By the time of their migration, slavery had long been abolished in both South Africa and Argentina, and the Boer settlers established predominantly European communities.

[1] The settlement began on 4 June 1902, with Afrikaners primarily establishing themselves in the Chubut Province of southern Argentina, particularly in the town of Sarmiento.

[5] To migrate to the Argentine Patagonia region, the settlers sent two representatives to Comodoro Rivadavia (Louis Baumann and Camillo Ricchiardi), Chubut Province, to manage the establishment of the new colony.

[6] They came on British cargo ships with bullock carts (ox wagons) and the national government provided them mules and tents.

The distribution of land was authorized by then President Julio Argentino Roca and the Minister of Agriculture, Wenceslao Escalante, who was honoured with the name of the colony and, later, the department where it is located.