Today in Kimberley's History
January 22nd
"Every day has a story about Kimberley's past."
On this day...
The twenty-second of January links two very different chapters of South African history. In 1837, Piet Retief completed the manifesto explaining why thousands of Voortrekkers intended to leave the Cape Colony. More than sixty years later, Kimberley remained under siege, but Long Cecil was already making its presence felt beyond the town's defences.
1837 – Piet Retief Completes the Great Trek Manifesto
On this day in 1837, Piet Retief completed the manifesto outlining why thousands of frontier farmers intended to leave the Cape Colony, which became known as the Great Trek.
Published a few days later in the Graham's Town Journal, the document outlined the grievances of many Dutch-speaking settlers living along the eastern frontier. Retief argued that farmers were dissatisfied with British colonial rule, believing that the government had failed to provide adequate protection during frontier conflicts while limiting the role of Boer commandos. He also referred to growing shortages of affordable farmland, changes to labour laws following Ordinance 50, and broader concerns about the direction of colonial administration. Between 1834 and 1840, approximately 15,000 emigrants left the Cape Colony to establish new communities beyond British control.
Although Kimberley had not yet been founded, the movement would later influence the settlement and political history of the interior, including the territories that eventually became the Diamond Fields and the Northern Cape. Today, historians recognise that the Great Trek was driven by a complex combination of political, economic and social factors, while also profoundly affecting the African communities whose lands the Voortrekkers entered.
Did You Know?
When diamonds were discovered in Griqualand West thirty years later, descendants of both Voortrekkers and British settlers were among the thousands who travelled to the Diamond Fields in search of fortune.
1900 – Long Cecil Frightens the Boer Camp
99 days into the Siege of Kimberley
On 22 January 1900, Long Cecil continued to demonstrate its value as Kimberley's newest weapon.
In The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley, October 1899 to February 1900, Winifred Heberden described an early morning operation led by Colonel Peakman near the Lazaretto. British troops attempted to surprise Boer fighters who had repeatedly stolen corrugated iron from abandoned houses around Taylor's Kopje to strengthen their shelters on Carter's Ridge.
When the Boers discovered the movement, a fierce exchange of rifle fire followed—one of the heaviest since the death of Colonel Scott-Turner earlier in the siege. Fortunately, the British force suffered no casualties, although the Boer raiders escaped.
Later that day, however, Kimberley's defenders enjoyed an unexpected success. A Boer dispatch rider travelling towards Kamfersdam was captured by men stationed at Otto's Kopje. Among the letters he carried was one describing the effect of Long Cecil on Boer morale. The writer recalled sitting down to enjoy a meal of sweet pap when Kimberley's new gun unexpectedly landed a shell in the middle of their camp: "You should have seen our people run. I was busy with my sweet pap and had to leave everything behind and run. It is better here."
The intercepted letter confirmed what Kimberley's residents had hoped: Long Cecil was not only reaching its targets but was also disrupting Boer positions and forcing the enemy to relocate.
Did You Know?
Several intercepted Boer letters described the surprise caused by Long Cecil, confirming that Kimberley's home-built gun had achieved both military and psychological success.
1900 - News from the Outside World
Despite being surrounded, Kimberley remained determined to stay informed. Winifred noted that a new arrangement had been made with Reuters, allowing news messages of at least 40 words to be transmitted each day or night using heliograph mirrors during daylight and flash lamps after dark.
Although brief by modern standards, these messages provided valuable updates from the outside world, helping sustain morale among the town's isolated population. Reliable communication remained one of the greatest challenges of the siege, making every successful transmission an important achievement.
Did You Know?
Before radio became practical, heliographs could transmit Morse code over many kilometres using reflected sunlight, making them an invaluable military communication system during the South African War.
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.
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