BARBERTON HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS

A description of the history of Barberton Mpumalanga South Africa, and the history of Barberton, with types of accommodation, restaurants, entertainment and tourist attractions

Barberton Historical excursions offers an extensive overview of places of historical interest concerning buildings and monuments in Barberton

EMJINDINI HERITAGE ROUTE (approx. 3 hours) The only one in Mpumalanga

Due to its close proximity to Swaziland and Mozambique, Barberton played an active role in the Liberation Struggle. The route takes one past the house of Dr Enos Mabuza, former Chief Minister of Kangwane; the site where Inert Sibiya's house was bombed by the Apartheid Security Forces because it was suspected that he housed wanted persons there; the Anglican Church which was attended by Dunstan Mlambo, Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court, as a child; and Edwaleni 'The Rock, '  where community meetings called by the Advisory Committee were held.  

The development of residential, church and government architecture can be seen and interesting stories about the buildings and history will be shared with visitors.

HERITAGE WALK (includes the following 7 Provincial Heritage sites)  - Probably 3 hours to do it justice

(Click here for attached Leaflet for further information and other places of interest)

• Lodge of St John in the South
• The Blockhouse
• Belhaven House
• Stopforth House
• De Kaap Stock Exchange
• The Globe
• Lewis & Marks Building

LOCAL NZASM SITES AND OTHER INTERESTING LOCAL RAILWAY HISTORY:

Train Accident near Barberton

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol115sw.html

Sheba Railway

 CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION

Prof.Roger Fisher co-authored the groundbreaking publication NZASM Footsteps Along the Tracks with former student Nicholas Clarke accompanied by Siphiwe Simelane at the Department of Architecture.  This is an overview of the built heritage of the former Netherlands South African Railways Company and was published in August last year after an intensive year of research. The NZASM was a Dutch company that constructed and operated railway lines in the former Transvaal Republic during 1887–1902 many of which are still found in Mpumalanga. 

THE OLD PETTIGREW’S ROAD TRANSPORT ROUTE

Percy Fitzpatrick was a transport rider during the 1880’s and in his famous book JOCK OF THE BUSHVELD ­ he refers to this road - which connected Barberton with the harbor at Delagoa Bay via Kaapmuiden, Malelane and Nellmapius Drift - as THE LAST TREK.  It was notable for its eight drifts across the De Kaap River.

Research conducted by Dr Gerrit Haarhoff and members of Mpumalanga Heritage on the old wagon trails and transport routes down the escarpment and across the Lowveld is widely regarded as the most extensive ever done.  A book on the subject entitled FORGOTTEN TRACKS AND TRAILS OF THE ESCARPMENT AND THE LOWVELD - by Dr Haarhoff - has recently been  published.

DIGGERS RETREAT HOTEL (1935)

Enjoy some liquid refreshment and check out the GENAL* wall paintings and the hanging tree where horse thieves and claim jumpers are said to have been hanged by lynch mobs. 

*Conrad Frederick Genal was a German wandering artist, born in 1875, who left the French Foreign Legion and made his way through Africa earning his keep by the painting of wall murals.

 THE MAKHONJWA GEOTRAIL (full day or half day guided excursions) See video link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWKOOMZ1Mi0

Known officially as the BARBERTON MAKHONJWA (after the mountains behind Barberton) GEOTRAIL, this self-drive route is a 38 km exploration of ancient rock formations that date from the Archaean period, more than three billion years ago. These are no ordinary rocks. The discovery on the mountains behind Barberton has become known as 'the history of our planet cast in stone'.

There are very few places on earth where rocks of the Achaean period are visible. Every other site is so far removed from civilization, on desolate back roads, as to be unreachable. But in Barberton they are right next to the tar road and you have only to get out of your car to see them.

Local expert guides will be available to answer all questions along with Professor Morris Viljoen who discovered KOMATIITE in the Barberton area with his twin brother ,Richard, almost 50 years ago when they were students studying for their PhD in geology.  Prof. Viljoen will explain the scientific significance of this discovery in relation to the recent declaration of the BARBERTON MOUNTAIN LAND AS A WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

SHEBA HISTORIC MAUSOLEUM AND CEMETERY (forms part of the Historic Sheba Route)

The mausoleum holds the graves of three children of Agnes and Howard Hill and was erected by Agnes Hill in 1895 in memory of Howard Hill, Jnr who died 15 February 1894 and Frank Joseph Hammond, battery manager of the Sheba GMC – who died on 24 August 1894.  Their second child died in 1903 and the third in 1905.

