Tag Archives: Wesselton Mine

8 August 1914, The De Beers mines close down. DID YOU KNOW Because of the war in Europe, all operations on the diamond mines in Kimberley had shut down on 8 August 1914, washing having ceased the day before. Wesselton ...

UPDATED: 25/06/2019 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 ...

UPDATED: 07/06/2019 7 June 1898, Five miners die in fall of mine cage at De Beers mine. DID YOU KNOW The year 1904 saw the entire De Beers Board of Directors meet with the Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry ...

UPDATED: 07/05/2019 7 May 1962, The Grand Old Man of the Kimberley regiment, Mossie Rodwell, dies. 7 May 1994, The first Premier of the Northern Cape, Manne Dipico, inducted. DID YOU KNOW Walter John “Mossie” Rodwell was born on 21 ...

UPDATED: 04/04/2019 4 April 1860, Title deeds to the farm Dorstfontein granted to AP du Toit. DID YOU KNOW The farms that make up what is now the general Kimberley region were Dorstfontein, Bultfontein, Vooruitzicht, Alexandersfontein and Benaauwheidsfontein. The title ...

15 February 1853, Alfred Beit, financial genius, born in Hamburg. 15 February 1882, Street Lights tested in Kimberley, but they fail. 15 February 1900, Kimberley is relieved in 1900 by General French after 124 days of siege by the Boers. ...

5 February 1891, Wesselton Mine (Premier Mine) rushed by diggers. DID YOU KNOW Despite common knowledge of Henry Ward having the mineral rights to the land owned by JJ Wessels, as well as negotiations being underway between Ward and De Beers, ...

UPDATED: 16/01/2019 16 January 1889, Kimberley awarded the cricket Currie Cup by England. 16 January 1891, Fabricius has five men working the new Wesselton mine. 16 January 1900, Soup kitchen opened at the Hull St Convict Station. Pictured is the Wesselton Mine ...

UPDATE: 27/11/2018 27 NOVEMBER 1896, Rinderpest reported in Taung region. 27 NOVEMBER  1899, What is now the Wesselton Mine christened officially the Premier Mine. DID YOU KNOW Rinderpest decimated the cattle population of most of southern Africa north of the ...

21 November 1899, Skirmish between the Boers and Cattle Guards outside Kenilworth. 21 November 1899, Lord Methuen’s British army leaves Orange River station and advances on besieged Kimberley. DID YOU KNOW Extract from T Phelan’s diary: The Siege of Kimberley “The ...