Historical

UPDATED: 31/03/2020 31 March 1905, Pioneer cemetery closes officially. 31 March 1932, De Beers closes all their Kimberley mines as a result of the Depression. 31 March 1985, De Beers closes the popular Dog Show, a tourist attraction for over ...

30 March 1892, William Shilling of Shilling Bottles fame, dies. WILLIAM SHILLING OF SHILLING BOTTLES Collectors of old bottles, as well as many elder residents of Kimberley and surrounds, recall the Shilling bottles, the glass bottles with the “marble” in ...

27 March 1902, Flags fly at half-mast in respect of the late Cecil John Rhodes. Pictured is the Death Mask of Cecil Rhodes, believed to made by the sculptor John Tweed. This original mask was stolen from the cottage at ...

UPDATED: 26/03/2020 26 March 1902, Cecil Rhodes, aged 49 years, dies in Muizenburg. 26 March 1905, St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church foundation stone laid. 26 March 1930, First “Talkie” movie in Kimberley. 26 March 1969, Kimberley’s main public swimming pool, named after ...

25 MARCH 1885, Reverend J.D. Kestell (pictured) becomes the minister for the Dutch Reformed Newton congregation. 25 MARCH 1898, Cecil Rhodes presents his portrait by Herkomer to the Kimberley Club. 25 MARCH 1908, De Beers Rugby Football Club takeover the ...

UPDATED: 24/03/2020 24 March 1881, Orange River in flood, pont not working. 24 March 1883, Gladstone cemetery (pictured) opens. 24 March 1894, CW Jones of Kimberley wins the 100 yds in 10.1 secs to be Champion of South Africa. HISTORICAL ...

UPDATED: 23/03/2020 23 March 1872, First game of cricket in Kimberley when Natalians beat Port Elizaberthans. 23 March 1876, Dedication of the “new” Freemasons Hall in Dutoitspan Road. 23 March 1878, First issue of the Diamond Fields Advertiser, Kimberley’s newspaper. ...

UPDATED: 20/03/2020 20 March 1946, Famous author Henry Vollam Morton visits Kimberley while working on his forthcoming book In Search of South Africa. 20 March 1964, CBC pupil Sean Michael Cleary is the Northern Cape winner of the “Shakespeare” contest ...

UPDATED: 19/03/2020 19 March 1869, Star of South Africa diamond (pictured) arrives in Hopetown. 19 March 1889, Author Sarah Gertrude Millin (nee Liebson) born in Lithuania. 83.5 CARAT DIAMOND STARTS THE DIAMOND RUSH The Star of South Africa, also known ...

18 March 1894, SA cricketer “Doodles” Tapscott (pictured) born. 18 March 1899, Seventh Session of the Cape Colony Mayoral Conference ends. “DOODLES” THE BEST FIELDER IN SOUTH AFRICA “Doodles” Tapscott (pictured) is one of those rare breeds of South African ...