South African and International Exhibition

The South African and International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Kimberley, Cape Colony in 1892 to promote trade and labour.

For the 1877 world's fair in Cape Town, see South African International Exhibition.

South African and International Exhibition
Henry Loch, High Commissioner for Southern Africa who opened the exhibition
Overview
BIE-classUnrecognized exposition
NameSouth African and International Exhibition
Area30 acres (12 ha)
Visitors400 000
Location
CountryCape Colony
CityKimberley
VenuePublic Gardens
Coordinates28.7427111111°S 24.7767583333°E / -28.7427111111; 24.7767583333
Timeline
Opening8 September 1892
Closure10 January 1893

The exhibition

The exhibition was opened by Henry Loch, High Commissioner for Southern Africa on 8 September 1892[1] and closed 20 January 1893.[2]

Cecil Rhodes, Prime Minister of Cape Colony, decided that the exhibition should be held in Kimberley. It was held in the Public Gardens of Kimberley[1] (now Queen's Park)[3] on a 30-acre site, with corrugated iron buildings[2] designed D. W. Greatbatch.[1]

There were art displays including paintings from the Royal Collection, mineral displays of diamonds, coal, crocidolite, diamonds, gold and silver, mining machinery,[2] and sheep shearing equipment.[4]

400 000 people attended, and the fair lost £14,195,[2] with the loss being covered by Rhodes.[1]

Legacy

The De Beers exhibit was taken to be displayed at the 1893 Chicago exhibition.[2] The art hall was converted to be used by the Kimberley Rifles, and subsequently used as a typhoid hospital during the Boer war.[1]

References
  1. "Cape Colony: South African International Exhibition, Kimberley". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  2. "1892 Kimberley South African and International Exposition – What Remains". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  3. "Queens Park Kimberley • Kimberley • CITY PORTAL". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  4. "From the Great Exhibition to the Festival of Britain, 1851–1951" (PDF). p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
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