At the
end of the Anglo-Boer War the then government of Lord Milner decided to
establish as an irrigation farming scheme for unemployed British soldiers
returning from the war. Though this scheme was as not as successful as expected
it paved way for the development of a
small farmers township which in turn depicted the birth of White River. This
town had two other names in its short history, all meaning the same thing but in
different languages. It was known as Mhloppemanzi by its African name ; its
Afrikaans name was Wit Rivier. The name White River refers to the colour of the
water in the near by river which has a milky appearance caused by the high presence
of Kaolin.
The Transvaal Land Department surveyed the valley in 1904 under orders from Lord Milner, who thought it would be a good idea to establish an agricultural settlement in the area. A weir was built over the White River, and a canal constructed. A hundred plots of land were offered up for sale, and a village planned.
A number of Ex-servicemen from the Boer-War attempted citrus farming in this settlement, which would become known as White River. Like many of the Lowveld settlers before them, they sooned experienced the harsh conditions of the region. The new farmers were beaten down by disease, drought, and insects. Despite his best attempts, the Estates Manager, Thomas Holman Lawrence, who had originally come from the Barberton district, was unable to prevent the farmers from leaving. By 1911 a Scot by the name of McDonald was the only remaining member of this development.
It was at this time that five men from the vicinity, who were on a hunting expedition, decided to bid for this failed settlement. Henry Glynn, Clem Merriman, Colonel William Barnard, Reverend Ponsonby and Exley Millar all decided to form a syndicate to raise the necessary capital. Their offer of
£10000 for 10000 acres was accepted, and from this White River Estates was established. In 1916 White River Estates became a private company with capital having grown to
£30000, but the First World War temporarily delayed development, which resumed in 1919.
The first wattle-and-daub homes were built and citrus was planted. The village of White River consisted of a cottage, the Magistrates residence, an outspan on the site of where the Dutch Reformed Church is today, the White River Hotel, a police station and stables, and the Magisrates court. All of these were connected by a single main street. There were no cars at the time and transport consisted of mule wagon, donkey cart, or horseback. Horses had to be "salted", or made immune to horse sickness.
Citrus farming became the main source of
activity in the region. In 1924, it became apparent that the citrus farmers needed
to form some organisation to represent the industry. The White River Fruitgrowers' Co-operative Company was
established and the first citrus crop was packed in 1925. By 1926 the
railway line from Nelspruit was extended to White River, and allowed for the export of citrus.
(Source: White River Remembered, Claire Nevill)
The
township spread over an 8 km circumference and presently accommodates about 2500
farmers who live in small holdings. They concentrate mainly in the cultivation
of Vegetables, sub-tropical and tropical fruits , flowers and timber.
The
streets shaded with flowering trees adds more glamour to the town in addition to
beauty spots in the vicinity of three irrigation dams, sites offering impressive
view of the Crocodile River Valley. Another extra ordinary attraction is the
Butterfly Garden well nursed and managed which literally takes the visitor into
a fairyland of beautiful butterflies, flying around and feeding on flowers
planted exclusively for them. A petting zoo next to the garden with herbs that
attracts bees and butterflies, is a real amusement for the children.
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