1900 – The First Train Returns to Kimberley

5 days since the lifting of the Siege of Kimberley

After 124 days of isolation, one of the most welcome sights in Kimberley was the arrival of a train.

Winifred Heberden recorded the excitement that spread through the town when news arrived after dinner that the first train had reached Kimberley. It was not carrying passengers or supplies, but a construction train bringing a party of Royal Engineers who had worked tirelessly to repair the railway line between Modder River and Kimberley after the Boer withdrawal. The train had left Modder River only a few days earlier, a remarkable achievement considering the damage that had been inflicted on the railway during the campaign.

The train's arrival symbolised far more than the restoration of a transport link. During the siege, Kimberley had been cut off from the outside world. Food had been rationed, communication was severely restricted, and families had endured months without reliable contact with loved ones beyond the besieged town. Now, at last, that isolation was coming to an end.  Winifred also recorded another small but deeply significant moment: "Some people have already left for Modder River in carts, so we have been able to send off letters by them to be posted there." For the first time in months, letters could leave Kimberley again. News of survival, relief and reunion would soon be travelling across South Africa and beyond.

Meanwhile, the war continued. Dr Jack Heberden received orders to join a medical column travelling towards Barkly West, where military operations and the care of wounded soldiers remained a priority. With the railway reopening and communications restored, Kimberley was no longer an isolated fortress. It was once again becoming part of the wider Cape Colony.

Did You Know?

The first train to reach Kimberley after the siege was a construction train carrying Royal Engineers. Their work helped restore the railway severed during the South African War, reconnecting the Diamond City with the outside world.

1992 – Sol Plaatje's Home Opens to the Nation

On 20 February 1992, one of Kimberley's most treasured historic houses officially opened as the Sol Plaatje Museum & Library. Located in Angel Street in the former Malay Camp, the modest house was the home of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje from 1918 until his death in 1932. It was here that he wrote, translated literature, edited newspapers and campaigned tirelessly for justice and equal rights.

The museum was the first in South Africa dedicated to the life and achievements of a black political leader. Its opening represented an important step in recognising a chapter of South African history that had too often been overlooked. Today, visitors can explore the rooms where Plaatje lived and worked, gaining insight into the life of one of South Africa's greatest intellectuals. The museum preserves photographs, documents, books and personal artefacts that tell the story of a remarkable man whose influence extended far beyond Kimberley.

Only a short distance away, Plaatje rests in West End Cemetery, while his former home continues to inspire new generations with his vision of justice, education and reconciliation.

Did You Know?

The Sol Plaatje Museum & Library was the first museum in South Africa dedicated to a black nationalist leader, and it preserves the home where Sol Plaatje lived and worked during the final years of his life.