The flower town was founded together with a new Dutch Reformed pasish on the farm Langefontein (long fountain) in 1853.  The original name of Groene Kloof (green gorge) was later changed to Darling in honour of Sir Charles Darling, lieutenant-governor of the Cape Colony.

Teh district is famous for its wealth of wild spring flowers (more than 1000 species), dairy products, wheat, lupins, wine and wool.  Manufacturing enterprises in the town include textile, clothing and basket factories.

* The Tienie Versfeld Wild Flower Reserve, on the road to Yzerfontein, has been developed on a 20ha portion of the farm Slangkop donated by Mr Versfeld to the National Botanic Gardens in 1957.  Designed to conserve the typical vegetation of the Sandveld, the reserve is known especially for its variety of bulbous plants.

* The largest orchid nursery in the country is on the farm Oudepost where millions of blooms are produced for the local and export market.

* The museum in the old town hall, built in 1899, includes the original butter museum with exhibits to show how the famous Darling butter was first made.

* An obelisk 6km north of the town on the farm Kraalbosdam commemorates Field-Cornet C P Hillebrand from Lichtenburg, Transvaal, killed here on 12 November 1901 during the southernmost raid carried out by Boer commandos under Gen Manie Maritz during the Anglo-Boer War.

* In front of the civic centre there is an old cannon which was first installed on Klipberg (rock mountain) in 1734 and fired to warn the community of imminent danger and to signal the arrival of ships in Table Bay.

Accommodation in and around Darling