There is also a memorial stone for Maud Hammond – a victim of the DRUMMOND CASTLE which sank of Ushant on 16 June 1896 – who was married to Frank Joseph Hammond..

https://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=781370

Further information will be provided by Chris Rippon and Riana le Roux

SHEBA MINE – (forms part of the Historic Sheba Route)

• The life of the Sheba Mine began with the discovery of Bray’s Golden Quarry in 1885, with the first 13 000 tons of ore yielding 50 000 ounces of gold.
• Sheba Mine has one of the oldest operating shafts in the world. The Zwartkoppie (or ZK) Shaft was sunk in 1905 and is still in operation. 
• Sheba Mine has produced 120 tons of gold, almost 1/3 of all the gold ever produced from the Barberton Mountain Land. 
• Sheba Mine was the richest gold mine in the world for most of its early mining life.

Further information will be provided by Chris Rippon.

BRAY’S GOLDEN QUARRY (NOT wheelchair friendly) (forms part of the historic Sheba Route)

Discovered by Edwin Bray in 1885, the Golden Quarry is considered one of the `Mining Wonders of the World`. It was said that when it was first discovered the rocks looked as if they were cemented with Gold. The Golden Quarry was the site of one of the richest gold strikes ever producing an initial 50 tons of rock grading at 250 grams per ton!  The extensive underground quarry, made by men armed only with a pick and shovel resembles a great subterranean Cathedral. Bray`s Golden Quarry is a true testament to the blood, sweat and tears of those who lived during Barberton`s Gold Rush Era. Sheba Mine continues to mine the gold from Bray`s Quarry and is one of the oldest and richest mines in the world.

EUREKA CITY – forms part of the historic Sheba route and can be combined with Bray’s Golden Quarry

Eureka City, a small ghost town, was established in 1885 following the discovery of the famous “Golden Quarry” by Edwin Bray.  It is located 20kms from Barberton and in 1886 the town had three shops, three hotels, a bakery, chemist, racecourse, music hall and bars to cater for the diggers in the area. There were also 28 pubs on the route from Barberton to Eureka City. Maneuvering ox wagons laden with supplies up the steep, mountainous, terrain was extremely challenging and wheel ruts etched deep into the rock face can still be seen in places today along with the ruins of the Victoria hotel and smaller ruins. 

CHUTE ROUTE AND THE SLIDE (Approximately 3 hour excursion)

Following the discovery  of gold in 1884 prospectors  seeking their fortune arrived in droves and the old Natal Road Wagon Route  via Ladysmith, Volksrust, Ermelo, Lake Chrissie, Badplaas, Jambila and down the notorious ‘Chute’ to Barberton was an extremely hazardous and frightening experience involving a 650 metre drop from the escarpment to the valley floor. This appalling and hazardous stretch was some 5 kms long and depending on the weather and ‘traffic’ it could take anything from several days to a week to negotiate it. An incredibly steep area near the beginning of the Chute was referred to as the ‘dreaded chute’ and had a very steep gradient. Disasters were frequent and the hillside was littered with broken wagons. At the lower portion of the Chute the area was referred to as ‘the slide’, which wasn’t as steep, but also very dangerous.

MOUNTAINLANDS NATURE RESERVE - Scenic Drive, Game viewing, Birding & Plant

Identification (Morning excursion)

Nestling in the Makonjwa Mountains close to Barberton is the magnificent 18 000 hectare Mountainlands Nature Reserve which is a treasure trove of exceptional scientific value, diversity and spectacular natural beauty.  It is simply breathtaking with perennial streams and waterfalls cascading against a backdrop of subtropical mountain scenery alternating with savannah.

This area’s plant species diversity is second only in southern Africa to the Cape Fynbos and is markedly higher than that of the Kruger National Park. The unique geology of the Barberton Greenstone Belt underlies a diversity of approximately 2176 plant species discovered to date, an unusually high proportion of which are endemic to the area. It is home to such well known plants as the Barberton Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) that has become a popular ornamental plant throughout the world, the spectacular Pride-of-de-Kaap (Bauhinia galpinii), beautiful proteas, endemic aloes and cycads.

GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE (short excursion – suitable for all)

33 Henry Nettman Streeet.

During the Second World War a military camp was established north-east of the town, where troops were trained before being sent to war. After the war the graves of British Servicemen and Women who fell in the Lowveld during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) were concentrated in a cemetery next to the camp site. Some of the South African units that passed through the camp erected replicas of their regimental badges and crests to commemorate their stay.

(Contact Local MOTH, Glen du Preez on 084-712-9050 for tours and further info).

BARBERTON HISTORIC CEMETERY (situated at the end of Gospel Street)