Places to Stay in Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa

Geography

The town famous for its rich association with diamonds can be found on the N12, which runs from Johannesburg before meeting the N1 link to Cape Town. It therefore makes a wonderful stopover on the alternative Johannesburg to Cape Town route. Kimberley is roughly 500km from Johannesburg and about 960km from Cape Town.

History

The name Kimberley is synonymous worldwide with diamonds. In 1871 on Colesberg Koppie, a 15-year-old boy found a shiny pebble. It turned out to be a massive diamond, and by 1873 there were 50,000 people digging in the small area. Once the hill had been dug away the prospectors simply carried on digging and digging, resulting in the biggest man-made hole in the world. It was here that the Eureka diamond and the famous Star of Africa were found, the latter being a magnificent 83.5-carat gem. The diamond deposits were found on the farm Vooruitzig that belonged to the De Beer brothers, and the town was initially called New Rush. In 1873 the name was changed to Kimberley in honour of the Earl of Kimberley, the British Secretary of State for the colonies at the time. Although initially a shanty town of tents and tin shacks, a few people who made Kimberley their place of business did get seriously rich. The fortunes that the mining magnates made at Kimberley were paramount in shaping the economic future of South Africa, as these men were then able to further the development of the Witwatersrand gold mines by investing their diamond money. The town is synonymous with the colonial names of Barney Barnato and Cecil John Rhodes, who developed a power struggle of immense proportions. Later on, in 1888, the two joined forces and formed the De Beers Consolidated Mines with the agreement involving the transfer of a then massive <\#163>5-million from Rhodes to Barnato! Kimberley was quite heavily involved in the South African (Anglo-Boer) War and some of the most important battles were fought here. In 1899 the Siege of Kimberley lasted 124 days (4 months) with the entire town being besieged. Women and children were often sent down into the De Beers Mine to protect them from the gunfire. Peace returned, and although mining is much slower today, Kimberley still has much to offer its inhabitants and visitors to the area.

Arts and Culture

The Northern Cape has a rich heritage of diverse people, cultures and traditions, many of which still survive today. At the Wildebeest Kruil Rock Art Centre visitors can see rock art in both paintings and engravings. The modern town of Kimberley, with its rich and fascinating history has much to offer the traveller looking for a glimpse into the art and culture of the town, and many cultural sights can be seen on Du Toitspan Road. The Belgravia and the Great Kimberley North Walk take you around Kimberley and past all the historic sights. A number of elegant Victorian buildings grace the leafy streets of Kimberley. Most of these are now museums or provincial heritage sites, with a good example being Dunluce, an elegant Victorian house at 10 Lodge Road, built in 1897. The Jewish synagogue in Memorial Road was built in 1902 in Byzantine style, and the Dutch Reformed Church dating back to 1871 houses the Concentration Camp Memorial, in honour of the people who died in the Newton Concentration Camp during the South African (Anglo-Boer) War. The McGregor Museum has interesting exhibitions and provides research and advice to a wide range of community projects. Fine art enthusiasts will enjoy the William Humphreys Art Gallery, which is thought to be one of South Africa's most important galleries. It houses a collection of traditional and contemporary South African graphics, sculptures and paintings, and special exhibitions are often hosted. Visitors interested in the early days of steam locomotion and transport will find the Transport Museum, with its fine collection of railway memorabilia fascinating, while at Rhodes' Boardroom visitors can imagine the heady days of the diamond rush with all its glitzy glamour. The Sol Plaatje Museum, located in his old house in Angle Street, is a national monument, and provides insight into the life and times of this outstanding journalist and writer. The first black South African to publish a novel in English, he was also one of the founder members of the African National Congress (ANC).

Science

Kimberley is famous for its big hole, which comes in at a record measurement. The surface area is 15ha, the diameter is 457m and the perimeter is 1.6km. It is roughly 400m deep, but a shaft was dug to allow further mining to a depth of 800m! It must have been quite a sight in its heyday, when thousands of miners dug while hanging on criss-crossing ropes and pulleys. This awesome, but long since dormant hole, yielded 14.5-million carats of diamonds from 28-million tons of diamond-rich "blue ground" and still literally dominates the area.

Entertainment

The Visitor's Centre at the Big Hole exhibits the multi-faceted story of diamonds, including the myths and legends of ancient peoples who believed that diamonds have many mysterious powers. The storyline also covers the colonial history of South Africa and the sub-region, which entered a dramatic phase after the diamond rush. View the impressive Big Hole from above on the viewing ramp, or drool over the massive diamonds on show at the Real Diamond Display. Stroll through the Old Town where the New Rush era is brough to life. Visit period buildings and take a ride on the vintage Kimberley Tram. Some of the lovely old buildings include a church built in Europe and shipped to Kimberley, Barney Barnato's Boxing Academy, the diggers' tavern, an authentic diggers' sleeping quarters and the De Beers railway coach, used by Cecil John Rhodes to commute between Cape Town and Kimberley.