in 1987, Robertson Town Hall
Robertson is located in Western Cape
Robertson
Robertson
Robertson is located in South Africa
Robertson
Robertson
Robertson is located in Africa
Robertson
Robertson
Coordinates: 33°48′S 19°53′E / 33.800°S 19.883°E / -33.800; 19.883
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictCape Winelands
MunicipalityLangeberg
Established1853[1]
Government
 • CouncillorC. Steyn (DA)
Area
 • Total21.2 km2 (8.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total9,355
 • Density440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African7.1%
 • Coloured48.3%
 • Indian/Asian0.5%
 • White42.5%
 • Other1.6%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans89.3%
 • Xhosa0.9%
 • English7.1%
 • Other2.7%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
6705
PO box
6705
Area code023
Websiterobertsonr62.com

Robertson is a town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, known as the valley of wine and roses, at the heart of the wine route - Route 62.[3][4]

Founded in 1853 and named after Dr William Robertson, a Scottish Dutch Reformed Church minister.[5]: 302 

Situated in the fertile Robertson Valley, farming and wagon building were the town's original industries. However, after the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899, the wagon building industry collapsed when the railways took over the transport of all goods.

Robertson subsequently became famous for its ostrich farming, but this industry collapsed as well shortly after World War I, and the farmers of the area turned to wine and fruit farming. Later, several successful racehorse stud farms were founded. Agriculture remains the mainstay of the town's economy.

  1. ^ Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
  2. ^ a b c d Sub Place Robertson from Census 2011.
  3. ^ SA-Venues.co.za, retrieved 18 February 2012
  4. ^ SA-Route62.co.za, retrieved 18 February 2012
  5. ^ Joyce, Peter (1989). The South African family encyclopaedia. Internet Archive. Cape Town : Struik Publishers. ISBN 978-0-86977-887-6.