|
Entering
Graskop, on
the edge of the Berg mountain, is just the starting point of a wonderful journey
not only through a beautiful country side but also through a place of great
history which dates back to 1837, when Trichardt passed through with the
great trek in search of greener pastures in the North.
In 1843 Andries Potgieter attempted to find a more southerly route from Pretoria to Lourenco Marques, but the one that his party took turned out to be almost immpossible to negotiate. The trek came to a halt at the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment from which there was no possible route of descent. A scout part was sent out, and consequently discovered an animal track which permitted access to the Lowveld. The scouts were however delayed on their return, and the original group left the area next to the river they had been waiting at, after naming it "Treurrivier" (the river of sorrow). When the scout party managed to catch up with this group on the banks of another river, they named this new river the "Blyderivier" (the river of joy).
In
the 1850s a renowned eastern Transvaal character, Abel Erasmus,
known to the Africans as Dubula Duze ('he who shoots at close
range'), had a farm called Graskop ('grassy Hill'). From here he
exercised rough justice as the Native Commissioner of the lowveld.
Today, Graskop is the terminus of the branch railway from Nelspruit
and a centre of a substantial timber industry.
Sir Percy Fitspatrick spent some time in the area during the latter part of the 19th century, and makes reference to the surrounding area in his book "Jock of the
Bushveld" in the chapters entitled "Paradise Camp" and "Baboons and Tigers".
Just like other towns
in Mpumalanga farming was the important occupation in Graskop as well. When gold
mines were discovered in Pilgrims Rest, it became necessary for having an access
through rail transport , Since Graskop was the nearest settlement available , a
railway station was opened here in 1914 paving way for a blossoming growth era
for Graskop.
In 1910 the building of a railway spur from Nelspruit through the farm Sabie and onto the farm Graskop had begun. The line was completed in June 1914, and Graskop was declared a town later in that year. By 1918 the town would have a church, a store, and a primary school. Because of the high rainfall, vegetable and fruit farming were not viable in the area. The vegetation was also not well suited to cattle farming, and the town remained a railway town for some time.
It was only in the late 1920's, during the depression, that government of the time decided to plant trees in the area and Graskop developed into a timber town.
By 1945 the town had a population of approximately 650 people. A town hall had been built and both a golf course and horse racing track established.
The
Pinnacle , God’s Window , Pot Holes , Berlin Falls , three Rondawel view point
etc are some of the rarest nature blessing God has given for Graskop. No wonder
why it is the most attractive place for tourists in Mpumalanga. Graskop is
also a Malaria-free zone.
Search
LowveldInfo.com for more information relating to Graskop
Photo
taken in the rain forest at god's window
From
Graskop the scenic Panorama Route leads northwards along the edge of
the escarpment to the Blyde River Canyon.
The
Three Rondawels viewed from Blyde Canyon
|
