1860 in South Africa

← 1859 1858 1857 1860 in South Africa → 1861 1862 1863
Decades:	1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1860 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir George Grey.[1][2]
• Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: John Scott.
• State President of the Orange Free State:
  • Esaias Reynier Snijman (acting until 7 February).[3]
  • Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (from 8 February).[3]
• President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic:
  • Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (until 14 September).[4]
  • Johannes Hermanus Grobler (acting from 15 September until 5 December).[4]
  • Stephanus Schoeman (acting from 6 December).[4]

Events

February

• 8 – Marthinus Wessel Pretorius becomes State President of the Orange Free State.[3]

May

• 1 – The seat of the South African Republic (ZAR) government is officially transferred from Potchefstroom to Pretoria.
• 4 – The Orange Free State signs a peace treaty with Moshoeshoe I at Wittebergen, near Winburg, ending the first Basuto War.

June

Official Opening of the Natal Railway Company

• 26 – The Natal Railway Company officially opens the first revenue-earning railway line in South Africa, a 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) line from Market Square in Durban to the newly built Point station at Durban Harbour.[5]

September

• 15 – Johannes Hermanus Grobler becomes acting President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic.[4]
• 17 – The Alfred Dock in Table Bay, Cape Town is officially opened by sixteen-year-old Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria.

December

• 6 – Stephanus Schoeman unconstitutionally ousts J.H. Grobler as acting President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic.[4]

Unknown date

• The first indenture of Indian workers arrive in Natal to work in the sugar industry.
• The first telegraph service in South Africa starts operating between Cape Town and Simonstown.
• The penny post is started in Cape Town.

Births

• 29 April – John Robinson Royston, soldier and farmer, is born in Durban.

Deaths

Railways

Railway lines opened

Cape Town Railway & Dock 0-4-2

• 26 June – Natal – Durban to Point, 2 miles (3.2 kilometres).[6]

Locomotives

• 20 March – The Cape Town Railway and Dock Company takes delivery of eight broad gauge 0-4-2 tender locomotives for service on the Cape Town-Wellington line, which is still under construction.[5]
• 13 May – The Natal Railway Company's first locomotive, the broad gauge engine "Natal", is landed at Durban.[5]

References

1. "Sir George Grey (1812–1898)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
2. "Botswana". World Statesmen. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
3. "Orange Free State: Heads of State: 1854-1902". Archontology. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
4. "South African Republic: Heads of State: 1857-1877". Archontology. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
5. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 11, 13, 15–16, 20–21, 23, 84. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
6. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13