Natural & Cultural History
The park was proclaimed on 29 June 2002 for the purpose of conserving the rich diversity of succulent plants.
Namaqua National Park is in the process of development, having grown to its current size of 141,000ha (including the coastal contract area between the Groen and Spoeg rivers) in nine years, thus expanding the park to include more succulent habitats and an important coastal section.
History of Establishment
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1988 | WWF-SA purchases a section of the farm Skilpad and start managing it as a wildflower reserve. |
| 1998 | SANParks take over the management of the Skilpad Wildflower Reserve and surrounding farms that had been purchased. |
| 1999 | Official opening of the Namaqua National Park. |
| 2000 | Working for Water project begins. August 2000 official start of GEF project. |
| 2001 | Construction and refurbishments of infrastructure at the Skilpad Section of the Park begins. |
| 2002 | Official proclamation of the land that now formed the Namaqua National Park. |
| 2002 | GEF social ecology projects get under way. |
| 2002 | The first RARE Environmental Education Campaign in Africa begins in the Namaqua National Park. |
| 2003 | Land consolidation reaches 72 000ha |
| 2004 | Work begins on proposed corridor to coast |
| 2005 | Land acquisitions ongoing to consolidate corridor negotiations with De Beers Namaqualand Mines ongoing |
| 2008 | Contractual inclusion of the Groen-Spoeg River section as part of Namaqua National Park |
Cultural History
The cultural history of Namaqualand stretches back hundreds of thousands of years. Hand axes, presumably made by humans Homo erectus, have been found in the park. The San (a hunter-gatherer people) inhabited the region for thousands of years, moving seasonally after game, edible plants and water. Evidence of hunter-gatherers and herders is dotted all over Namaqualand along the Gariep River, along the coast, in caves and on the rocky outcrops. The descendants of the herder people are still living in Namaqualand today, although having lost a great deal of their original culture and traditions. During colonial times, in the 1700’s, the Europeans moved in and settled as stock farmers. Technology became part of the Namaqualand cultural landscape in the form of copper and diamond mining.