Baines, Chapman, Green, Mclune and Ruth,
who's names are entrenched in the exploration of this land are all reported to
have made their way through the settlement at Gobabis. It was now time for
another group of hardy missionaries, the Rhenish, to re-establish the faith and
by 1860 Friedrich Weber had opened a mission and trading station and in 1863 the
first school.
Soon after the colonization of Namibia by the
Imperial Reich in 1884 the Germans established a small garrison at the town.
This encouraged German settlement in the area which was good for cattle
farming. The 1897 outbreak of Rinderpest that brought bankruptcy to so many
was eventually overcome and today Gobabis is the major eastern centre for
the large surrounding farming community.
4 x 4 Trail Enthusiasts Watch
This Space: If you're from the Southern African Region
you'll know about the Dorsland Trek. There is presently a working group of
local tour operators who plan to open up the section of the trail that
travelled through the Omaheke district. This is a challenging route, not
suitable for the 'soft' type of 4x4 vehicle and you'll need the right
equipment even though the route is going to be guided. I'll report back with
further progress on this matter.
