Anna Aletta van Biljon Fourie, c4d1 - George town did not exist in 1784

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George town did not exist in 1784

The settlement that was to become George was established as a result of the growing demand for timber and the wood used in building, transport and furniture. In 1777 the Dutch East India Company established an outpost for the provision of timber;[4] its location is thought to be near the western end of York Street. The Timber Post had its own Poshouer (manager), some 12 woodcutters, a blacksmith and a wagon maker with their families, as well as 200 oxen. After 1795 and the British occupation of the Cape, a caretaker of the forests in the area was appointed. After the second British occupation in 1806, it was decided that the Swellendam magistracy was too large and needed to be sub-divided. George was chosen because of the availability of good water.[citation needed]

In 1811 George was declared a separate district and Adrian van Kervel was appointed the first Landrost (magistrate) and the town was proclaimed by the Earl of Caledon, governor of the Cape Colony on St George's Day, 23 April 1811, and named after the reigning British monarch, King George III.[5][6] The town's main street, York Street, was named after King George's second son Prince Frederick, Duke of York.[7]

One of Van Kervel's first acts as Landrost (Mayor), was to dig a furrow to supply the first thirty six plots in George with water. An 1819 map shows the original furrows and storage dam where they remain to this day in the Garden Route Botanical Garden. The first Furrow originated from the Rooirivier (Red river) and later a diversionary weir was built in the Camphersdrift River. George gained municipal status on 24 March 1837.[4][6]