1877 – St Augustine's Church Opens in West End

On 2 March 1877, St Augustine's Church officially opened in Kimberley's West End, serving one of the rapidly expanding residential districts created during the diamond rush. As thousands of people flocked to Kimberley in search of fortune, churches became important centres of worship, education and community life. St Augustine's soon became a familiar landmark, ministering to generations of Kimberley families through times of prosperity, hardship and war. Today, it remains one of the city's oldest surviving places of worship and a reminder of the determination of Kimberley's early residents to establish permanent institutions in what had begun as a rough mining settlement.

Did You Know?

By the late 1870s, Kimberley had grown from a collection of mining camps into a thriving town with churches, schools, theatres, newspapers and substantial public buildings, reflecting its rapid transformation into southern Africa's leading diamond city.

1900 – Cecil Rhodes Leaves Kimberley After the Siege

On 2 March 1900, Cecil John Rhodes left Kimberley for Cape Town, just over two weeks after the town had been relieved following the 124-day Siege of Kimberley. His departure marked the end of one of the most dramatic episodes in Kimberley's history. Rhodes had remained in Kimberley throughout much of the siege, often frustrating the military authorities by becoming involved in civic affairs and encouraging the construction of the famous Long Cecil gun in the De Beers workshops.

His presence brought both inspiration and controversy, as he frequently challenged the cautious leadership of Colonel Robert Kekewich. With the arrival of Lord Roberts' relieving force on 15 February 1900, life gradually began returning to normal. Rhodes' departure on 2 March symbolised Kimberley's transition from a besieged frontier town back to the industrial heart of the world's diamond industry.