Barney Barnato (1852 - 1897)
Why Kimberley Matters
Over the years, we have noticed that many of our guests—whether visiting Kimberley for business or leisure—have wondered why this remarkable city has played such an important role in South Africa's history over the past 160 years.
These pages invite you on a coffee-table journey through Kimberley's past, from the discovery of the Eureka Diamond in 1867 and the Great Diamond Rush, through wars, political change and the rise of the world's diamond industry, to the city we know today. They are not intended to be an academic history, but rather an enjoyable introduction to the people, places and events that shaped Kimberley.
So, make yourself comfortable, pour a cappuccino or a cup of chai, and enjoy exploring the remarkable story of one of South Africa's most fascinating cities.
From Music Hall to Diamond Fields
Few people left a greater mark on Kimberley's diamond fields than Barney Barnato. Born Barnett Isaacs in London's East End in 1852, he arrived in Kimberley with little more than ambition, quick wit and a remarkable talent for business. Within fifteen years, he had become one of the richest men in the world and Cecil Rhodes' greatest rival in the struggle to control the diamond industry.
The early diamond fields at New Rush
Barnato was the son of a small shopkeeper near Petticoat Lane in London. After leaving school at the age of fourteen, he worked at a variety of jobs, including as a bouncer in a public house, before joining the music hall stage with his brother Harry. During one comedy routine Harry would announce "...and Barnett too!", a catchphrase that eventually evolved into the surname Barnato, by which he became known for the rest of his life.
Other Voices During the Diamond Rush
Cecil Rhodes – Mining magnate and empire builder
Barney Barnato – Diamond entrepreneur and Rhodes' greatest rival
Charles Rudd – Business partner and mining pioneer
John Orr – Merchant, philanthropist and civic leader
Rudyard Kipling – Young journalist and future literary giant
Like thousands of others drawn by the diamond discoveries, Barnato travelled to Kimberley in 1873. He initially continued performing on stage but soon recognised that far greater opportunities lay in the bustling diamond fields.
Building a Diamond Empire
Beginning as a diamond buyer, Barnato quickly developed a reputation for his friendly personality, keen business instincts and willingness to take calculated risks. Profits from buying and selling diamonds enabled him to purchase mining claims in the Kimberley Mine, and over the following decade, he steadily expanded his interests.
In 1885, he merged his own company with another mining enterprise to create the Kimberley Central Diamond Mining Company, which soon became the largest rival to Cecil Rhodes' growing De Beers organisation. From its headquarters in Stockdale Street, Kimberley Central controlled a substantial portion of the Kimberley Mine and employed thousands of workers.
Barney Barnato had a friendly personality
The Battle with Cecil Rhodes
By the mid-1880s, Kimberley's future depended on consolidating hundreds of individual mining claims into a handful of large companies. Rhodes believed a single company should control the diamond industry, while Barnato was determined to preserve Kimberley Central's independence.
Their rivalry became one of the greatest corporate contests of the nineteenth century. The turning point came when Rhodes secretly secured control of the influential French Company, whose strategic position within the Kimberley Mine gave him a significant advantage. He then persuaded Barnato to exchange Kimberley Central shares as part of the transaction, gaining an important foothold in his rival's company.
What followed was an extraordinary battle for control of Kimberley Central. Both men bought shares aggressively as investors rushed to profit from the contest. Although diamond prices remained weak, Kimberley Central's share price soared from £14 to £49 in only a few months.
Legend tells of a marathon twenty-eight-hour negotiation between the two rivals at Rhodes' Board Room, during which Rhodes dramatically placed a bucket filled with diamonds on the table and declared, "Sign, Barney, and it's all yours." Barnato is said to have replied, "You cannot win me with bribes."
Whether the story is entirely true or not, it reflects the determination of two extraordinary businessmen whose rivalry shaped Kimberley's future.
The Birth of De Beers
In March 1888, Barnato finally agreed to merge Kimberley Central with Rhodes' De Beers organisation. Rhodes paid £5,338,650 for Kimberley Central's assets—then the largest sum ever written on a single cheque. Much of the payment went to the Barnato brothers, making them among the wealthiest men in the British Empire.
On 13 March 1888, De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited was formally incorporated. Barnato became one of its four life governors alongside Cecil Rhodes, Alfred Beit and Philipson-Stow, while Rhodes became the company's first chairman. Rhodes also supported Barnato's election to the Cape Parliament and sponsored his membership of the exclusive Kimberley Club—an extraordinary transformation for a man who had arrived in the town only fifteen years earlier as a struggling entertainer.
Barney Barnato was elected as Kimberley's representative in the Cape Parliament
Parliament and an Untimely Death
Barnato represented Kimberley in the Cape Parliament from 1889 until 1897. Despite his immense success, his final years were overshadowed by declining mental health.
While travelling to England aboard the Scot, Barnato reportedly jumped overboard and drowned in June 1897. Although his death has traditionally been recorded as suicide, some historians have questioned exactly what happened during his final hours at sea. He was buried in Willesden Jewish Cemetery in London.
Fanny Barnato
Barnato met Frances "Fanny" Bees in Kimberley during the mid-1870s. She worked as a barmaid at the Gresham Bar and occasionally appeared on stage at the Theatre Royal. The daughter of tailor Petrus Bees, Fanny was regarded as one of Kimberley's beauties.
Although the couple lived together for many years, they married in London on 19 November 1892. Their first child, Leah Primrose, was born the following year, followed by Isaac Henry ("Jack") and Woolf Joel ("Babe").
Frances Barnato ("Fanny" Bees)
Kimberley Central Headquarters
36 Stockdale Street remains one of Kimberley's most significant commercial buildings. Designed by the architectural firm White Cooper and completed in 1887 by Jones & Cole, it originally housed the headquarters of Barney Barnato's Kimberley Central Diamond Mining Company beneath its ground-floor verandah.
Following the creation of De Beers Consolidated Mines, the building continued to serve as the company's registered headquarters for more than a century, making it one of the most important surviving landmarks of Kimberley's diamond mining history.
36 Stockdale Street, Kimberley
Continue Exploring Kimberley
Whether your interests lie in history, culture, dining, shopping, entertainment, or simply discovering somewhere new, we hope these guides help you make the most of your time in Kimberley. If you're planning a visit to the City that Sparkles, Solomon Edwardian Guest House offers elegant accommodation in the historic suburb of Beaconsfield. Ideally situated for business and leisure travellers alike, The Solomon provides a comfortable base from which to explore.