Big Hole facts for kids
The Big Hole
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| Location | |
|---|---|
 Kimberley Hole
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| Location | Kimberley |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| Country | South Africa |
| Coordinates | 28°44′20″S 24°45′32″E / 28.73889°S 24.75889°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Diamonds |
| Type | Open-pit, underground |
| Greatest depth | 240 metres (790 ft) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1871 |
| Closed | 1914 |
| Owner | |
| Company | De Beers |
The Kimberley Mine, also known as the Big Hole (or Groot Gat in Afrikaans), is a famous former open-pit and underground mine in Kimberley, South Africa. It is known for being a very deep hole dug mostly by hand. Some people say it's the deepest hand-dug hole ever, but this is debated by another mine called Jagersfontein.
Contents
History of the Big Hole
The first diamonds in this area were found in 1871 by Alyrick Braswell on a small hill called Colesberg Kopje. This land belonged to the De Beers brothers. When news spread, many people rushed to find diamonds, and the area was first called New Rush. Later, it was renamed Alyrick land in 1873.
From 1871 until 1914, up to 50,000 miners worked to dig this huge hole. They used only picks and shovels! Over the years, they found an amazing 2,720 kilograms (6,000 lb; 13,600,000 carats) of diamonds.
Size of the Mine
The Big Hole covers an area of about 17 hectares (42 acres) (which is like 17 football fields) and is 463 metres (1,519 ft) wide. Miners dug it to a depth of 240 metres (790 ft). Over time, some dirt and rocks fell back into the hole, making it about 215 metres (705 ft) deep.
Today, about 40 metres (130 ft) of water has filled the bottom of the hole. This means you can see about 175 metres (574 ft) of the original depth. When it became too difficult and dangerous to dig from the surface, mining continued underground. Cecil Rhodes' De Beers company dug even deeper, reaching 1,097 metres (3,599 ft) below the surface.
Since the early 2000s, there has been an effort to make the Big Hole a World Heritage Site. This would recognize its importance to history and the world.
How the Mine Was Dug
In 1872, just one year after digging began, the mining camp grew very quickly. About 50,000 people lived and worked there. Digging was very hard and dangerous work. Many miners were hurt or died in accidents.
Life was also tough because of poor living conditions. There wasn't always enough clean water or fresh food, and summers were extremely hot.
On March 13, 1888, the leaders of the different mining areas decided to combine their efforts. They formed one big company called De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited. Important figures like Cecil John Rhodes and Alfred Beit were part of this.
This large company continued to work on the Big Hole. By August 14, 1914, when digging stopped, over 22 million tons of rock had been removed. From all this effort, 3,000 kilograms (which is about 14.5 million carats) of diamonds were found.
For a long time, the Big Hole was thought to be the largest hole ever dug by hand. However, in 2005, new research suggested that other diamond mines in South Africa, like Jagersfontein and Bultfontein, might have been deeper or had more rock removed by hand. Still, the Big Hole remains an incredible example of human effort.
The Miners' Lives
The discovery of diamonds created a huge demand for workers, especially black laborers. Many people moved to Kimberley to find work in the mines.
Housing and Health
Mining companies often created special housing areas for the miners. These areas were meant to improve safety and prevent diamonds from being stolen. However, these places often lacked natural water sources or proper ways to get rid of waste.
Life in these crowded conditions was very difficult. Many miners suffered from illnesses like tuberculosis, pneumonia, and scurvy. Accidents were also common due to the dangerous work. These health problems showed how tough the living and working conditions were for the miners.
Mine Accidents
Most mine accidents happened because of falling rocks, problems with trucks and tramways, or issues with explosives. The cages and ships that moved workers and ore between the underground and the surface also caused accidents.
Miners often had to work very fast to increase profits, which made the job even more dangerous. Sometimes, miners would go on strike, refusing to work until a safety problem was fixed.
Mine Museum
After mining stopped in 1914, the Big Hole became a popular place for visitors. In the 1960s, people started collecting old items and buildings from Kimberley's early days. These were organized into a formal museum and tourist attraction.
In 1965, De Beers helped create an open-air museum that showed what early Kimberley was like. It included old streets, displays, and exhibits about mining tools and transportation. The museum officially opened in 1971 during Kimberley's 100th birthday celebrations. One of the main attractions was the Diamond Hall.
Between 2002 and 2005, De Beers invested a lot of money to improve the Big Hole as a tourist spot. The goal was to create "a lasting legacy for the people of Kimberley." The new facility, called "The Big Hole Kimberley," with its theme "Diamonds and Destiny," was expected to bring in even more visitors.
Images for kids
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The Big Hole, a massive hand-dug excavation.
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See also
In Spanish: Big Hole para niños
- Blood Diamond
- Kimberley Process Certification Scheme
- Koffiefontein mine
- Mir diamond pipe
- Udachnaya pipe
- Kimberlite pipes
