Maclear was founded in 1876 as a military camp, called
Nqanqaru Drift and developed rapidly, reaching municipal status in 1916. It was named after Sir
Thomas Maclear (1794–1879), a famous astronomer who laid the foundation for a trigonometrical survey of the
Cape Colony. In 2021, the town was renamed Nqanqarhu.{{Cite web |title=Port Elizabeth is now Gqeberha – and other name changes for towns and airports in South Africa |website=Business Tech ==Tourism==