The Solomon ⇆ Explore Kimberley ⇆ History & Heritage ⇆ Museums & Galleries ⇆ Dunluce

The Solomon ⇆ Explore Kimberley ⇆ History & Heritage ⇆ Buildings & Memorials ⇆ Dunluce

Dunluce – The John Orr House

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.

Dunluce – A Kimberley Landmark

Standing proudly at 10 Lodge Road in Belgravia, Dunluce is one of Kimberley's most magnificent historic homes. Its sweeping two-storey verandahs, intricate timber fretwork, decorative gables and elegant red-brick façade make it one of the finest surviving examples of Victorian domestic architecture in South Africa. Designed by renowned Kimberley architect Daniel Westwood Greatbatch in 1897, the house has been home to diamond merchants, retail pioneers and museum curators. Today it forms part of the McGregor Museum and remains one of the architectural highlights of Kimberley's famous heritage precinct.

Lillianville – The Beginning

Dunluce was originally built in 1897 for Gustav Bonas, one of Kimberley's leading diamond buyers and merchants. DW Greatbatch designed the residence under its original name, Lillianville, creating an elegant home that reflected Kimberley's prosperity and confidence during the height of the diamond boom. Greatbatch would become one of Kimberley's most influential architects. His work includes Kimberley Girls' High School, numerous distinguished Belgravia homes, the Kimberley Club, parts of St Cyprian's Cathedral and the supervision of the Honoured Dead Memorial. Even today, Dunluce remains one of the finest surviving examples of his residential work.

John Orr and the House Called Dunluce

In 1902, the house entered a new chapter when it was purchased by the famous retailer John Orr for the remarkable sum of £6,400—including all of its furniture and fittings. Orr renamed the house Dunluce, after the dramatic medieval castle overlooking the Atlantic coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, his birthplace. The name has remained ever since. After moving to Dunluce, Orr became one of Kimberley's leading civic figures. He served on numerous committees, was twice elected Mayor of Kimberley, helped bring about the amalgamation of Kimberley and Beaconsfield, and became Deputy Mayor of the newly united city in 1913 under Mayor Sir Ernest Oppenheimer.

John Orr lived here until his death in 1932. Afterwards, his eldest daughter, Eileen, and her family continued to occupy the house until 1975, making Dunluce the home of the Orr family for more than 70 years. Because many of the original furnishings remained with the house, Dunluce preserves a rare and authentic glimpse into the lifestyle of one of Kimberley's most prominent families.

Surviving the Siege of Kimberley

Although completed only a few years before the Anglo-Boer War, Dunluce quickly became part of Kimberley's wartime history. During the Siege of Kimberley (1899–1900), Dunluce narrowly escaped destruction when a Boer Long Tom shell fell short and crashed through the roof, causing havoc in a rear bedroom and the breakfast room. The room was painstakingly repaired after the war and remains one of the house's most fascinating reminders that even Kimberley's grandest homes lay within range of the Boer artillery.

A House Designed for Kimberley's Climate

Dunluce is a masterpiece of Victorian residential architecture adapted for the hot climate of the Northern Cape.

Its broad wrap-around verandahs shade both floors from the summer sun, while high ceilings, generous windows and spacious rooms allow natural ventilation throughout the house. Decorative timber fretwork, beautifully detailed balustrades and finely crafted gables demonstrate the skill of local craftsmen working during Kimberley's golden age. The mature gardens surrounding the house further enhance its beauty and contribute to the leafy character for which Lodge Road is renowned.

Saving Dunluce – The 1975–1976 Restoration

By the mid-1970s, Dunluce faced an uncertain future. When the property came onto the market in 1975, one prospective purchaser intended to demolish the house and replace it with a block of flats. Concerned that one of Kimberley's finest Victorian homes might be lost forever, the McGregor Museum worked with the Orr family to find an alternative.

Barlow Rand purchased the house and its contents on behalf of the Museum. Under the agreement, the company funded the restoration while using the house as accommodation for its Kimberley manager for ten years, with an option to extend the arrangement for a further five years. The Trustees of the McGregor Museum accepted the generous offer in November 1975, ensuring the long-term preservation of the property.

Restoration began with meticulous documentation. Every room was photographed, every item catalogued and carefully marked so that furnishings could be returned to their original positions. Architects studied Daniel Westwood Greatbatch's original plans, family photographs and historical records before deciding to restore the exterior largely to its appearance shortly after John Orr took ownership in 1903. The eight-month restoration was completed in 1976 at a cost of approximately R36,000, and Dunluce was officially handed over to the McGregor Museum on 24 October 1976 by C. S. Barlow, Chairman of the Barlow Rand Group.

Dunluce on the Silver Screen

In November 2003, Dunluce became part of a European film production filmed in Lodge Road. To recreate the atmosphere of early twentieth-century Kimberley, sections of Lodge Road were temporarily covered with compacted earth, modern features were concealed, and several historic buildings received sympathetic exterior paintwork. Remarkably little alteration was required to transform the street into a convincing Edwardian setting. Few streets in South Africa retain such an intact collection of late Victorian and Edwardian buildings, making Lodge Road an ideal period film location.

The photographs taken during the production have themselves become part of Dunluce's story. Together with photographs taken only a few months earlier, they provide a unique record of the house immediately before filming and more than twenty years before its major restoration in 2024 (see below).

Conserving a Kimberley Treasure – 2024

Nearly fifty years after the landmark restoration of 1976, Dunluce again required significant conservation work. During 2024, specialist craftsmen restored the famous verandahs, repaired timber balustrades, renewed roofing, gutters and rainwater systems, and carefully conserved many of the building's original architectural features. The project formed part of a wider programme to preserve several of the McGregor Museum's historic properties, ensuring that Dunluce will continue to inspire visitors for generations to come.

More than 125 years after it was built, Dunluce remains one of Kimberley's architectural masterpieces. Its remarkable survival, careful conservation and rich family history make it much more than an impressive Victorian house—it is one of the city's finest links with the era that transformed a dusty diamond camp into one of the world's most famous mining towns.

The Historic Gardens

The gardens at Dunluce were maintained for more than fifty years by Charlie Dzene, whose dedication helped establish them as one of Kimberley's best-known private gardens. They hosted numerous weddings, receptions and community gatherings and formed an important part of the property's history. While the gardens have inevitably changed over the years, the mature trees continue to frame one of Kimberley's finest Victorian homes. 

Did You Know?

When John Orr purchased Dunluce in 1902, the sale included not only the house but also all of its furniture and fittings. Many of these original furnishings still remain in the house today, giving visitors a rare glimpse into the lifestyle of one of Kimberley's most influential families. Another local tradition holds that Dunluce's swimming pool was the first private swimming pool built in Kimberley.