| Richmond | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Northern Cape#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -31.4133°N 23.9467°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Northern Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pixley ka Seme |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Ubuntu |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1843[1] |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 83.1 |
| Population Total: | 5122 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 32.6% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 62.9% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.6% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 2.9% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.9% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 72.2% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 21.8% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 2.3% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 3.6% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 7090 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 7090 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
Richmond is a town in the central Karoo region of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It is situated on the main N1 route.
The town was established in 1843 in South Africa's inland plateau.[3] It was founded to meet the religious needs of a growing farming community, but unlike most Karoo towns the church was not built as the physical focal point of the village; rather, the centrepiece is the village square. Unusually for this arid region, it was built astride a river which has been cited as the reason for the irregular street grid.[4] The town has a substantial number of well-preserved houses and public buildings of Victorian and Edwardian Karoo style, with additions of verandahs dating from the 1920s. The Dutch Reformed Church building, the spiritual if not the physical centre around which the town evolved, dates from 1847, with a tower completed in 1909. It celebrated a centenary in 2009.
The naming of the town originated in the desire of the townsfolk to honour the new Governor of the Cape, Sir Peregrine Maitland, who took office in 1844. Maitland declined, however, suggesting instead that it be named after his father-in-law, the Duke of Richmond. It was officially named Richmond in October 1845.[4] It was a resort town for European aristocratic patients of lung diseases such as whooping cough and tuberculosis in the 1800s due to its clean air and mineral rich waters.
Richmond achieves renown in the first decade of the twenty-first century as a Book Town, hosting an annual book festival[6] known as Bookbedonnerd
Richmond is also being placed on the visual arts map, by a project called "modern arts projects south- africa".[7]