For many years Odendaalsrus was one of the most isolated towns in the Free State. It was founded in 1899 as a church centre and was named after Jesaja Odendaal who owned the farm on which it was established.
For many years Odendaalsrus was one of the most isolated towns in the Free State. It was founded in 1899 as a church centre and was named after Jesaja Odendaal who owned the farm on which it was established. By 1946 Odendaalsrus had grown into a town of 40 houses, 3 shops and a hotel.
Then that same year a diamond drill probed down the Geduld borehole and produced a core revealing huge amounts of gold. Within days a flood of fortune seekers descended on Odendaalsrus and its name featured in newspaper headlines all over the world. Today, Odendaalsrus is a modern town and a mining centre for the rich mines in the surrounding areas
