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Robertson is located in the fertile Breede River Valley -- also known as the valley of wine and roses. It's a safe, charming country town with Victorian buildings, jacaranda-lined streets and beautiful gardens, and forms part of the Route 62 tourist route.
It was founded in 1853 and named after a minister of the Scottish Dutch Reformed Church Minister, Dr William Robertson.
The town's original industries were farming and wagon building were the town's original industries. After the second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, the wagon building industry collapsed when the railways took over the transport of all goods.
Robertson subsequently became famous for its ostrich farming, but that collapsed as well shortly after World War I and farmers turned to wine and fruit farming. Later, several successful racehorse stud farms were founded. Agriculture remains the mainstay of the town's economy up to the present day.
Tourism has also grown in recent years and the town has several South African National Monuments, such as the Pink Church (1859), the Museum (1860), the Edwardian-style house 12 Piet Retief Street (1904), the Victorian-style house 59 Van Reeneen Street (1914) and the Powder House (which used as a storage for gunpowder).
The wine industry in Robertson has grown from less than 25 cellars in 1995 to more than 50 registered wine cellars today.
Related content: accommodation in & around Robertson
