Philippolis

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title: "Philippolis" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-kopanong-local-municipality", "karoo", "populated-places-established-in-1823", "1823-establishments-in-south-africa"] topic_path: "geography/south-africa" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippolis" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
namePhilippolis
image_skylineDorpsbeeld Philippolis.JPG
image_captionPhilippolis
map_captionPhilipolis in the Free State
pushpin_mapSouth Africa Free State#South Africa
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameSouth Africa
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Free State
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Xhariep
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Kopanong
subdivision_type4Main Place
established_titleEstablished
established_date1823
government_typeWard 4
leader_titleCouncillor
leader_nameNomvulazana Judith Stuurman
area_footnotes
area_total_km239.6
population_footnotes
population_total3648
population_as_of2011
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1Racial makeup (2011)
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1Black African
demographics1_info165.1%
demographics1_title2Coloured
demographics1_info227.6%
demographics1_title3Indian/Asian
demographics1_info30.5%
demographics1_title4White
demographics1_info45.9%
demographics1_title5Other
demographics1_info50.9%
demographics_type2First languages (2011)
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1Afrikaans
demographics2_info141.2%
demographics2_title2Xhosa
demographics2_info229.3%
demographics2_title3Sotho
demographics2_info325.7%
demographics2_title4English
demographics2_info41.3%
demographics2_title5Other
demographics2_info52.3%
timezone1SAST
utc_offset1+2
postal_code_typePostal code (street)
postal_code9970
postal2_code_typePO box
postal2_code9970
area_code_typeArea code
area_code051
website
::

| name = Philippolis | image_skyline = Dorpsbeeld Philippolis.JPG | image_caption = Philippolis | map_caption = Philipolis in the Free State | pushpin_map = South Africa Free State#South Africa | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Free State | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Xhariep | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = Kopanong | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | established_date = 1823 | government_type = Ward 4 | leader_title = Councillor | leader_name = Nomvulazana Judith Stuurman | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 39.6 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 3648 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011) | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Black African | demographics1_info1 = 65.1% | demographics1_title2 = Coloured | demographics1_info2 = 27.6% | demographics1_title3 = Indian/Asian | demographics1_info3 = 0.5% | demographics1_title4 = White | demographics1_info4 = 5.9% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = 0.9% | demographics_type2 = First languages (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = Afrikaans | demographics2_info1 = 41.2% | demographics2_title2 = Xhosa | demographics2_info2 = 29.3% | demographics2_title3 = Sotho | demographics2_info3 = 25.7% | demographics2_title4 = English | demographics2_info4 = 1.3% | demographics2_title5 = Other | demographics2_info5 = 2.3% | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code (street) | postal_code = 9970 | postal2_code_type = PO box | postal2_code = 9970 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 051 | website =

Philippolis is a town in the Free State province of South Africa. The town is the birthplace of writer and intellectual Sir Laurens van der Post, actress Brümilda van Rensburg and Springboks rugby player Adriaan Strauss. It is regarded as one of the first colonial settlements in the Free State.

History

The London Missionary Society founded Philippolis in 1823 as a mission station serving the local Griqua people. At first, the area was referred to as Southern Transorangia. The town takes its name from Dr John Philip, who was the superintendent of the Society from 1819 to 1849. Adam Kok II, a Griqua leader, settled in Philippolis with his people in 1826 and became the protector of the mission station. Kok II and some of his followers moved to Philippolis from Griquatown (about 200 km away) following conflict in the area. When Adam Kok II was given possession of the mission station it was on condition that he promised to protect the San against the aggression of the Boers and the London Missionary Society hoped that the Griqua would promote peace in the region. However, Philippolis became a base from which a number of deadly commandos against the San people were organised within a year of the Griqua arrival. This violated the agreement made between the London Missionary Society and Adam Kok II and eventually the San were driven out of the area. Kok's son, Adam Kok III and his followers later migrated across the Drakensberg mountains to settle in Kokstad in Griqualand East.

Monuments and tourist attractions

The town has a number of declared heritage sites including an historical jail that has been turned into a bed and breakfast guest house.

