Swellendam - history
Swellendam is, after Cape Town and Stellenbosch, the third oldest town in South Africa. It was established in 1745 and named after the governor Hendrik Swellengrebel and his wife Helena ten Damme.
The area surrounding Swellendam was at one point in time famous for its copious amount of wildlife - lions, rhinos, hippos, elephants, antelope, etc.. This and the fertile landscape attracted (amongst others) the Hessekwa tribe. The graves of their last leaders Klaas and Markus Sababa can still be found in the Bontebokskloof.
In 1795 Swellendam was, for approximately 3 months, one of the capitals of the world.
The inhabitants of Swellendam were at that time angered by the high taxes and the maladministration of the Cape Dutch East India Company and without much ado they declared themselves an independent republic. Shortly afterwards however, the British occupied the Cape and the new republic, consisting of a mere 20 houses along the river valley, disbanded again.
Visit the Drostdy Museum in Swellendam - here you can gain an insight into the life of the early European settlers in the Cape region.
