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Kimberley Accommodation: Nearby towns with accommodation:
Grootdrink Accommodation | Kakamas Accommodation | Kurumam Accommodation
Britstown Accommodation | Groblershoop Accommodation | Upington Accommodation
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluences of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War. Notable personalities such as Cecil John Rhodes, made their fortune here, and the roots of the De Beers corporation can also be traced to the early days of the mining town.
The city housed South Africa's first stock exchange, the Kimberley Royal Stock Exchange, which opened on 2 February 1881.
On 2 September 1882, Kimberley became the first town in the southern hemisphere to install electric street lighting.
The rising importance of Kimberley led to one of the earliest South African and International Exhibitions to be staged in Kimberley in 1892. It was opened by Sir Henry Loch, the then Governor of the Cape of Good Hope on the 8th of September. It presented exhibits of art, an exhibition of paintings from the royal collection of Queen Victoria and mining machinery and implements amongst other items. The exhibition aroused considerable interest at international level, which resulted in a competition for display space.
South Africa's first school of mines was opened here in 1896 and later relocated to Johannesburg, becoming the core of the University of the Witwatersrand. In fact the first two years were attended at colleges elsewhere in Cape Town, Grahamstown or Stellenbosch, the third year in Kimberley and the fourth year in Johannesburg. Buildings were constructed against a total cost of 9,000 pounds with De Beers contributing on a pound for pound basis.
Today, the Kimberley Mine Museum, situated next to the Big hole, is an important tourist attraction that houses a rich collection of articles and information from the early days of the city.
Pride of place is Cecil John Rhodes's grand railway carriage that carried him as governor of the Cape of Good Hope to the Rhodesia that he created. Also at the mine museum is the first house built in the developing Kimberley, as well as the first church.
Barney Barnato, Cecil John Rhodes's partner in the developing De Beers, had a boxing academy. This academy sits alongside the Rhodes rail carriage. On its walls is the framed original cheque signed by Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Barnato for £4,5 million pounds to establish the De Beers Consolidated mines.
The McGregor Museum, which celebrated its centenary in 2007, houses a wealth of knowledge about the history and ecology of the Northern Cape.
Kamfers Dam to the north of the town is an important wetland containing a breeding colony of Lesser Flamingos. Conservation initiatives in the area aim to bring people from the city in touch with its wildlife.
Kimberley Airport services the area, with regular scheduled flights from other parts of the country.
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