Estcourt

Province

Estcourt is a town in the South African province of KwaZulu -Natal. It is located in the municipality in the district Umtshezi Uthukela. Estcourt is a medium-sized town and had 2011 22.071 inhabitants. The town was founded as a fort to guard a ford across the Bushman River.

Geography

Estcourt is situated at the confluence of the Bushman River and the Little Bushman River. The main railway line from Durban to Johannesburg takes you past the city. The distance to Durban is about 160 kilometers. Until the railway crossing on the Tugela it is 25 kilometers to the north. The N3 leads past the city. The city lies at an altitude of 1196 meters above sea level surrounded by the hilly landscape that characterizes the Midlands. The Drakensberg Mountains are located about 40 kilometers west of Estcourt.

The average rainfall in Estcourt is 589 millimeters. Most precipitation falls in the summer (November to March). The lowest amount of rainfall are available with 1 millimeter in June. Most precipitation falls in January (107 mm). The average high temperature in Estcourt varies from 18.7 ° C in June to 26.4 ° C in January. The coldest month is June. Here are the minimum average night at 1.7 ° C.

History

The earliest known inhabitants of the region around Estcourt were the San, a people of hunters and gatherers. They were from Bantu peoples, the shepherds were expelled. An important role was played by the Zulus, a tribe, who developed an identity as a separate nation in the early 18th century. The San retreated to the foothills of the Drakensberg. In the early 19th century, the Zulu King Shaka built his empire on ( Mfecane ). Therefore, the country seemed almost uninhabited when the first white settlers arrived in the region around Estcourt.

The Estcourt fort was built to protect the ford and the goods and livestock transport. It was occupied in 1847 for the first time. Around the fort, a trading post, blacksmith shop and an inn were built. 1863, the place Estcourt was called, in honor of the British Parliament member Thomas Estcourt, who supported the immigration of settlers in the area financially.