Barberton, South Africa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barberton
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 Barberton
Location in Mpumalanga
Barberton
Location in South Africa
Barberton
Location in Africa
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| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Mpumalanga |
| District | Ehlanzeni |
| Municipality | Mbombela |
| Established | 1884 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 37.74 km2 (14.57 sq mi) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 11,997 |
| • Density | 317.89/km2 (823.32/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 44.2% |
| • Coloured | 8.5% |
| • Indian/Asian | 4.9% |
| • White | 41.9% |
| • Other | 0.4% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 47.9% |
| • English | 22.7% |
| • Swazi | 20.8% |
| • Zulu | 2.2% |
| • Other | 6.4% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) |
1300
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| PO box |
1300
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| Area code | 013 |
| Website | [1] |
Barberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It started in the 1880s because of a big gold rush in the area. The town is located in the De Kaap Valley and is surrounded by the Makhonjwa Mountains. It is about 43 kilometers south of Mbombela and 360 kilometers east of Johannesburg.
Barberton used to be the main town for the Umjindi Local Municipality. But in 2016, this municipality joined with the Mbombela Local Municipality.
Contents
Discover Barberton's Past
Ancient History of Barberton
The mountains around Barberton are super old, about 3.5 billion years old! They have some of the oldest rocks on Earth that you can see. These rocks, called the Barberton Greenstone Belt, show us what life was like on the very early Earth.
In the satellite picture, the bare mountain peaks look light grey-green. This is because of the sunlight and shadows. Darker green areas show plants and trees. In the valleys, bright green spots might be grassy areas or farms with good water. The bright green circles north of Barberton are from special watering systems for crops.
Scientists found the first sign of life on Earth here in 1967. It was a tiny fossil of a bacterium, named Archaeosphaeroides barbertonensis. It is believed to be 3.26 billion years old!
The Gold Rush in Barberton
In 1881, gold was found in the Barberton area by Tom McLachlan. But not many people wanted to go there because the hot lowveld region had a lot of malaria. Then, on June 20, 1883, Auguste Roberts, also known as "French Bob," found more gold. This discovery started a big gold rush!
On June 21, 1884, Graham Barber and his cousins, Fred and Harry, told the government they found a lot of gold. After an investigation, the town of Barberton was officially created on July 24, 1884. The town was named after Graham Hoare Barber, who found a rich gold area in 1884. Barberton became a proper town with its own government in 1904.
At first, it was just a simple mining camp. But it grew quickly when Edwin Bray found more gold in 1885. He and 14 partners started the Sheba Reef Gold Mining Company.
Lots of money came into Barberton. The first Stock Exchange in the Transvaal opened there. More buildings were built, and places like billiard halls and music halls opened. The Criterion and Royal Standard hotels also opened. In 1896, a railway line connected Barberton to other major towns.
Gold mining in Barberton was very successful for a short time. But soon, people started moving to new gold fields that were found elsewhere.
One of the mines in the Barberton area is owned by Pan African Resources. In 2016, 87 miners were rescued after a cave-in at the Makonjwaan Gold Mine.
Songimvelo Game Reserve
This reserve is located in the Barberton Mountain lands. It is the largest reserve managed by the Mpumalanga Parks Board, covering over 500 square kilometers. It's a great place to see wildlife and nature.
Interesting Facts About Barberton
- The popular flower, the Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii), was found here in 1889 by Robert Jameson.
- During the Second Boer War, the British built many concentration camps. One of these camps, for Boer women and children, was located southwest of Barberton.
- The Sheba mine is one of the oldest and richest working gold mines in the world. It has been producing gold for over 100 years and is expected to continue for many more decades.
- Pat Pattle, a famous pilot from World War II, worked at the Sheba mine for a short time.
- Barberton was home to Sir Percy FitzPatrick, who wrote the famous book Jock of the Bushveld.
- The town of Barberton is featured in Bryce Courtenay's novel The Power of One as the main character's hometown.
- A character in a Sherlock Holmes story, "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax," became rich from gold in Barberton.
Schools in Barberton
High Schools
- Barberton High School
- Emjindini High School
- Chief Funwako High School
- Kwamhola Secondary School
- Barberton Secondary School
- Gateway Christian School
Primary Schools
- Barberton Primary School
- Ekucathuzeni Primary School
- Mhola Primary School
- Sikhutsele Primary School
- Amon Nkosi Primary School
- Glenthorpe Primary School
- Ngwane Primary School
- SA Makam Primary School
- Khanyisile Primary School
- Fairview Primary School
- Ekhiyeni Primary School
- Mountain View Primary School
- Kaapvallei Primary School
Barberton's Coat of Arms
By 1931, the Barberton town government had its own coat of arms. This special symbol was officially registered in 1969. The local government that took over, the Umjindi local municipality, used these arms. However, in 2016, the Umjindi local municipality was closed, and Barberton is now part of the Mbombela Local Municipality.
The coat of arms shows a shield divided into two parts. The top part has a golden machine used for crushing ore (called a stamp battery) on a green background. The bottom part has three Barberton daisies on a golden background. Above the shield, there is an impala's head. The motto is Consilio et labore, which means "By counsel and labor."
Famous People from Barberton
- Joan Morice, the first woman to become a qualified veterinarian in South Africa.
- Sbu Nkosi, a player for the South Africa national rugby union team.
- Christiaan Papenfus, a cricketer.
- Dr Enos Mabuza, a teacher and activist who fought against apartheid.
