Today in Kimberley's History
January 4th
"Every day has a story about Kimberley's past."
On this day...
The fourth day of January reveals both the dangers of life inside besieged Kimberley and another chapter in the city's role during the Anglo-Boer War. In 1900, residents narrowly escaped disaster when a fire threatened a hotel in the heart of the town, while a year later Kimberley became the site of one of the war's concentration camps.
1900 - Fire in a Besieged Town
81 days into the Siege of Kimberley
The early hours of 4 January 1900 brought a new danger to Kimberley—not from Boer artillery, but from fire.
In The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley, October 1899 to February 1900, Winifred Heberden described being awakened before dawn by what she first thought was the Town Hall clock striking. As she counted the irregular sounds, she realised it was a fire bell. Looking from her hotel window, she saw smoke and flames pouring from the roof of a neighbouring shop.
Dr Jack Heberden hurriedly dressed, prepared to carry their young son Reggie downstairs wrapped in a blanket, while Winifred gathered the family's belongings into two sheets in case they had to flee. Smoke quickly filled the passages as anxious guests assembled in the hotel foyer surrounded by hastily packed bags, boxes and bundles.
The situation became increasingly alarming when the fire engine arrived but no water reached the hoses. Fortunately, George Labram, the brilliant De Beers engineer responsible for many of Kimberley's wartime defences, was staying at the hotel. Realising the problem, he rushed to a nearby De Beers fire hydrant and turned on the water supply himself. Moments later, a powerful stream of water reached the firefighters, preventing the flames from spreading to the hotel.
The burning building, one of Kimberley's oldest timber-and-iron shops, was soon destroyed, but by 7.00 am the danger had passed.
Later that morning, another troop of mounted men returned after escorting a gun under the cover of darkness to Otto's Kopje, where Lieutenant Dunbar's men occupied bomb-proof shelters protected by mines and artillery while facing Boer positions at Kamfersdam and Carter's Ridge.
Amid the hardships of war came one small piece of hopeful news. Water would now be supplied each afternoon to allow residents to irrigate their gardens. Many people immediately began buying vegetable seeds, hoping to supplement the town's increasingly scarce food supplies.
Did You Know?
Even during the siege, Kimberley's residents continued planting vegetable gardens wherever they could. Fresh produce became increasingly valuable as food shortages worsened and military rationing tightened.
1901 - Kimberley's Boer Concentration Camp Established
On this day in 1901, the Kimberley Concentration Camp for Boer civilians was formally established by the Kimberley Town Commandant.
The camp accommodated the families of Boer combatants from the Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and Bechuanaland who had been displaced during the Anglo-Boer War. It also housed Black refugees who had been caught up in the conflict, although they were generally accommodated separately and under different conditions.
The Kimberley camp formed part of the wider concentration camp system established during the war. While conditions varied between camps, overcrowding, disease and poor sanitation resulted in significant suffering throughout the network.
The Kimberley camp remained in operation until January 1903, several months after the war had ended, as families gradually returned to rebuild their lives.
Today, the concentration camps remain one of the most painful and debated aspects of the Anglo-Boer War, serving as a reminder of the immense human cost of the conflict for civilians of all communities.
Did You Know?
The Anglo-Boer War concentration camps housed not only Boer women and children but also thousands of Black Africans displaced by the conflict. Both groups endured extremely difficult living conditions, though their experiences are often remembered differently in history.
Can't find a Kimberley connection for a particular date? Our Today in Kimberley's History collection is continually expanding as we research Kimberley's rich history. If you know of a notable local event that occurred on a specific date, we'd love to hear from you using the Contact Us page.
Kimberley's Story Continues
These are just two of the many events that helped shape Kimberley. Every date on the calendar reveals another chapter in the city's remarkable history.
Continue exploring...