Greylingstad

Greylingstad
Greylingstad

 Greylingstad shown within South Africa

Coordinates: 26°45′S 28°45′E / 26.750°S 28.750°ECoordinates: 26°45′S 28°45′E / 26.750°S 28.750°E
Country South Africa
Province Mpumalanga
District Gert Sibande
Municipality Dipaleseng
Established 1909
Area[1]
 • Total 9.33 km2 (3.60 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 839
 • Density 90/km2 (230/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
 • Black African 45.0%
 • Coloured 0.6%
 • Indian/Asian 0.8%
 • White 53.2%
 • Other 0.4%
First languages (2011)[1]
 • Afrikaans 51.7%
 • Zulu 27.9%
 • Sotho 6.6%
 • English 4.5%
 • Other 9.3%
Postal code (street) 2415
PO box 2415
Area code 017

Greylingstad (Afrikaans for Greyling City) is a small farming town west of Standerton in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

History

Early 20th century

During the Boer War the Scottish Rifles built a number of small forts overlooking the town and the farms beyond the hills. The Scottish Rifles laid out the initials "SR" on the hill overlooking the town, and it was always clearly visible from the main street of Greylingstad. The town was founded in 1909 by the Dutch Reformed Church and named after PJ Greyling.[2]

Photos taken in the district of Greylingstad during the Second Anglo Boer War can be found at: http://www.robmilne.com/?q=node/33

Late 20th century

In the 1950s and 1960s the town had a flourishing farming community.

A major change came about in 1962 when ESCOM (now called ESKOM) erected a 88kV substation and the town, which had about 300 residents at the time, was connected to the main electricity grid.

When the main road between Johannesburg and Durban was upgraded in the 1960s, a bypass was built around Greylingstad which hurt the small businesses in town.

Present

However, the farming community is still big and growing and the town not booming, but constantly doing business.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Main Place Greylingstad". Census 2011.
  2. ↑ "http://www.routes.co.za/mp/greylingstad/index.html". Routes.co.za. Retrieved 2013-10-14.