Sutherland - South African Large Telescope

In the heart of the Karoo, in die western Roggeveld Mountains, lies the small town of Sutherland.

With a population of less than 3000, this rural little town in the Northern Cape will steal the heart of anyone who visits.

Sutherland was founded in 1723 as a church and market town to serve the area’s sheep farmers. Over the next 150 years, little further development took place, and by 1872, only 138 registered citizens were living there.

The Karoo town does feature in South African history as a place where British and Boer forces clashed. The church, which was built in 1899, was used as a fort by British soldiers years later in the Anglo Boer War.

The ruins of a fort can still be found on Rebelskop on the outskirts of town. The structure was named after a battle in which 250 Boer commandos attacked the British garrison for 10 hours.

But Sutherland is now more famous for two other reasons: First, it is considered the coldest town in the country, with an average yearly temperature of 11.3°C, and an average annual minimum temperature of 2.8°C.