The town of Ladysmith is located on the banks of the Klip River in KwaZulu-Natal Province, 30 km north of Colenso and about 230 km from Durban - and is not to be confused with Ladismith, a farming town in the Klein Karoo area of the Western Cape.
Both Ladysmith and Ladismith were named after Lady Juana Smith, the Spanish wife of the governor of the Cape at the time, Sir Harry Smith. Ladysmith was founded in 1850 in what was then called Natal, whereas Ladismith was founded in 1852 in what was then the Cape.
Today the town of Ladysmith is a commercial centre for the surrounding communities and a natural gateway to the central and northern Drakensberg Mountains. During winter the mountain peaks are covered in snow which provides an awe-inspiring backdrop.
The Spioenkop Dam Nature Reserve is 35 km from Ladysmith. There are white rhino, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, a wide variety of antelope and ...
Ladysmith today acts as a commercial centre for the large surrounding farming district. This little city is probably best known as the home ...
The story of the siege is depicted in Ladysmith’s Siege Museum - well worth visiting. From Platrand/Wagon Hill, a battle site at which the...