Kimberley, South Africa, capital city of the Northern Cape, doesn’t draw a lot of tourists like Joburg and Cape Town. However, at one time, this quiet arid city was the crown jewel of the African continent and British Empire. Even if you haven’t heard of Kimberley, De Beers probably sounds familiar, or perhaps, the phrase, “A diamond is forever,” rings a bell. Both have roots in Kimberley, South Africa. I chose to visit Kimberley because my great grandfather wrote about stopping in this city on his move from Pretoria to the Cape Colony in 1913. He mentioned specific places and people, so I wanted to experience it too.
The Diamond Story
In 1866 and 1869, two boys found large diamonds along the banks of the Orange River. The 21-carat Eureka and 83-carat Star of South Africa diamonds along with further finds a couple of years later spurred a diamond rush. Within a month, thousands of men cut hundreds of claims in the land.
Eventually, Cecil Rhodes, an 18-year-old when he arrived at Kimberley in 1871, consolidated several mines he had acquired with a partner to form De Beers Consolidated Mines. He purchased the mines from profits he made by selling water pumps to miners.
In all of the Southern Hemisphere, Kimberley was the first place to have electric street lamps. It hosted the South African and International Exhibition in 1892. All-in-all, Kimberley, South Africa holds its place in history even if not many people think to visit.
Big Hole
The main attraction in Kimberley is the Big Hole. It is a big hole. Miners just kept digging and digging. Eventually, mining technology and spending changed as De Beers bought up the claims, so mining moved underground. That left a big hole on the surface. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Big Hole became an attraction. Even my great grandfather went for a visit and took a photo a year before mining operations ceased on the surface.
The Kimberley Big Hole or Kimberley Mine is open for visitors. For a fee, guests can walk out on a metal cantilevered platform to look into the Big Hole, which holds water now. For an additional fee, guests can go through the mining museum. There’s a replica mine shaft complete with soundtrack, and a hall of diamonds. This exhibit is quite fascinating as it sheds light on Kimberley’s history as well as the mining process. There’s even a vault with special diamonds on display including the Star of South Africa, if it isn’t on exhibition elsewhere in the world at the time.
Outside the large welcome center, Victorian Kimberley has been recreated with original and replica buildings moved up the hill. Old shops, saloons, offices, and churches line the few roads. They offer a look back to the mining town’s boom. Guests see original trolley cars and can take a step back in time with some activities.
McGregor Museum and Historical Walking Tour
The McGregor Museum was built as a sanitarium or retreat. It is a lovely building that’s also been a hotel and school. The exhibits inside focus on the history and culture of the Northern Cape. They aren’t the newest exhibits, but they are insightful and cover a wide series of topics. I particularly enjoyed the old chapel with its information on religion in Kimberley, since that’s why my great grandfather was here. The natural and indigenous history was also interesting. I really enjoyed the architectural details of the building too, especially the stained glass.
I asked the gentleman in the office what other buildings would have been in Kimberley 106 years ago. He found a little guidebook, which I purchased, for a historical walking tour in the area. Most of the buildings listed stood when my great grandfather walked Kimberley’s streets.
Behind the museum, through a lovely desert garden, guests can find another historic building turned into a museum. This historic home houses the Duggan-Cronin Gallery. Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin was a talented and important photographer. His work documented and preserved images of the native cultures from all over southern Africa.
Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre
A satellite of the McGreggor Museum, this site preserves an interesting collection of ancient rock carvings. Nobody really knows why there or what they mean, but there are many theories. One is that this art was a way for the indigenous people to communicate with the spirit world. This is why some of the animals are only seen partially as if the other half were hidden behind a veil between the worlds.
Getting to this site is not super easy, and you should call ahead to confirm whether someone will be there to show you around. However, you can get a taxi there and back. It isn’t cheap, but you could possibly negotiate with the museum staff to get a ride there or back too. If you have time and interest, and means to get about, there are other rock art sites in the area that could be visited.
Wandering Kimberley, South Africa
In addition to the Big Hole, McGregor Museum, and Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre, I wandered the town to find other places my great grandfather wrote about or would have been familiar with from his time in Kimberley. The Rhodes monument still stands as do many other buildings. The guesthouse I stayed in, Cecil John Rhodes Guesthouse, was a diamond counting house owned by De Beers back in the day. He would have walked past it. He would have visited the churches I photographed. I also tried to get out to Kamphers Dam to see the flock of flamingos. However, the man at the museum said they haven’t been nesting there for a few years, so it wouldn’t be worth my time.
Though it isn’t he most noteworthy or impressive city to visit, Kimberely, South Africa still preserves a lot of its history, which was very influential for what South Africa became and is today. If I were to go back, I’d make sure I could rent a car and plan more day trips out of the city to sites of interest.
