Foundation Stone of St Cyprian’s Cathedral Chancel – 1913

On this day, 22 September 1913, the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, Viscount Gladstone, laid the foundation stone for the Chancel of St Cyprian’s Cathedral in Kimberley, including the Choir and Sanctuary. The ceremony marked the start of the second major phase of the Cathedral's construction. The first phase had been completed in 1907–1908, and five years later there was considerable optimism that the remaining work would follow.

Plans were already looking beyond the Chancel. In 1914 a fund was established for the construction of the Cathedral tower, but the outbreak of the First World War brought further building work to a halt. As a result, the Chancel was not completed until 1926, thirteen years after Viscount Gladstone laid its foundation stone. The Cathedral itself continued to develop over several decades. The long-planned tower was eventually completed and dedicated in 1961, almost half a century after the tower fund had first been established.

The history of St Cyprian’s Cathedral therefore reflects not only Kimberley's growth in the early twentieth century, but also how two world wars and changing circumstances repeatedly interrupted the ambitions of those who built it.

Demonstrators arrested - 1952

The Defiance Campaign started in Kimberley on 16th September 1952 when 12 Africans were arrested after they used the main entrance of the railway station and sat on "whites only" seats. Among those arrested was Dr Arthur Letele the chairman of the No. 2 Location ANC Branch. A second group were arrested when they entered Kimberley's Market Square without their passes on 22nd September 1952. The DFA newspaper reported that "all were giving the African National Congress salute".