SOLOMON EDWARDIAN GUEST HOUSE
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Today in Kimberley's History
June 11th

The truly magnificent Beaconsfield Town Hall was opened on 11 June 1888 as a memorial to the volunteer military forces of the Diamond Fields who died in the 1878-1879 colonial uprisings. In 1897 a Jubilee wing was added to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee while in 1902 a clock tower was added to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. Unfortunately the Beaconsfield Town Hall was demolished in 1968.

That same year – 1888 – saw Barney Barnato being elected in November to the Cape Legislative Assembly as the parliamentarian representing Beaconsfield, a post that would become the long time parliament seat of his cousin many years later – Sir David Harris. The amalgamation of the mines in 1888-1889 saw both Dutoitspan and Bultfontein mines cease production in order to reduce output and the town suffered as a result of massive unemployment. By 1891 the population of Kimberley had halved and in Beaconsfield it had been trimmed by a third. Many miners had gone north to the gold fields.

The last Mayor of Beaconsfield was Thomas Pratley who was in the chair from 1904 until formal amalgamation with Kimberley on 2 December 1912 when Ernest Oppenheimer became the first Mayor of a combined city. The first combined council meeting was on 4 December 1912.
Primary information source courtesy of Kimberley Calls...and Recalls Facebook Group
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1 Solomon Street
Beaconsfield

Kimberley, RSA
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  • Home
  • Booking
  • Find Us
  • Contact Us
  • Maps & directions
  • Gallery
  • Kimberley
    • Heyday of diamond mining
    • Big 8 Tourist Attractions
    • Historic buildings and monuments
    • Tourist walks, trails & tours
    • Famous people
    • Flora & Fauna
    • Today in History