Battle of Gwadana Memorial

Gwadana is the name of a hill where a battle between the Gcaleka and the Colony took place. At the time, the area between Butterworth and Idutywa was known as Galekaland. The war between the Colony and the Gcaleka opened with a humiliating defeat for the Colony.
On 26 September 1877, a colonial patrol, led by Inspector Chalmers, came across Gcaleka raiding Mfengu homesteads at Gwadana. The force of troopers from the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police (FAMP) and Mfengu intervened in support of the Mfengu. However, the colonial force was forced to retreat after the gun carriage of their artillery piece broke and they were overwhelmed by a determined force of the Gcaleka. Six police troopers were killed in the battle.