1905 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1905 in South Africa.

← 1904 1903 1902 1905 in South Africa → 1906 1907 1908
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa:Walter Hely-Hutchinson.
• Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Edward McCallum.
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: Leander Starr Jameson.
• Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony: Alfred Milner (until 7 June), William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne (starting 7 June).
• Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal: George Morris Sutton (until 16 May), Charles John Smythe (starting 16 May).

Events

January

• 26 – The Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond in the world at 3,106 carats (621.2 g), is discovered by Captain Frederick Wells at Cullinan.

Unknown date

• Non-whites are not given voting rights, except in the Cape Colony.
• The Cape Town City Hall in Darling Street is built.

Births

• 3 February – Herman Charles Bosman, writer and journalist, is born at Kuilsrivier, Cape Town. (d. 1951)
• 8 April – Helen Joseph, activist, is born in Sussex, England. (d. 1992)
• 5 July – Jock Cameron, cricketer. (d. 1935)
• 2 September – Harry Hart, athlete. (d. 1979)
• 4 September – Eileen Mary Challans, writer is born in Essex, England. (d. 1983)

Deaths

• 18 April – Enoch Sontonga, composer of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, dies at age 32.

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 1 February – Free State – Springfontein to Jagersfontein, 48 miles 13 chains (77.5 kilometres).[1]
• 1 March – Free State – Aberfeldy to Bethlehem, 44 miles 10 chains (71.0 kilometres).[1]
• 27 March – Transvaal – Rayton to Cullinan, 6 miles (9.7 kilometres).[1]
• 1 May – Cape Western – Hutchinson to Pampoenpoort, 48 miles 28 chains (77.8 kilometres).[2]
• 18 May – Cape Eastern – Xalanga to Elliot, 19 miles 27 chains (31.1 kilometres).[2]
• 1 August – Transvaal – Klerksdorp to Vierfontein (Free State), 17 miles 15 chains (27.7 kilometres).[1]
• 19 September – Cape Western – De Aar to Prieska, 112 miles 8 chains (180.4 kilometres).[2]
• 1 November – Cape Eastern – Komga to Eagle, 27 miles 4 chains (43.5 kilometres).[2]
• 1 November – Cape Midland – Humewood Road to Humansdorp (Narrow gauge), 68 miles 57 chains (110.6 kilometres).[2]
• 1 November – Natal – Elandskop to Donnybrook, 42 miles 38 chains (68.4 kilometres).[1]
• 2 November – Cape Eastern – Aliwal North to Lady Grey, 39 miles 65 chains (64.1 kilometres).[2]
• 1 December – Cape Western – Cape Town to Sea Point, 3 miles 51 chains (5.9 kilometres).[1][2]
• 16 December – Cape Western – Van der Stel to Strand, 2 miles 6 chains (3.3 kilometres).[2]
• 16 December – Free State – Modderpoort to Ladybrand, 7 miles (11.3 kilometres).[1]

Namaqualand 0-4-2T Britannia

NGR Class A

CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT

• 18 December – Free State – Marseilles to Maseru in Basutoland, 16 miles 32 chains (26.4 kilometres).[1]
• 20 December – Transvaal – Springs to Breyten, 121 miles 78 chains (196.3 kilometres).[1]
• 22 December – Free State – Dover to Parys, 20 miles 18 chains (32.5 kilometres).[1]

Locomotives

Cape

• A single 0-4-2 tank locomotive named Britannia is placed in service by the Cape Copper Company as a shunting engine at Port Nolloth in the Cape Colony.[3]

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places two Class A 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives in service, designed by Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie for passenger traffic on the mainline between Ladysmith and Charlestown. In 1912 they will be designated Class 2 on the South African Railways (SAR).[4]

Transvaal

• The Central South African Railways places two four-cylinder rack tank steam locomotives in service on the section between Waterval Onder and Waterval Boven, but they are underpowered and prove to be failures in rack service.[5]

References

1. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 185, ref. no. 200954-13
2. Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
3. Bagshawe, Peter (2012). Locomotives of the Namaqualand Railway and Copper Mines (1st ed.). Stenvalls. pp. 25–28. ISBN 978-91-7266-179-0.
4. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 35–36. ISBN 0869772112.
5. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 135–137. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.