Hopefield, Western Cape
| Hopefield | |
|---|---|
  Hopefield Hopefield shown within South Africa
| |
| Coordinates: 33°03′56″S 18°21′03″E / 33.06556°S 18.35083°ECoordinates: 33°03′56″S 18°21′03″E / 33.06556°S 18.35083°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| District | West Coast |
| Municipality | Saldanha Bay |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 32.41 km2 (12.51 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 6,460 |
| • Density | 200/km2 (520/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011)[1] | |
| • Black African | 2.6% |
| • Coloured | 81.5% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.5% |
| • White | 14.4% |
| • Other | 1.0% |
| First languages (2011)[1] | |
| • Afrikaans | 94.2% |
| • English | 3.5% |
| • Other | 2.3% |
| Postal code (street) | 7355 |
| PO box | 7355 |
| Area code | 022 |
Hopefield is a settlement in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa on the R27 between Malmesbury and Vredenburg.The town is east of Saldanha Bay and Langebaan, 40 km southeast of Vredenburg and 120 km north of Cape Town.
The Dutch Reformed congregation (Zoutrivier) was established December 1851 and the town was founded in 1852 on the farm Langekuil, it became a municipality in 1914. Named after two people who laid it out, Major William Hope, Auditor-General, and a Mr Field.[2]
The Air Force Base Langebaanweg , 22km west from town, as well as the West Coast Fossil park , 25km west from town, falls within town limits.
There is two schools in town, Hopefield Primary, presenting Gr1-7, a fully state sponsored school and Hopefield High, presenting Gr1-12, a semi-state school with minimal sponsorship from government.
The pre-1994 colourd area of the town is called Oudekraalfontein with a population of 2903 (2001 census).
In earlier years this, now small, town was considered the capital of the West Coast. With banks, filling stations and multiple other shops and businesses. The only access to the towns of Vredenburg, Langebaan and Saldanha was through Hopefield. With the re-routing of the R27, passing the town on the outside and the construction of the R45 (West Coast Road) the infra structure of the down gradually shrunk till the point were the town is today.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Main Place Hopefield". Census 2011.
- ↑ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 215.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg.png)