| Williston | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Northern Cape#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -31.35°N 75°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Northern Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Namakwa |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Karoo Hoogland |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Party: | ANC |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 77.95 |
| Elevation M: | 1070 |
| Population Total: | 3368 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 83.6% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | White |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 9.4% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 5.6% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 0.8% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.7% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 96.2% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 1.3% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 1.2% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 1.3% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 8920 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 8920 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 053 |
Williston is a town in Northern Cape, South Africa. Town 103 km north-east of Calvinia and 140 km south-west of Carnarvon.
Williston was originally known as Amandelboom (Afrikaans "almond tree") as a large almond tree stood as the focal point of the town by the Sak River. The tree had been planted in 1768 by Johan Abraham Nel, a farmer and owner of the land that was to become the town, to commemorate the birth of one of his sons.[2] In the early 19th century, the district was populated by pastoralists who constantly moved their livestock between springs in search of fresh grazing areas. These pastoralists were derogatorily referred to as 'Basters' as the pastoralists were of mixed race and descendants of the Khoi and Dutch.[2] In 1845, the community requested that the Rhenish Church, which had a mission station in Wuppertal, establish another mission station in Williston. Two missionaries were sent to Williston to assist the community with their spiritual needs. By 1845 a Rhenish mission station was established in the area by Johann Heinrich Lutz.
In the 1860s a population of white nomadic farmers moved into the area. The arrival of the new farmers precipitated the movement of many mixed race community members out of Williston. The mixed race population migrated north across Bushmanland and crossed the Orange River into Namibia to the town of Rohoboth.[3]
Williston grew into a town around the mission station and it was declared a municipality in 1881. The town was formally renamed Williston in 1919 after the British Colonial Secretary of the Cape Colony, Colonel Hampden Willis.[4] The town became an official district in 1926 and the area became known for its sheep farming, which continues to this day.[5] The town often experience droughts and water shortages. A local clergyman, Reverend S Kuhn, used dynamite to blow up the towns central spring near the Sak River in an attempt to increase the flow of water. Unfortunately, all that Reverend Kuhn succeeded in doing was destroying the historic almond tree.
The first Dutch Reformed Church in Williston was built in 1878 while the town was still named 'Amandelboom'. The stone Dutch Reformed Church in the centre of the town was completed in 1912. A primary school teacher, Mr J.H. Swart, who lived in Williston during the 1930s, engaged in a large tree planting project with his students. The tree-lined roads in Williston that remain are evidence of this planting project.[3]
These houses were originally built by pioneer farmers in Williston, Fraserburg and Carnarvon between 1811 and 1815. The Corbel House is regarded as the first architectural style in the northwest Karoo. Corbelled describes the manner in which stones are stacked in the construction of these buildings. The farmers used flat stones, which are common in the area, to build the homes. The floors were made of sand which had been mixed with animal fat and blood. The floor was then polished with a flat stone.[6]
The Williston Winter Festival is an annual regional festival which takes place at the end of winter in September. It celebrates local dance, song and storytelling. Nama Riel dancers perform an ancient celebratory dance in the courtyard of the Williston Mall where the festival is held. The town also offers a Tombstone Route out of Williston which follows the work of Cornelius, a master-carver who engraved gravestones for the people of the Upper Karoo.[7] [8]