Laingsburg, Western Cape
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Laingsburg is a town located in the Western Cape province in South Africa.
[edit] History
Laingsburg was first established in the 1870s by Stephanus Greeff. He bought the farm Vischkuil-aan-de-Buffelsrivier (fishing hole on the Buffalo River). The town only started developing when the railway line to it was completed. It was first named Buffelsrivier but this was later changed first to Nassau and finally to Laingsburg, after John Laing who was Commissioner of Crown Lands at the time.
The town was laid out in 1881 and became a municipality in 1904. The municipality has since been expanded to include Bergsig, Goldnerville, Matjiesfontein.
In January 1981 abnormal rainfall in the catchments of both the Buffels and Baviaans Rivers, which have their confluence at the town, lead to a giant flood in Laingsburg and over 100 persons drowned. Most of the bodies where never recovered, even the railway line was swept off the bridge.
[edit] Geography
Laingsburg is located at Lat: -33.20, Long: 20.85, in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
The town is situated in the Karoo, a semi-desert region of South-Africa. The towns total rainfall is about 50mm per year. The main water supply is the Buffels River.
[edit] Economy
Laingsburg's economy is mainly based on farming of goats, sheep, lucerne (Alfalfa) and fruit.
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