1884 in South Africa
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The following lists events that happened during 1884 in South Africa.
Incumbents
- Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Hercules Robinson.
- Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
- State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
- State President of the South African Republic: Paul Kruger.
- Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: Thomas Charles Scanlen (until 12 May), Thomas Upington (starting 12 May).
Events
- April
- 24 – Germany occupies German South-West Africa.
- July
- 24 – Barberton is declared a town.
- August
- 5 – The Republic of Vryheid is established in northern Natal.
- 7 – Walvisbaai is occupied by the Cape Colony.
- November
- 3 – Imvo Zabantsundu (Xhosa: The Native People's Opinion of South Africa), South Africa's first newspaper by and for Black people, is founded by John Tengo Jabavu in King William's Town.[1]
- 15 – The Berlin Conference commences when 14 countries (Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, Turkey, and United States of America) meet in Berlin to each claim their part of Africa.
- December
- 1 – The private Kowie Railway line between Grahamstown and Port Alfred is opened to traffic.[2]
Births
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Deaths
- 8 February – Zulu king Cetshwayo. (b. 1826)
Railways
Railway lines opened
- 31 March – Cape Midland – Noupoort to De Aar, to link up with the Cape Western System, 69 miles 6 chains (111.2 kilometres).[3]
- May – Natal – Pietermaritzburg to Merrivale, 15 miles 19 chains (24.5 kilometres).[4]
- 16 September – Cape Eastern – Sterkstroom to Molteno, 20 miles 69 chains (33.6 kilometres).[3]
- 3 November – Cape Western – Victoria West Road to Oranjerivier, 150 miles 69 chains (242.8 kilometres).[3]
- 1 December – Kowie – Port Alfred to Grahamstown, 44 miles (70.8 kilometres).[4]
Locomotives
- The Cape Government Railways places two experimental 3rd Class 4-4-0 tender and four experimental 4th Class 4-6-0 tank-and-tender locomotives in service, designed by the Cape Eastern System to be able to use the low-grade local coal with its high content of incombustible matter.[5][6]
References
- ^ "Imvo Zabantsundu: a Brief History". National Heritage Monument of South Africa website. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, pp. 12-13.
- ^ a b c Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
- ^ a b Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 182, ref. no. 200954-13
- ^ Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
- ^ C.G.R. Numbering Revised, Article by Dave Littley, SA Rail May–June 1993, pp. 94-95.