Ladismith

History

In 1852 the farm Elandsvlei was set aside for the town, and it became a municipality in 1862. It was named after Lady Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, the wife of Sir Harry Smith, one of two towns in South Africa named after her, the other being Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal.

Geography

It is situated adjacent to a series of fertile, irrigated valleys, at an elevation of 550 m above sea level, at the southern base of the Swartberg. It is currently included in the southern Kannaland Local Municipality. The nearest towns are Calitzdorp to the east, Vanwyksdorp and Riversdale to the south and Laingsburg to the north.

Most-observed species

• Southern Fiscal

  Lanius collaris Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  187
• Cape Bulbul

  Pycnonotus capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  170
• Cape Sparrow

  Passer melanurus (Statius Muller, 1776) · Aves
  170
• Familiar Chat

  Oenanthe familiaris (Wilkes, 1817) · Aves
  170
• Laughing Dove

  Spilopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  168
• Hadada Ibis

  Bostrychia hagedash (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  162
• Bokmakierie

  Telophorus zeylonus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  161
• Karoo Prinia

  Prinia maculosa (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  161