Tag Archives: Wesselton Mine

5 February 1891, Wesselton Mine rushed by diggers. 5 February 1950, Rugby great FJ “Uncle” Dobbin dies. DID YOU KNOW Despite common knowledge of Henry Ward having the mineral rights to the land owned by JJ Wessels, as well as ...

UPDATED: 16/01/2020 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: 27/11/2019 27 NOVEMBER 1896, Rinderpest reported in Taung region. 27 NOVEMBER  1899, What is now the Wesselton Mine christened officially the Premier Mine. RINDERPEST STRIKES IN TAUNG REGION Rinderpest decimated the cattle population of most of southern Africa north ...

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. TWO CATTLE GUARDS KILLED OUTSIDE KIMBERLEY Despite the official stand by the Kimberley ...

20 November 1874, The first massive landslip in the Kimberley Mine results in great loss of jobs. 20 November 1962, Bust of Sir Ernest Oppenheimer unveiled in the Oppenheimer Gardens. SIR ERNEST OPPENHEIMER BUST Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, founder of the ...

UPDATED: 06/11/2019 6 November 1899, First shelling of Kimberley by the Boers during the siege. Pictured is the Boer gun position at Olifantsfontein from which the Boer Armstrong 9 pounder fired at Wesselton Mine, and the Armstrong 9 pounder that ...

UPDATED: 25/09/2019 25 September 1886, William Hendricks accidentally kills his wife Sophy after a drunken spree. He was found not guilty of murder. 25 September 1907, Alexander McGregor Museum officially opened. 25 September 1908, Salvation Army leader General William Booth, visits Kimberley. ...

10 September 1874, The first Good Templars Hall in South Africa opens in Kimberley. 10 September 1910, 1600 Black miners arrested by the police following the Wesselton strike. 10 September 1972, “Singing” Sam Smith, GW representative for cricket, bowls and ...

UPDATE: 30/08/2019 30 August 1890, Foundation stone laid for the new Municipal complex in Stockdale Street. DID YOU KNOW Two postcards circa 1907 are depicted showing quite clearly the Kimberley municipal compound (complex) at the time. Both photographs are taken ...

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 ...