Kan: ರಾಬರ್ಟಸನ್ಪೇಟ್ rābarṭasanpēṭ
‘Robertson Suburb’ Town, Karnataka
From Robertson and Kan: pete, ‘town’, ‘suburb’, ‘market’ [Tam: pēṭṭai].
Robertsonpete was built and designed in 1902 to accommodate the population overspill from the Kolar Gold Fields. Tradesmen servicing the expanding mining operations moved their businesses here.
It was named after Sir Donald Robertson, the British Resident of Mysore and a significant player in the development of the mining town. He was later a director of the John Taylor & Sons mining company.
The Gold Fields were abandoned in 2001 [Article: Once Gold Mine Now A Dust Bowl, The Ruins Of Real Life].
