Caledon and the Overberg: Placid centre of a geographic microcosm?

Abstract

tuated in the area known as the Overberg, the town of Caledon owed its brief spun of rapid growth in the 1850s mainly to the wool boom. But unlike the spectacular expansion of some South African towns as a result of the discovery of minerals, Caledon showed no continuous growth and urbanization. This contribution deals with early White settlement of the Overberg, the establishment of the town in 1811 and socio-economic development until about 1875. It also explains why Caledon, which was isolated from the main communication routes between seaports and the mineral fields, during this period remained a small town in a prosperous rural area.