mers ▁moved ▁season ally ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁across ▁the ▁Orange ▁River ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁better ▁gra zing . ▁An ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁Raw stone ▁map ▁shows ▁the ▁V lu yt j esk ra al ▁farm , ▁on ▁which ▁O ran ia ▁would ▁later ▁be ▁built . ▁The ▁first ▁known ▁inhab it ant ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁today ▁O ran ia ▁was ▁Ste phan us ▁O ck ert ▁V erme ulen , ▁who ▁purchased ▁the ▁farm ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁Department ▁of ▁Water ▁Affairs ▁established ▁the ▁town ▁as ▁V lu yt j esk ra al ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁to ▁house ▁the ▁workers ▁who ▁were ▁building ▁the ▁ir rig ation ▁can als ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁V ander k lo of ▁Dam . ▁It ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁bigger ▁scheme ▁to ▁bring ▁water ▁to ▁the ▁semi - des ert ▁central ▁parts ▁of ▁South ▁Africa . ▁Other ▁compar able ▁construction ▁towns ▁like ▁V ander k lo of ▁and ▁O v ist on ▁were ▁also ▁established . ▁Its ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁O ran ia , ▁a ▁variation ▁of ▁the ▁A frika ans ▁word ▁or anje , ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁ad jo ining ▁river , ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁chosen ▁in ▁a ▁competition . ▁By ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁it ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁ 5 6 ▁families . ▁Col oured ▁workers ▁who ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁project ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁separate ▁area ▁named ▁G root ge wa ag d . ▁The ▁first ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁completed