Boshof

Boshof is a farming town in the west of the Free State province, South Africa.

Boshof
Boshof Show map of Free State (South African province) Boshof Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 28°33′S 25°14′E
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Lejweleputswa
Municipality	Tokologo
Established	1856[1]
Area [2]
• Total	91.7 km2 (35.4 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	8,509
• Density	93/km2 (240/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	78.5%
• Coloured	10.5%
• Indian/Asian	0.4%
• White	10.1%
• Other	0.5%
First languages (2011) [2]
• Tswana	57.9%
• Afrikaans	28.7%
• Sotho	4.4%
• Xhosa	3.8%
• Other	5.1%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	8340
PO box	8340
Area code	053

The town is 55 km north-east of Kimberley on the R64 road. Established in March 1856 on the farm Vanwyksvlei, which had been named after a Griqua who sowed his crops on it from time to time. Named in honour of Jacobus Nicolaas Boshof (1808-1881), second President of the Orange Free State (1855–59) and founder of its civil service. Became a municipality in 1872.^[3]

The local commando was involved in the siege of Kimberley, notably the disruption of the city’s water supply at Riverton. The Battle of Boshof, which resulted in the death of the Comte de Villebois-Mareuil, was fought nearby on 5 April 1900.

References

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. Sum of the Main Places Boshof and Seretse from Census 2011.
3. Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Internet Archive. p. 89. Retrieved 28 August 2013.