Sutherland case study
Abstract
Van Rooyen, D (2007), Sutherland case study. Unpublished report, Centre for Development Studies, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein.
BACKGROUND
Sutherland is famous for its cold climate. Sutherland gets frost on an average of 88 nights every year with an average minimum temperature of 3oC and a maximum of 20oC (Karoo Hoogland, 2004).
Sutherland originated on the farm De List and was named after Rev. Henry Sutherland, who annually came to the Roggeveld from Worcester for church services. In 1855 it was decided to establish a congregation here (Sutherland Tourism, 2006). On 8 November 1858, 30 of 50 plots were sold. The very first farm, Uitkyk, was set out by the government as far back as 1746 for farmer Geele van der Walt, the father of the famous Commander Tjaart van der Walt. The farmers had many sheep and the only way to look after them was on horseback. Due to the extreme cold and harsh conditions, a strong bloodline horse was needed. The Arabic horses seemed to cope well with these conditions. Today, farmer Piet Frick is carrying on in this tradition and has 33 mares for breeding (Sutherland Info, 2003).