1871 in South Africa

	1871 in South Africa
1868 1869 1870 « 1871 » 1872 1873 1874
List of years in South Africa

Events

• 27 October – British forces marched into Klipdrift Republic and annexed the territory calling it Griqualand West colony

Unknown date

• Gold is discovered in the Pilgrim's Rest area.
• An 83.50 carats (16.700 g) diamond is discovered and leads to a diamond rush. The town of New Rush springs up.
• A mail route is established from Cape Town to the diamond fields.
• Britain annexes the diamond fields of Kimberley and Griqualand West.
• Griqua claims to the diamond fields are recognised and Griqua leader Waterboer seeks British protection.
• Diamond mining stimulates migrant labour, with two-thirds of the black workers coming from Limpopo valley.

Births

• 9 January – Eugène Nielen Marais, lawyer, naturalist, poet and writer, is born in Pretoria.

Deaths

• 4 October – Sarel Cilliers (70), Voortrekker leader and preacher, dies on his farm near Lindley, Free State

Railways

Namaqualand Railway mule train

Railway lines opened

• 18 February – Namaqualand – Port Nolloth to Muishondfontein, 44 miles 40 chains (71.6 kilometres).^[1]

Locomotives

• Two 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge 0-6-0 tank locomotives are placed in service by the Cape of Good Hope Copper Mining Company, the first steam locomotives to enter service on the hitherto mule-powered Namaqualand Railway between Port Nolloth and the Namaqualand copper mines around O'okiep in the Cape Colony.^[1]

References

1. Bagshawe, Peter (2012). Locomotives of the Namaqualand Railway and Copper Mines (1st ed.). Stenvalls. pp. 8–11. ISBN 978-91-7266-179-0.