Kimberley reveals itself through a variety of stories: at the Big Hole, the focus is on diamonds, the people who searched for them, the tools they used and the wealth that resulted. Museums and memorials offer further perspectives on art, literature and the city’s history. When planning your trip, you can therefore start by choosing a theme: should diamond history be the main focus, or would you like to combine several cultural perspectives?
Diamond History at the Big Hole
The Big Hole site is wheelchair accessible. The visitor centre explores the multifaceted history of diamonds, the people who searched for them, the tools they used and the wealth that resulted. From there, visitors can join a tour led by a site guide; individuals and families do not need to book. This allows you to combine a visit to the centre with a guided exploration of the themes that shape the site.
The history of transport is also part of this story: the tramway established by the Victoria Tramways Company carried people to the Big Hole from 1887. It adds a perspective on how visitors reached the site at the time to the history of diamond prospecting.
Art, Literature and Photographic Collections
The William Humphreys Art Gallery is located in Kimberley’s Civic Centre and opened in 1952. It was named after its principal benefactor, William Benbow Humphreys (1889–1965). The gallery thus connects a specific location in the city with its own history.
The gallery’s activities include temporary exhibitions, enrichment classes for preschool children, arts and crafts workshops for unemployed women, lectures, video screenings and concerts. Art workshops are primarily aimed at children. If you want to plan around a specific event, check the current programme in advance; the formats listed offer different opportunities to engage with art, but do not indicate specific event dates.
The Sol Plaatje House Museum houses a library of African literature and presents exhibitions about Sol Plaatje’s life and the involvement of Africans in the Anglo-Boer War. Literature, a personal life story and a chapter of wartime history are thus presented as distinct topics. The Duggan-Cronin Gallery is an outpost of the McGregor Museum. It houses part of the photographic archive and collection of ethnographic artefacts belonging to photographer Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin (1874–1954). Its focus on photography and ethnographic artefacts sets it apart from the exhibitions and literature at the Sol Plaatje House Museum.
Memorials and Their Different Commemorative Purposes
The Honoured Dead Memorial is a provincial heritage site in Kimberley. It commemorates those who defended the city during the 124-day siege of the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902 and died in the process. The Malay Camp Memorial is dedicated to the people of Malay Camp who were forcibly removed from their homes between 1939 and 1959. The two memorials relate to different historical periods and events: one to the siege and its defenders, the other to forced removals.
If you are looking for a hotel in Kimberley, the themes described can be a helpful starting point for planning your trip. The Big Hole brings together diamond history and guided interpretation; the galleries and museums offer insights into art, literature and collections; the memorials highlight distinct aspects of history. Then choose which of these perspectives you would like to explore further during your stay.
Discover more destinations: West End, Hartswater, Barkly West.
Return to the main travel overview: Frances Baard.
