| Pearston | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -32.5817°N 25.1378°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Eastern Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Sarah Baartman |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Blue Crane Route |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1859 |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 32.8 |
| Population Total: | 4516 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 37.4% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 59.3% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.6% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 1.9% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.8% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 67.6% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 27.9% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 2.5% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 2.0% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 5860 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 5860 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 042 |
Pearston is a small town in the eastern Karoo, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It lies between Graaff-Reinet and Somerset East at the foot of the Coetzeesberge, about 160km (100miles) north of Port Elizabeth. It falls within the Blue Crane Route Local Municipality and has a population of approximately 4,500 people.
In 1850 John Pears, the minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in the town of Somerset (now Somerset East) began holding services in the open under a large pear tree on the farm Rustenburg, then the property of Mr Casparus Jacobus Lötter, on the bank of the Voël River.[2] [3] In 1858 the church announced its intention to establish a village named Pearston on that location. A portion of the farm was purchased and lots sold, and the village was officially founded on 21 September 1859. It became a town with municipal government on 3 April 1894.
Pearston falls within the Blue Crane Route Local Municipality, which has its seat at Somerset East, and forms part of the larger Cacadu District Municipality. It is located in the fourth ward of the municipality, which is represented by Councillor Mncedi Mali of the African National Congress.[4]
Pearston is located about 160km (100miles) north of Port Elizabeth, on the banks of the Voël River. It is situated at an altitude of 710m (2,330feet) on the Camdeboo plain. The Coetzeesberge, a spur of the Sneeuberge (a mountain), lie to the north, and the Groot-Bruintjieshoogte lie to the east. Pearston is the meeting point of two regional roads: the R63 from Graaff-Reinet to Somerset East and Cookhouse, and the R337 from Jansenville to Cradock.
According to the 2011 Census 3,435 people live in Pearston proper,[5] and a further 1,081 live in the adjacent township of Khayanisho,[6] giving the urban area a total population of 4,516. 56.9% of the people described themselves as "Coloured", 39.3% as "Black African", 3.5% as "White" and 0.3% as "Indian or Asian". 64.2% of the people spoke Afrikaans as their first language, while 35.4% spoke Xhosa and 0.4% spoke English.