Lindley, Free State

Lindley
Lindley  Lindley shown within Free State
Coordinates:
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Thabo Mofutsanyane
Municipality	Nketoana
Established	1875
Area
• Total	23.0 km2 (8.9 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	12,000
• Density	520/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	95.6%
• Coloured	0.3%
• Indian/Asian	0.3%
• White	3.6%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011)
• Sotho	83.6%
• Zulu	6.1%
• Afrikaans	5.1%
• Sign language	2.2%
• Other	3.1%
Postal code (street)	9630
PO box	9630
Area code	058

Lindley is a small town situated on the banks of the Vals River in the eastern region of the Free State province of South Africa. It was established by an American missionary named Daniel Lindley, who was the first ordained minister to the Voortrekkers in Natal.

The settlement of Lindley was laid out in 1875 on the farm Brandhoek and was proclaimed a town in 1878. The main route to the town is the R707. Lindley, together with its neighbouring towns of Reitz, Petrus Steyn and Arlington form the Nketoana Local Municipality.

Famous inhabitants

• Stella Blakemore, popular youth author in Afrikaans, who wrote series such as Maasdorp and Keurboslaan, was born in Lindley in 1906.
• Danie Craven, the famous Springbok Rugby Union player, administrator and coach was born in this town on 11 October 1910.

Tourist attractions

Tourist attractions in Lindley include a British memorial in the local cemetery to British soldiers who died on 31 May 1900 at Yeomanry Hills during the siege of Lindley, prehistoric stone huts of the original inhabitants of the area as well as a miniature replica of the Dutch Reformed Church that was erected in 1928 in memory of those who died during the Second Anglo-Boer War.