It is said, with much good evidence, that behind every successful man there is a resolute woman. In South Africa this has often proven to be the case, and various places are named for, or after, these ladies (Ladysmith, Ladismith, Graaff-Reinet and Die Land van Waveren Valley, to name a few).
While Clarens is well known as the chic place to head for in the Eastern Highlands, Ladybrand is a lovely old town. With its dressed-sandstone buildings, it is more of a dorp in the old-fashioned sense. There are not too many SUVs (vehicles) around, but there are lots of honest-to-goodness farmers’ bakkies. Ladybrand nestles in a basin, enfolded by the sandstone arms of the Platberg.
It was founded as a frontier town - in fact as stabling for the commandos' horses - of the old Orange Free State Republic, back in 1867. The town was named after President Brand's mother, Lady Catherina Frederica. This small agricultural town is located in the Free State province of South Africa, situated 18 km from Maseru, the capital of Lesotho.
Archaeological Sites
Ladybrand is believed to have been man's stomping ground for tens of thousands of years, where the likes of Rose Cottage Cave, a Middle Paleolithic cave on the Platberg, roughly 3 km east of Ladybrand, dates back more than 50 000 years. This is also one of the prime rock art regions where the San left thousands of rock paintings.
Tandjiesberg is home to many of the San’s rock art. There are some 300 rock art and other archaeological sites near Ladybrand, including the fossilised footprint of a 'dinosaur' (more correctly a Karoo mammal-like reptile, at least three times older than any upstart dinosaur).
By David Bristow