1900 – Kimberley Breathes Again

2 days since the lifting of the Siege of Kimberley

For the first time in more than four months, life in Kimberley began to resemble something approaching normality.

Winifred Heberden recorded that her family left the safety of their temporary refuge in Beaconsfield and returned to their hotel in Kimberley. Others who had spent the final days of the siege sheltering deep underground in the De Beers Mine emerged into the bright sunlight after four and a half days below the surface. The fresh air came as a shock. Winifred wrote that many people "simply reeled about in the fresh air" after emerging from the mine. It was a vivid reminder of the physical and emotional toll the siege had taken on Kimberley's residents.

The town itself had changed overnight. Hotels that had once housed anxious civilians were now crowded with soldiers from across the British Empire. Colonial troops from Australia and New Zealand mingled with British regulars, each regiment distinguished by its own unique uniform and traditions. Winifred admired the emu feathers worn by the Australian mounted troops and the distinctive tiger-cat skin hatbands of the famous Rimington's Scouts.

Amid the excitement, there were personal reunions and anxious searches for loved ones. Dr Jack Heberden returned home exhausted after days spent with the mounted troops, having endured little sleep, little food and constant campaigning. After a well-earned bath and rest, he was soon looking for news of his brother Hector, who was serving with Rimington's Scouts somewhere beyond Kimberley. Although everyone seemed to know him, nobody could say exactly where he was. Messages were passed from scout to scout, with the hope that they would eventually reach him. For Kimberley's residents, ordinary concerns were beginning to replace the daily struggle for survival. It was the first real sign that the long siege had finally come to an end.

Did You Know?

Some Kimberley residents spent four and a half days underground during the final bombardment of the siege. Winifred Heberden recalled that many "simply reeled about in the fresh air" when they finally emerged into daylight.

1900 – The Battle of Paardeberg Begins

While Kimberley celebrated its freedom, events unfolding less than 50 kilometres to the east would shape the outcome of the South African War. Following the relief of Kimberley, General Piet Cronjé abandoned his entrenched position at Magersfontein and began retreating towards the Orange Free State with thousands of soldiers, wagons, families and livestock.

General John French's cavalry, having scarcely paused after relieving Kimberley, pursued the retreating Boer force. On 17 February 1900, French succeeded in overtaking Cronjé near the Modder River at Paardeberg Drift.

French's mounted troops seized the surrounding high ground and prevented Cronjé from continuing his retreat. Throughout the day, British reinforcements arrived, gradually surrounding the Boer laager. The Battle of Paardeberg had begun.

Over the following ten days, fierce fighting and relentless artillery bombardment would culminate in Cronjé's surrender on 27 February 1900—one of the most significant British victories of the war. For Kimberley, however, the battle meant something equally important. The Boer army that had besieged the town for 124 days was now on the defensive, and the immediate threat to the Diamond City had finally passed.

Did You Know?

The cavalry that relieved Kimberley on 15 February was back in action just two days later at Paardeberg, where General French helped trap General Piet Cronjé's army against the Modder River.