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Stormsvlei

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Place in Western Cape, South Africa
Stormsvlei
Stormsvlei ChurchStormsvlei Church
Stormsvlei is located in Western CapeStormsvleiStormsvleiShow map of Western CapeStormsvlei is located in South AfricaStormsvleiStormsvleiShow map of South Africa
Coordinates: 34°04′59″S 20°05′49″E / 34.083°S 20.097°E / -34.083; 20.097
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictOverberg
MunicipalitySwellendam
Population
 • Total987
Racial Makeup (2011)
 • Coloured64.7%
 • White18.1%
 • Black African16.8%
 • Other0.4%
First Languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans85.7%
 • Xhosa10.9%
 • English2.5%
 • Other0.8%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
PO box7252

Stormsvlei is a town on the southern bank of the Riviersonderend, some 17 km south of Bonnievale and 50 km north of Bredasdorp. Of Afrikaans origin, the name means 'storm marsh'.

As of 2011 the town's population was 987 people living in 282 households.

History

By 1732, grazing rights were already granted here, but apparently they were not used. Fifty years later, in 1782, the farm known as Avontuur was awarded to Christiaan Andreas Storm and the town was named after him, hence the name 'Stormsvlei'.

In 1841 the farm came into the ownership of cousins Laurence and William Twentyman. They were good businessmen and developed here at the intersection of the route from the Cape to the eastern districts of the Cape Colony and of the route from the interior (via Kogmanskloof, Ashton and Bonnievale) to the sea at Agulhas a popular stopover.

In its prime, Stormsvlei had a hotel with a bar. There was a wagon maker and a blacksmith, stables, a mill and even a post office, a police station and a prison. Only the church still exists. The old mansion is now a guest house.

References

  1. Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Internet Archive. p. 420. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  2. Firth, Adrian (2011). "Small Area 0063". Retrieved 30 March 2024.
Municipalities and communities of Overberg District Municipality, Western Cape
District seat: Bredasdorp
Cape Agulhas
Overberg District within South Africa
Overberg District within South Africa
Overstrand
Swellendam
Theewaterskloof


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