Ladysmith today acts as a commercial centre for the large surrounding farming district became the centre of attention during the Anglo Boer War. After it it fell under siege from October 1899 to March 1900.
Set on the banks of the Klip River, and named after: 'Sir Harry Smith’s, Spanish wife'. Ladysmith was established in 1850 and served as a staging-post for fortune hunters on their way to the gold fields in the then Transvaal, and the diamond diggings at Kimberley. Today, it serves as a gateway to the central and Northern Drakensberg, the peaks of which form an elegant backdrop to the town, particularly in winter when a light blanket of snow graces its pinnacles. The siege of Ladysmith placed the British in a precarious position. About 12 000 British soldiers were faced with the defence of a besieged town, whilst the Boers saw this as a strategic move that could topple Great Britain.
The Qedusizi dam, established in 1997, for water storage. Lives up to its name- meaning ‘suffering’; by flooding its banks on an annual basis for some 150 years, lies about 4 kilometres outside of Ladysmith. Whilst the Spioenkop Nature Reserve, 6000 hectares of Reserve is a mere, 35 kilometres from Ladysmith. This dam is just next to the Spioenkop Anglo-Boer War Battle Site and offers the water lover yachting, fishing and water-skiing opportunities!
