Kimberley Archaeological Route The Kimberley Archaeological Route was designed to vastly enhance the attractiveness of Kimberley and surrounds by serving the visitor a really interesting, attractive, photographic and educational experience, ‘fast food’ style.

It was created to fill a vacuum between the Anglo-Boer War Battlefields and the alluvial diamond diggings which are situated quite far apart. In this way, we tried to make traveling long distances between attractions in our region more palatable to the tourist by breaking his\her journey in a value-adding manner.
This Route is launched to better satisfy present needs of travelers. It is a response to our awareness of more and more people being interested in the origins of man and the history and lifestyles of indigenous peoples.
In essence the Route intends to literally dust off (pun intended) forgotten history and give recognition to the fantastic research work being done by our local archaeologists. It also intends to firmly put into the spotlight lesser known attractions of Kimberley and the Diamond Fields and afford the traveler the opportunity to take photographs of cultural and historical sites.
The Route is a forerunner or rather window to the more expansive and intensive ‘History of Humanities’ route by the McGregor Museum.
The brand new exciting ‘Ancestor’s Display’ at the McGregor Museum in Atlas Street serves as the departure point to the Kimberley Archaeological Route. Thereafter, visitors will be afforded the rare opportunity to go ‘backstage’ at the Archaeological Department of the museum. This will afford them the opportunity to view the largest hand ax found in the world, an ax that was found at Canteen Kopje, the last site visited on the route. Other important archaeological artefacts will also be on view.
Tourists will visit the !Khu & Kwe San Cultural Centre at Platfontein where they can view San artists working on their paintings, creating bows and arrows and engraving ostrich eggs. Very appropriately the next visit will be Wildebeeskuil with its vast array of important San rock engravings and panoramic views of Platfontein Farm. Thereafter tourists will visit the Nooitgedaght glacial pavings and Canteen Kopje. The latter is a wonderful site offering a glimpse of the early river diamond diggings history.
Visitors who consider doing the Kimberley Archaeological Route are advised to wear comfortable hiking-style shoes and cotton clothing, sun screen and lip balm in summer. In winter wearing a wind jacket is recommended.
The Route will take up approximately a morning or afternoon of the traveler’s time. Due to the sensitivity in terms of conservation of some of the sites visited, the Kimberley Archaeological Route is a guided tour only. Experienced guides from the McGregor Museum will accompany the group and bookings must be made directly at the Archaeology Department of the museum by phoning (053)842-0099.

Steeped in exciting history, Kimberley and the Diamond Fields boast many traces of the past in its architectural heritage, historic sites and an array of splendid museums.

Atlas Street. Instigated by Cecil John Rhodes as the Kimberley Sanatorium in 1897, this magnificent building has seen many uses. Renamed the Hotel Belgrave in 1902, it later served as a convent school. The McGregor Museum, outgrowing its original building in town, moved its headquarters to here in the 1970s, and is today the principal research institution in the Northern Cape Province. Dazzling displays can be viewed on natural history and the environment, the origins of humankind and the history of the region, the Siege of Kimberley, Kimberley Regiment, Kimberley Firsts, religions of the world and the histories of churches on the Diamond Fields. Rhodes occupied two modest rooms here during the Kimberley Siege, which have been restored as part of the Siege Gallery. The museum has a popular gift shop and tea room.

Situated 160km west of Kimberley. Named after Mary, daughter of the famous missionary Robert Moffat, who became wife to David Livingstone. The museum depicts the early missionary and Griqua people’s history. The museum building, which was completed in 1928, served as a mission church and residence for the missionaries. Its most famous exhibit is the pulpit Robert Moffat used, dating back to 1821.

Chapel Street. This elegant building was a gift to the citizens of Kimberley from Margaret McGregor in memory of her late husband, Alexander, an early Mayor of Kimberley. The museum opened in 1907.

A reflection of late Victorian elegance and a fine example of the unique Kimberley architecture, this distinguished home was built in 1897 for Gustav Bonas. John Orr, a famous retailer in South Africa, bought the house in 1902. The house, which retains much of the original furnishings, has a wooden facade.

Situated at the Kimberley Golf Club, it is the first golfing museum in Africa. On display are trophies and golf artefacts from a century of golf in Kimberley including the famous putter of Freddie Tait. Tait was British amateur golf champion in 1896 and 1898. He was killed at Koodoosberg in 1900 during an Anglo-Boer War skirmish.

Kimberley is regarded as the cradle of aviation in South Africa. This museum is located on the site of the first flying school, established in 1912. It houses a life-size replica of the Compton-Paterson bi-plane as used for the training of pilots who included the nucleus of the future South African Air Force.

A humble building which served as the original headquarters for Rhodes¹ De Beers Diamond Mining Company. It consists of an entrance hall/waiting room, the board room dominated by the original table measuring four and a quarter metres long by one metre wide, an office, a study and a bedroom. Original diamond sorting equipment is on display. The De Beers Mine Viewing Platform from where visitors can view another of Kimberley¹s big holes, is situated next the Board Room.

Built as a small square home in 1888 for William Henry Solomon, it became the residence of the son of Charles Dunnell Rudd, an original partner of Cecil Rhodes. H.P. Rudd became a Director of the De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. The Rudd family added many rooms so that Rudd House, also known as The Bungalow, is today a magnificent rambling home of an early
diamond magnate.

Another unique and historic pub is the Halfway House in Dutoitspan Road. It also started off as a hotel and derived its name from being on the main thoroughfare between the then separate boroughs of Kimberley and Beaconsfield. In 1897 the Halfway House, as it was referred to, was moved to its present site because Rhodes wanted to build a sanatorium on the original site.
The Halfway House is steeped in tradition and is world-famous for being the original park and drink bar. Legend at the Half has it that the custom was started by Rhodes. It is said that rather than getting down from his horse, he was accustomed to taking his drink astride his mount. In 1880, the Halfway House was officially licenced to serve the passing trade in and on their vehicles. All you have to do today to be served a drink in your car is to hoot your horn for a friendly toot. So don¹t forget tradition - have your first beer in Kimberley served in the comfort of your own car! You can also try out the bar at the Phoenix Hotel, situated in Beaconsfield, which is virtually unchanged since 1885.
All bars serve wonderful pub grub at very reasonable prices and the locals are always game for a good chat and shared gossip.

Harry Oppenheimer, a giant in the world diamond mining industry and late Chairperson of De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd, was born in this house built for his father, Sir Ernest, in 1907. The Oppenheimers lived there until 1915 after which they relocated to Johannesburg. Harry Oppenheimer died in August 2000. The building is today used as a private
hotel.

Located in Angel Street. Together with a library for African literature, there are displays on Plaatje¹s life and on the role of African involvement in the Anglo-Boer War. The building was originally Isaiah Bud M’belle’s house bought for Plaatje in 1929 by the Kimberley residents. M’belle was Plaatje’s brother-in-law.

One of the best research libraries in South Africa. It contains a wealth of material on Africa, the Northern Cape and Kimberley in particular. There are special collections of old and rare books too such as Dr Robert Moffat¹s own copy of his translation of the Old Testament into Setswana, a local indigenous language. The library opened in 1887 as a public library and the building retains many of its original features like a wrought-iron gallery spiral staircase and antique furniture.

Situated some 35 kilometres from Kimberley, displays in this quaint museum feature archaeological and geological specimens of Canteen Kopje, an early river diamond digging, Klipdrift Diggers Republic, and many richly illustrated aspects of life on the early Diamond Fields. Much of the collection was assembled by Mining Commissioner, Gideon Retief, in the 1940s.