What Sutherland Has to Offer
SALT
The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is home to SALT, the largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere.
Inspired by the Hobby-Eberly Telescope in Texas, it features an 11-meter-wide primary hexagonal mirror made up of 91 individual hexagonal mirrors, each measuring one meter across and weighing about 100 kg. This remarkable instrument can detect the light of a single candle on the moon, but its primary purpose is to explore deep space—observing the birth and death of planets, gazing into distant galaxies, and recording the scale and age of stars, galaxies, and quasars billions of light-years away.
Places of Interest
Sutherland is a place where architectural heritage and cultural inspiration converge. Early pioneers used the region’s distinctive grey stone to craft everything from dry-packed stone walls to grand structures built with large, dressed blocks set in pointed mortar, leaving behind a legacy of rugged beauty. This same stark landscape has long inspired writers and artists, including notable Afrikaans poets from the Von Moltke Louw and Esterhuyse families, such as DC Esterhuyse and NP van Wyk Louw. The serenity and remoteness of the Karoo continue to shape the creative spirit of Sutherland.
The Louw Huis Museum
If you’re interested in Afrikaans literature, visit the birthplace of NP van Wyk Louw and his brother WEG Louw, both renowned Afrikaans poets. NP, born on 11 June 1906, saw Afrikaans as a bridge between Europe and Africa. He passed away on 18 June 1970 at age 64. The Louw Huis Museum showcases artefacts, letters, and photographs of Sutherland’s famous families, the Louws and Esterhuyses, including poets DC Esterhuyse, NP van Wyk Louw, and WEG Louw. It also honors locals like civil engineer Sir Henry Olivier. Currently under construction, the museum will reopen soon.
Explore Nature and the Stars in Sutherland
Rogge Cloof Bio-nature Game Reserve offers unforgettable experiences, including cheetah and game drives, wine and gin tastings, and guided hikes of the Salpeterkop Volcano, the last active volcano in Africa. Book your visit at Rogge Cloof at their reception please. For stargazers, the South African Astronomical Observatory provides night tours using 14” and 16” telescopes, with optimal viewing during low moon phases.
Day tours showcase the impressive Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). Online bookings are essential for both activities.
In and Around Sutherland
The beginning of Sutherland in the Roggeveld
Sutherland lies at the heart of the Roggeveld region, named for the naturally occurring wild rye grass (Secale Africanum). Early scouts recognized its potential for sheep farming, prompting pioneer farmers to traverse the awe-inspiring landscape and formidable mountain ranges to settle here.
In the 1700s and early 1800s, after the arrival of the first white pioneers, the Dutch East India Company provided capital to establish farms across the vast land. These farms, bearing Dutch names like Uitkyk, De Guns Fonteyn, Klipfontein, De Knolle Fonteyn (Kanolfontein), De Jakkalsfontein, De List, and Cylenberg, are now part of the region’s history. Despite conflicts with the local KhoiSan populations, the settlers remained.
They were associated with the Worcester district, overseen in matters of religious welfare by Dominee Henry Sutherland. Eventually, the Dutch Reformed Church purchased De List farm to serve the local community, holding its first advisory meeting in 1855 as the “Middel en Kleinroggeveldsche Gemeente” (Middle and Small Roggeveld Congregation).
That year marked significant progress for the community. Previously under Fraserburg’s jurisdiction, they built a large stone jail, planned a hospital, and began steps toward self-governance. In 1857, the Worcester Municipal Council directed that De List farm be divided into 50 properties for sale, creating a church town named after Dominee Sutherland.
In 1858, the cornerstone of the first church was laid, and by November, the first properties were auctioned, officially marking Sutherland on the map.