The village was established in 1855 when the Dutch Reformed Church purchased a piece of land that was originally farmed on by Andries Gous since 1725. The origin of the name of the village is disputed. A certain resident of the village, Inis Bower, claims that the village was named after a certain "Meneer Vermaak" who was a prominent farmer in the area during the 19th century. Others, however, believe that the name
Vermaaklikheid, meaning
entertainment in
Afrikaans and
Dutch, was derived from the occasional gathering of farmers on the bank of the river to "vermaak" or to relax and enjoy themselves. ==References==