1914 – Work Stops at the Kimberley Mine

On 4 August 1914, work was stopped at the Kimberley Mine, today known as the Big Hole, after forty-three years of continuous mining. From the discovery of diamonds on the farm Vooruitzicht in 1871, the Kimberley Mine became the centre of one of the greatest mineral rushes in history. Tens of thousands of prospectors, labourers, merchants and entrepreneurs descended on the Diamond Fields, transforming an isolated farming district into southern Africa's most dynamic town.

The mine became famous worldwide as the largest hand-excavated open pit ever created. Working first with picks, shovels and buckets, and later by increasingly sophisticated engineering methods, miners excavated more than 22 million tonnes of earth, recovering approximately 2,722 kilograms of diamonds before production finally ceased. Kimberley

By 1914, the mine had reached a depth of 1,083 metres through underground workings and was no longer economical to operate. Although work ceased on 4 August, the outbreak of the First World War only days later brought the diamond industry to an abrupt halt, and by 8 August, all De Beers mining operations in Kimberley had been suspended because the international diamond market had collapsed. The Kimberley Mine itself would never reopen. Kimberley

The closure marked the end of an extraordinary era. During its lifetime, the mine had shaped the fortunes of figures such as Cecil Rhodes, Barney Barnato and Ernest Oppenheimer, pioneered new mining technologies, and transformed Kimberley into one of the world's most famous cities. Today the Big Hole remains Kimberley's best-known landmark and one of South Africa's premier heritage attractions. Visitors can stand on the rim of the immense excavation, explore the Kimberley Mine Museum and discover the remarkable story of the mine that changed the world.

Did You Know?

The Kimberley Mine is recognised as the largest hand-dug excavation in the world. During its working life, millions of tonnes of rock were removed by hand before modern mechanical mining methods became widespread.

The Big Hole today remains one of the world's most remarkable mining landmarks, preserving the story of the diamond rush that transformed Kimberley into an international city.