Visiting the town of Pilgrim’s Rest is taking a step right back in time to those early days of gold prospecting.
It’s founder, “Wheelbarrow” Patterson – who struck gold here in 1873 was soon joined by some
1500 diggers who descended upon the place. It became another boisterous mining camp.
Pilgrims Rest is not only a living museum – but it’s the only town in South Africa to be declared
a national monument - and a re-enactment of aspects of those early years is a regular feature of the town.
Re-enactment buying goods in store.
These tents and huts would have been the dwellings of the ordinary diggers.
They needed to be able to move from one digging to another as fortune dictated …
and not be bound by structures of brick and mortar.
These tent towns provided many basic needs including a doctor’s surgery and a tent prison.
It’s not difficult to turn back the clock and imagine a typical day in the life of a gold digger.
A visit to the Gold Commissioner meant money and that meant spend, spend, spend!
Re-enactment at Gold Commissioner.
Most diggers ended up in the bar – and this one attached to the Royal Hotel
was a popular drinking hole in its time – as it is today.
The building housing the bar was once a Catholic mission church
in Lourenco Marques - present day Maputo.
It was purchased by an enterprising transport rider and re-assembled here.
As for the sign WYBMADIITY – Well, it means:
“Would you buy me a drink if I told you?” The answer is simply:
– “You thought I intended drinking a mineral but you’re wrong.”
There were also several female diggers – the most idiosyncratic being Elizabeth Russell
who is said to have worked her claim dressed as a true Victorian lady.
Another interesting digger was Herbert Rhodes – brother of the famous Cecil John Rhodes
– one time Prime Minister of the Cape Colony and mining magnate
who made a fortune in diamonds on the Kimberley diggings.
Young Herbert, unfortunately, is said to have made only a very modest income from his diggings.
Re-enactment
Pilgrims Rest ranks as one of the most beautiful gold mining areas in the world
and judging by the many tourists who flock here throughout the year,
there’s certainly a strong fascination with the place.
The irresistible allure of Pilgrims Rest is captured in its many charming shops and restaurants.
Even the accommodation is evocatively old world.
Many of these old structures would have been recognised by Londoner,
David Benjamin who set about consolidating the gold claims.
He formed a company that led to an organized mining industry in the area
– and one of the features was this huge reduction works
where the ore would be crushed and separated.
The adjoining workshop houses some fascinating old machines and carriages of a bygone age.
One of the most prestigious legacies of the mining industry was the Mine Manager’s house at Allanglade.
A symbol of power and opulence that the ordinary miner could but only imagine.
The interior is reminiscent of the grand country houses of the landed gentry in England. Built at the turn of
the 20th century it had every modern convenience of the time, including the first electric refrigerator.
Pilgrims Rest was the second town in South Africa to have electricity
– the diamond city of Kimberly being the first.
Pilgrims Rest claims to have beaten London by three days in the electrification race.
The Barrys were the first occupants.
Mrs Barry was a fan of the famous American dancer Isadore Duncan.
Allanglade is reputedly haunted.
Through the bad times we have had some difficult things come through Allenglade.
Some serious ghosts that we personally believe, if you want to call them ghosts,
they’re apparitions that stay around here.
We’ve had lights that turn on and off at odd sods, we’ve got rocking horses that rock,
we’ve some baby’s cradles that cradle, that move and rock.
We even have a particular apparition that has been sighted by many folks
that live in Pilgrims Rest to be floating around … that is still sitting in limbo.
The Pilgrims Rest cemetery is also said to have its own resident ghosts –
many of them diggers who died tragically in their quest for wealth.
Among the children are those who died of drowning, snake bites, pneumonia and dysentery.
The origin of this historic cemetery is closely linked to the legend of the Robber’s Grave.
Music
The locals do get together from time to time and we share a glass of sherry and toast the robber.
I suppose it has got something to do with the fact that
he is an unknown individual, we are just trying to make him feel welcome.
With all this talk of gold digging, it seemed a perfectly natural thing for
us to go underground into the last remaining gold mine in Pilgrim’s Rest.
Miners were preparing to blast this section of the mine and were busy sealing the explosives.
Even the sight of this rich seam of gold ore did not relieve the notion that gold mining
is a tough business and not for the faint hearted or claustrophobic.
It was great to be out in the sunshine again.
Staying in the sunshine it was time to enjoy the stunning scenery around Pilgrims Rest
– and one of the best ways is on horseback.
Horses and stage coaches bring to mind another story.
This is where Tommy Dennison robbed the stage coach between Pilgrim’s Rest and Lydenburg.
Unfortunately, for him, he was caught and after serving five years in
jail he returned to Pilgrim’s Rest and opened the Highwayman’s Garage.
The first time the coach was robbed was on this stretch of Robber’s Pass in 1899.
Two masked gunmen disappeared into the mountains with gold bullion
worth more than ten thousand pounds sterling – and were never caught.