Episode 285 - The Three Georges Gold Saga and a Bottle of Mampoer Vignette
About this episode
This episode discusses the impact of gold discovery on the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek economy in the 1880s, focusing on the journeys of fortune seekers like George Harrison and George Walker.
Farming dominated the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek economy in the 1880s, even after gold was discovered in the eastern Transvaal but that was about to change. Last episode we heard about the early gold finds around Rustenburg which was part of the Witwatersrand Ward back in the late 1800s. Farms along the Ridge of White Waters had a fairly steady supply of water courtesy of the many springs that could be found along the ridge. Still, the freezing winters and the lack of wood meant the region was not in high demand despite water and fairly good soils. By 1886 dozens of diggers began arriving on the Witwatersrand, having heard reports of the earlier finds and growing tired of the limited options available in Pilgrims Rest. Others made their way from the south, from Kimberley or the coast, trekking on foot. Two of those were the George’s I mentioned in episode 284 .. George Harrison and George Walker, who walked from the Orange Free State who had decided to chance their luck in Barberton. If it were possible and we teleported ourselves back to this time, we would have come across hundreds of other fortune seekers tramping across the countryside, determined to strike it lucky. George…
People in this episode
Host: Desmond Latham
Topics covered
- gold rush
- South African history
- farming economy
- Witwatersrand
- Barberton
- 19th century
- migration
Keywords
- gold discovery
- Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek
- Witwatersrand
- Barberton
- George Harrison
- George Walker
- 1880s
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek, Witwatersrand, Transvaal, Barberton, Pilgrims Rest, Orange Free State
More episodes of History of South Africa podcast
- Episode 291 - The Miracle of South Africa’s Railways: Navvies, Gangers and Granny Mavis
- Episode 290 - Africanders, Afrikaners and the Sprigg/Hofmeyr/Rhodes Voter Disenfranchisement of 1887-1892
- Episode 289 - Black Velvet Opskop, De Beers’ Trojan Horse, an Historic Trick and a Multi-Racial Miner Protest
- Episode 288 - Squabbling Europeans Dissect Africa and the Sultan of Zanzibar gets Shafted
- Episode 287 - "Not Worth Hell Room" — JB Robinson, Widow Oosthuizen, and the Witwatersrand Gold Grab
- Episode 286 - German Mercenary von Brandis formally Proclaims Johannesburg
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