Historical

UPDATED: 29/06/2020 29 June 1882, A 120 carat diamond and a 78 carat diamond found in the Elma Mining Company claims in the De Beers mine. Elma Mining Company and Thomas Shiels The Elma Mining Company, one of myriad such ...

UPDATED: 26/06/2020 26 June 1884, Neville Pickering falls out of a horse trap and is injured. 26 June 1940, German internees arrive at Andalusia. The internment camps at Andalusia and Ganspan The Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme – an idea of Rhodes’ in ...

UPDATED: 25/06/2020 25 June 1876, Kimberley blanketed in 12 inches of snow. 25 June 1882, Five miners killed in an explosion at the KCBM Co claims in the Big Hole. 25 June 1900, Dr Leander Starr Jameson (pictured) elected MLA ...

24 June 1901, Cecil Rhodes pays his last visit to the town where he made his fortune. DID YOU KNOW Cecil Rhodes’ last visit to Kimberley was when passing through from Bulawayo to Cape Town, his special train arriving on ...

UPDATED: 23/06/2020 23 June 1891, South African Teachers Association meets in Kimberley. Visiting teachers royally entertained It was at a Cape Town conference in 1887 that the South African Teacher’s Association was formally constituted, having been a Cape Colony orientated ...

UPDATED: 22/06/2020 22 June 1897, All De Beers employees given the day off to attend Queen Victoria Jubilee celebrations in town. 22 June 1925, Chinese storekeeper Ah Finn dies of bubonic plague in the Malay Camp. 22 June 1932, Solomon ...

19 June 1932, Solomon T Plaatje (pictured) dies in Pimville during a visit. 19 June 1992, The “Silver Assassin” Charlie Weir dies. DID YOU KNOW Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje’s last public meeting in Kimberley was on 24 May 1932 when he spoke ...

UPDATED: 18/06/2020 18 June 1900, Lyddite shell from Magersfontein explodes in Dutoitspan Road, kills one. 18 June 1976, City Hall officially re-opens after massive restoration and renovations. (Pictured is the Hall in 1976). City Hall re-opens after renovations The Kimberley ...

UPDATED: 17/06/2020 17 June 1871, Carl Lotz discovers a 93 carat diamond at Bultfontein mine. Kimberley citizens die on the SS Drummond Castle On the night of Tuesday 16 June 1896 the SS Drummond Castle – one of Sir Donald ...

UPDATED: 16/06/2020 16 June 1896, 14 Kimberley residents drown when SS Drummond Castle sinks, 1896 16 June 1998, Businessman Poddy Shein (pictured) dies. Poddy Shein remembered with affection Herman Louis Shein, affectionately known to all as “Poddy”, had a great ...