*** Welcome to piglix ***

Cookhouse

Cookhouse
Kookhuis
Cookhouse station sign
Cookhouse station sign
Cookhouse is located in Eastern Cape
Cookhouse
Cookhouse
Cookhouse is located in South Africa
Cookhouse
Cookhouse
Cookhouse is located in Africa
Cookhouse
Cookhouse
 Cookhouse shown within Eastern Cape
Coordinates: 32°44′43″S 25°48′17″E / 32.74528°S 25.80472°E / -32.74528; 25.80472Coordinates: 32°44′43″S 25°48′17″E / 32.74528°S 25.80472°E / -32.74528; 25.80472
Country South Africa
Province Eastern Cape
District Sarah Baartman
Municipality Blue Crane Route
Government
 • Type Ward 01
 • Councillor Ntombentsha Glenda Mjikelo (ANC)
Area
 • Total 50.98 km2 (19.68 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 5,707
 • Density 110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African 80.7%
 • Coloured 16.0%
 • Indian/Asian 0.2%
 • White 2.8%
 • Other 0.4%
First languages (2011)
 • Xhosa 75.4%
 • Afrikaans 19.7%
 • English 2.5%
 • Other 2.4%
Postal code (street) 5820
PO box 5820
Area code 042

Cookhouse (Afrikaans: Kookhuis) is a small village located in Eastern Cape province, South Africa, some 170 kilometres (110 mi) north of Port Elizabeth and 24 kilometres (15 mi) east of Somerset East, on the west bank of the Great Fish River.

The Great Fish River formed the eastern boundary of the Cape Colony until 1819. The current village is said to take its name from a small stone house used for shelter and cooking by troops camping on the bank of this river. Another explanation links the name to the hot climate as experienced by the troops stationed there. In the 1870s, the government of Prime Minister John Molteno oversaw a massive expansion of the Cape Colony's railway system, and a route northwards to De Aar from Port Elizabeth and Port Alfred was chosen by the Cape Government Railways to pass through what is now Cookhouse. A station was built here, which became an important railway junction, and a small settlement formed around this connection.


...
Wikipedia

...