Ladysmith lies on the banks of the Klip River in the Battlefields Region of KwaZulu Natal. It is approximately halfway between between Johannesburg and Durban. Officially declared a town in 1850, Ladysmith was named after the wife of Sir Harry Smith, Lady Juana Smith.
Today Ladysmith is the commercial centre for the surrounding communities and serves as a gateway to the central and northern parts of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. During winter the snow-capped peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains form an awe-inspiring backdrop to the town.
Ladysmith has an historical past as it was an important transition point for fortune-hunters en-route to the Transvaal gold fields and diamond discoveries at Kimberley and become well known round the world as the site of the 118-day siege.
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