Area Info - Darling, Western Cape
The "flower village", Darling, is 63km from Cape Town and 25km from Yzerfontein and is within easy reach by road. The farming activities of the district put the village partly in the Swartland, while its wealth of veld flowers make it a West Coast town par excellence. The town is a thriving farming centre concentrating on dairy farming, wheat, grapes, peas, potatoes. There are several industries including a textile factory, a basket weavery, and a clothing factory.
Historical Background
The town lies in that region formerly known as De Groene Kloof (the Green Valley). In 1682, the Dutch East India (VOC) official Oloff Bergh undertook an expedition to the north and his records show him passing through here. By 1853 there were already many farms laid out in the region. The town arose around the Dutch Reformed congregation on the farm Langefontein. The newly-proclaimed village was called Darling, after Sir Charles Henry Darling, who arrived at the Cape in 1851 as Lieutenant Governor. The town gained municipal status in 1955 and since then it has made concerted efforts to make its tourist attractions known to a wider public. In time the town has gained the reputation as something of a botanical centre, thanks to its profusion and variety of wild flowers.