Riversdale

The town is home to the second largest collection of Thomas Bowler paintings within South Africa and is also the only town in the country, in which you would find a Ukrainian Museum of Culture. Riversdale links with the Klein Karoo, via the tarred Garcia's Mountain Pass, which offers traditional Karoo landscapes and wide open spaces for motorcyclists. The Old Jail dates back to the 1800s, and is one of the most visited tourist facilities in town. The Bali Trading Complex is arguably one of the most visited facilities along all of the N2. The Riversdal Landbouskou (agricultural show) is a popular agricultural festival, taking place annually in February. Riversdale as a popular tourist town, has many coffee shops, restaurants, accommodation facilities and traveller experiences like wineries, horse riding and fishing at the Korentepoort Dam Resort.

• Name — Riversdale • Settlement Type — Town • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — South Africa • Subdivision Type1 — Province • Subdivision Name1 — Western Cape • Subdivision Type2 — District • Subdivision Name2 — Garden Route • Subdivision Type3 — Municipality • Subdivision Name3 — Hessequa • Subdivision Type4 — Main Place • Established Title — Established • Established Date — 1838 • Leader Party — DA • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Grant Riddles • Area Total Km2 — 100.45 • Elevation M — 110 • Population Total — 16176 • Population As Of — 2011 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Demographics Type1 — Racial makeup (2011) • Demographics1 Title1 — Black African • Demographics1 Info1 — 8.9% • Demographics1 Title2 — Coloured • Demographics1 Info2 — 75.2% • Demographics1 Title3 — Indian/Asian • Demographics1 Info3 — 0.3% • Demographics1 Title4 — White • Demographics1 Info4 — 15.3% • Demographics1 Title5 — Other • Demographics1 Info5 — 0.3% • Demographics Type2 — First languages (2011) • Demographics2 Title1 — Afrikaans • Demographics2 Info1 — 92.3% • Demographics2 Title2 — Xhosa • Demographics2 Info2 — 3.7% • Demographics2 Title3 — English • Demographics2 Info3 — 2.2% • Demographics2 Title5 — Other • Demographics2 Info5 — 1.8% • Timezone1 — SAST • Utc Offset1 — +2 • Postal Code Type — Postal code (street) • Postal Code — 6670 • Postal2 Code Type — PO box • Postal2 Code — 6670 • Area Code Type — Area code • Area Code — 028

The town was founded as a church on the farm, Doornkraal, and was subsequently named after Harry Rivers, the then incumbent Civil Commissioner of Swellendam. It was proclaimed a town on 30 August 1838. Riverdale is the seat of the Hessequa Local Municipality. It is also sometimes considered the westernmost point in the Garden Route region.

• Willem Botha, singer • Dyan Buis, Paralympic athlete • Dalene Matthee (13 October 1938 – 20 February 2005), writer who matriculated here at Hoërskool Langenhoven • Dr Cecil Moss, Springbok rugby player and coach • Jack Simons, academic and anti-apartheid activist • Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk (20 August 1853 Riversdale – 22 January 1936 Riversdale), painter noted for his majestic landscapes of the Langeberg Range in the Western Cape Province • Vera Volschenk (1899-1987), painter born in 1899; eldest of nine daughters of Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk