Battle of Elands River
The town of Tarkastad stands as a bridge between the Eastern Cape and the Karoo. It is an attractive little place in the Winterberg Mountains, and is surrounded by beautiful Karoo hills. The name of the town is believed to mean “women” from the Khoikhoi word “tarka”.
Tarkastad was established in 1862 as a christain church centre for the nearby farmers. It became a municipality two years later in 1864, and the battle of Elands River was fought in 1901 during the Second Boer War. The grave of Lt. Sheridan, cousin of Winston Churchill, who was killed in the Battle of Elands River, can be found on the Modderfontein Farm just outside of the town.
The town also has a few San rock paintings on nearby farms, such as Modderfontein and Grootvlei, which has received quite a bit of attention from tourists.