Meiringspoort opened
3 March 1858 · district · Klaarstroom
[SRC-010, Rose Willis Klaarstroom cameo. TERTIARY, TO VERIFY] Twenty-two kilometres, twenty-five river crossings, built in 223 working days from 1856. Reconnoitred in 1854 by John Charles Molteno with Charles Pritchard, Andrew Geddes Bain and his son Thomas, who preferred Toorwaterpoort but conceded this route. Initial work by Thomas J Mellville, Sub-Inspector of Roads for George, with 93 hired labourers, later replaced by Adam de Smidt. Opened with 300 mounted men and 50 coaches riding from Klaarstroom through to De Rust; the champagne broke on the third attempt. The first 21 wool wagons went down almost immediately. This is the road that made Klaarstroom, and the town was surveyed within two years of it. The poort is why the town on PAR-000097 exists. | [1 Aug 2026, date audit] Two rows recorded the opening of the poort. EVT-000077 (1858, SRC-067) is retired into this one, which carries the exact date. ITS FACT IS KEPT: Zeekoegat prospered after the road opened, and with the 1891 gold it carried a hotel, bar, shop, butchery and post office. EVT-000077 is retired and its id is not reused.
Who was there: 2 people
Everyone the record names at this occasion. Who stood together is the clearest surviving evidence of which families were close to which, if you know of others who were here, this is the page they belong on.
Ground it happened on
Sources
- Rose Willis and Doreen Atkinson, with Judy Maguire and Bruce Rubidge, "Klaarstroom: Ancient place of clear waters" (Karoo Cameos, 2021) Karoo Cameos, 2021
- "Frederick Oosthuizen - die man wat die Zeekoegat Kerkie 100 jaar gelede gebou het", Lydia Barella 29 Sep 2007
Told in
- evidence De Claar Stroom: the farm the town stands on
- evidence The men who drew the lines
- mentioned Eighty-one thousand morgen
- evidence Twenty-four months