Cannons

Two naval cannons stand on top of a small hill which were presented by the Cape colonial government in 1840 to Adam Kok III who was the Griqua chief at that time. The cannons are fired during the town's Witblits festival held in April. These cannons may have been used during the various wars between the Griqua, Basotho and the Boers.

Emily Hobhouse memorial

A memorial was erected in Philippolis to commemorate English activist Emily Hobhouse, who worked to bring the poor conditions of Second Boer War concentration camps to the British public's attention. After the conflict's end, Hobhouse established a spinning and weaving school in Philippolis in 1905.

Karoo Artist's Café

The building in which this café is now situated in, was the first school building in the town, built in the 1830s.

Transgariep Museum

This museum was opened on 2 March 1982. It focuses on the London Missionary Society, Adam Kok III and the Griqua as well as Emily Hobhouse and her weaving school.

The Philippolis Jail

The town jail was built in 1872 and served as a jail for 70 years. It was subsequently converted into a police station and several changes were made such as the repurposing of jail cells into charge offices. The SADF (South African Defence Force) used the jail as an army barracks from 1972 to 1982. The jail was abandoned from 1982 until 1998 when it was restored and turned into a bed and breakfast guest house.

Old Dutch Reformed Church

The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) in Philippolis was opened in 1871. The church is famous for its pulpit which is carved from wild olive and erected with no nails, screws or bolts. This site is a declared Provincial Heritage Site.

Other declared heritage sites in the area

  • The property with the Old Victorian Library building thereon, Voortrekker Street, Donated by the Jacobson Family for the benefit of the Townspeople
  • The property with the Dwelling-house thereon, 24 Tobie Muller Street
  • The property with the Dwelling-house thereon, being certain Portion “C” of Erf 97, Tobie Muller Street
  • The property with the Dwelling-house and adjoining building thereon, 26 Kok Street
  • The property, together with the Karoo styled Dwelling-house thereon, 4 Justisie Street
  • The Old Pound, together with a portion of surrounding land, being 5 metres on the northern and western side of the structure, the land on the eastern site to and bordered by Justisie Street and the land on the southern side thereof to and bordered by Erf 129, Philippolis.
  • The property, together with the Victorian House thereon, 7 Colin Fraser Street (Amended declared in 1990.
  • The historic Old Power Magazine, together with 10 metres of surrounding land, situated on Subdivision 20 of the Town Lands of Philippolis 143,declared in 1991.
  • The wagon house adjacent the Victorian House together with the property on which they are situated, at 6 and 7 Colin Fraser Street.declared in 1990.

Gallery

File:Hobhouse_garden_of_Remembrance.jpeg|Emily Hobhouse garden of remembrance Philippolis. File:NG_Kerk_Philippolis.jpeg|View of NG Kerk in Philippolis. File:Philippolis_library.jpeg|Philippolis library Philippolis. File:26_Kok_Street.jpeg|26 Kok Street dwelling house Philippolis. File:Wagon_house.jpeg|Wagon house Philippolis.

References

References

  1. Robson, Linda Gillian. (2011). "The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact". University of Pretoria.
  2. Sum of the Main Places [http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/461013 Philippolis] and [http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/461014 Poding-Tse-Rolo] from Census 2011.
  3. "Philippolis 1822: The first settlement in the Free State".
  4. (2007). "New History of South Africa". Tafelberg.
  5. Mohamed, Adhikari. (2014). "Genocide on settler frontiers: when hunter-gatherers and commercial stock farmers clash". UCT Press.
  6. Theal, George McCall. (1888). "History of the emigrant Boer in South Africa: Or the wanderings and wars of the emigrant farmers from their leaving cape Colony to the acknowledgement of their independence by Great Britain". Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey & Co..
  7. "Philippolis Old Jail {{!}} Participant {{!}} Open Africa - Do Travel Differently". Code Like Clockwork (Pty) Ltd.
  8. "Philippolis 1822: The first settlement in the Free State".
  9. Marais, Chris. "Philippolis: Free State".
  10. "Philippolis 1822: The first settlement in the Free State".
  11. "Declared sites".

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populated-places-in-the-kopanong-local-municipalitykaroopopulated-places-established-in-18231823-establishments-in-south-africa