
Annual
Loerie Naartjie Festival
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Nowadays known for the narrow gauge steam train from Port
Elizabeth to Loerie and the Naartjie Festival in September,
Loerie also has an interesting history.
Early
Settlers were in the area as early as 1745 and the first
farms were awarded in 1817. Floods, droughts and
the big fire of 1869 took their toll on the pioneers
of the area, but the community expanded rapidly and
the first school was opened in 1890. The first
bridge across the Gamtoos river opened up the area and
eased the lives of the farmers considerably.
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