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In the process of identifying tourist attractions in Kimberley, the emphasis falls time and again on the historical importance of the architecture of Old Kimberley. In late-Victorian & Edwardian Kimberley every style of robust architecture was represented. Public buildings boasted elaborate brick facades topped with urns, gables and pediments; stores were fronted with decorative cast iron balconies and hotels sprouted fanciful turrets.
The outstanding feature of most of the buildings from this period was the wood and iron verandah. The verandah became the status symbol and these ranged from plain wooden poles supporting a straight corrugated iron roof, to quite elaborate combinations of Chinese, Chippendale and latticework supporting curved iron canopies. |
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The discovery of diamonds during the latter part of the 1860’s and early 1870’s not only led to the existence of a new town – Kimberley – but to the development of South Africa’s first industrial community. The tremendous wealth of the diamond mines in Kimberley was the basis on which the modern economy of South Africa was founded.
The earliest ‘architecture’ was a conglomeration of tents with, here and there, a wooden shanty constructed from old packing cases. The reason for this was that, in spite of the visible yield of the mines, there was for many years a prevailing distrust of the long-term future of the diamond-bearing deposits and the consequent stability of the settlement founded upon them.
Developments in the diamond industry transformed the character of the town. Immediately after the amalgamation of the diamond mining companies, the country experienced a general depression. Coupled with this the diamond industry came into the hands of mining magnates and large companies which inexorably forced out the private entrepreneur, individual diggers and small time fortune hunters. Fewer people shared in the prosperity than previously, but there was probably more wealth and definitely better living conditions. With the amalgamation of the diamond mining companies in 1888, the permanence of Kimberley as a town was emphasised. During these years Kimberley was transformed from a conglomeration of wood and iron structures to a well laid out town consisting of architectural designed houses and buildings.
The earliest ‘architecture’ was a conglomeration of tents with, here and there, a wooden shanty constructed from old packing cases. The reason for this was that, in spite of the visible yield of the mines, there was for many years a prevailing distrust of the long-term future of the diamond-bearing deposits and the consequent stability of the settlement founded upon them.
Developments in the diamond industry transformed the character of the town. Immediately after the amalgamation of the diamond mining companies, the country experienced a general depression. Coupled with this the diamond industry came into the hands of mining magnates and large companies which inexorably forced out the private entrepreneur, individual diggers and small time fortune hunters. Fewer people shared in the prosperity than previously, but there was probably more wealth and definitely better living conditions. With the amalgamation of the diamond mining companies in 1888, the permanence of Kimberley as a town was emphasised. During these years Kimberley was transformed from a conglomeration of wood and iron structures to a well laid out town consisting of architectural designed houses and buildings.
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The character of architecture in South Africa had been influenced directly by climate, available materials social structure and fluctuations in prosperity at specific periods. It has been said that what was characteristic of the 19th century architecture was that there was no typical or consistent way of building which could be called a ‘style’. The choice of ‘style’ for a building by both clients and their architects was an arbitrary and personal one, seldom related to the purpose of the building, its surrounding or method of construction. Politics, religious convictions, fashion and romantic associations determined the selection.
Nonetheless an architectural style peculiar to the Kimberley of this period did emerge. Increasing ornateness characterized architecture in the 1890’s. The building boom which followed the new prosperity exploited the manufactured materials of the Industrial age. In the 1890’s an enormous volume of cast iron and other ready-made components were imported into South Africa. |
In Kimberley every style of robust, late Victorian architecture was represented. Public buildings boasted elaborate brick facades topped with urns, gables and pediments; stores were fronted with decorative cast iron balconies and hotels sprouted fanciful turrets. The outstanding feature of most of the buildings from this period was the wood and iron verandah. The verandah became the status symbol and these ranged from plain wooden poles supporting a straight corrugated iron roof, to quite elaborate combinations of Chinese, Chippendale and latticework supporting curved iron canopies. By 1904 the firm of Church and McLauchlin were manufacturing high qualify terracotta bricks and other products at their Ronaldsvlei works south of Kimberley, for which they won a gold medal at the Cape Town International Exhibition of that year.
The decoration of buildings was essential to a community which had lost its status as South Africa’s major industrial centre to Johannesburg, but had gained stability and a sense of permanence with the amalgamation scheme. Within their embellished houses decorated with marble, stained glass, ceramic tiles and imported wallpaper, Kimberley’s residents could escape the ever present realities of a mining town.
(Source: based on text supplied by the McGregor Museum)
The decoration of buildings was essential to a community which had lost its status as South Africa’s major industrial centre to Johannesburg, but had gained stability and a sense of permanence with the amalgamation scheme. Within their embellished houses decorated with marble, stained glass, ceramic tiles and imported wallpaper, Kimberley’s residents could escape the ever present realities of a mining town.
(Source: based on text supplied by the McGregor Museum)
