Episode 275 — Pilgrims Rest, French Bob’s Gold and Barberton’s Champagne Foot Baths
About this episode
The episode explores the complexities of 19th-century miners in the Transvaal and their economic and social dynamics.
Thousands of miners were streaming into the Transvaal by the third quarter of the 19th Century, a horde of avuncular independent-minded treasure hunters. In volume Two of the Cambridge History of South Africa, Stanley Trapido calls them the ragbag of humanity - Stanley who sadly is no longer with us, had the right to call miners whatever he wanted — having worked in Krugersdorp gold mines in order to pay for his History Degree at Wits University. But I’m sure the so-called ragbags and their moms would have taken offence. It is true that anarchy of a legendary level prevailed in many of the diggings, as it had in Griqualand West, these mining pioneers however were far more complex than a mob. The Diamond Fields of Kimberley were in the hands of large corporations by the early 1880s, men like JB Robinson, Cecil John Rhodes, Barney Barnato dominated Kimberley as the hole descended towards Hades’ — huge piles of capital was required to buy equipment to pump out the water, for the steam driven mine heads, to pay the labour. A degree of cooperation was needed which the disparate groups of international diggers lacked. New economic organisations flourished, consolidation was taking…
More episodes of History of South Africa podcast
- Episode 278 - The South African Suez Canal, Stellaland and Goshen and James Honey's Murder Most Foul
- Episode 277 - Cetshwayo visits Queen Victoria and the Victorian link between Afghanistan and Zululand
- Episode 276 — Okavango Khwebe Wind and a Dorsland Trekker Angolan Odyssey
- Episode 274 - The Pretoria Convention ends the First Anglo-Boer War, Suzerainty Unresolved
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the History of South Africa podcast podcast page.