Harding, KwaZulu-Natal

Province

Harding is a town in the municipality in the district of Ugu uMuziwabantu (KwaZulu -Natal, South Africa). It lies in the valley of the river Mzimkulwna the west of the South Coast region of 899 meters. 2011, the town had 9,544 inhabitants. The city is located near Kokstad in the East Griqualand former. The Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve and Port Shepstone are also located in South Coast, but in the eastern part.

The town received its name from Sir Walter Harding, the first presiding judge of Natal. Originally, the city was intended as a military post, after the British had in 1874 taken control of East Griqualand. The abundant natural resources of the region brought a degree of prosperity, so that already in 1882 the first hotel of the city was built. However, the area was still " no man's land ". To secure it, a barracks for 25 mounted police and an accommodation for a district judge had to be built.

The great economic boom brought the Alfred County Railway, a narrow gauge railway that connected from 1917 Harding with the town of Port Shepstone. The economic activities in Harding lie mainly in dairying and cultivation of timber.

Freight transport by rail ended in 2001 through relocation to road transport. To the northern outskirts of Harding runs today the well-developed national road N2. In Harding, there is an airfield with two runways that are 1127 meters and 731 meters long. It is 879 meters above sea level.

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Guy Payn, South African cricketer (1892-1976)
  • Edward Richard Rawlinson (1883-1961)
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