Bloemhof is an agricultural town situated on the banks of the Vaal River in the North West Province of South Africa, not far from Christiana.
The town falls under Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality of the North West Province.
History
It was founded in August 1864 when diamonds were discovered in the area. The town was established on the farm owned by John Barclay, who survived the shipwreck of HMS Birkenhead in 1852.
There are two theories about the origin of this town’s name.
The first theory is that the town became known as Bloemhof (flower court) because of the lovely gardens that were planted by Barclay’s daughter.
The second theory is that like Bloemfontein, the town was named after Jan Bloem II (also known as Blumtseb or !Xāskx’aob) who was the right hand to the chief of the ǀŨdiǁʼais (Springbok clan) of the !Orakuana (“Korana”) nation.
Bloemhof is home to a township called Boitumelong and former coloured residence called Coverdale. Salamat is also a small residence, formerly an Indian suburb, which is situated in this town.