The First Fire at the Kimberley Club: 1886

Disaster struck on the evening of 1 November 1886. At about a quarter to eight, members dining downstairs were startled by a heavy thud from the floor above, followed by a succession of alarming crashes. Within minutes, passers-by on Du Toitspan Road saw smoke pouring from the upstairs windows, soon followed by flames. The fire had taken hold in the upper part of the clubhouse and spread with frightening speed.

17 days since the beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1899

​Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.

A long rumbling noise in the afternoon caused us all to run to our windows; and out of mine I saw a huge column of heavy white smoke rising up close to the scene of the fight on the 24th; and knowing that the dynamite for the mines was stored over there I came to the right conclusion - i.e. that the Boers had blown it up. Luckily all the mines for defence purposes surrounding Kimberley have already their proper amount of dynamite. Still, the loss of all this valuable material for De Beer's causes them much loss and annoyance.... Today the enemy showed up in very large numbers this side (the north) of Kimberley.