South African and International Exhibition | |
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Overview | |
BIE-class | Unrecognized exposition |
Name | South African and International Exhibition |
Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
Visitors | 400 000 |
Location | |
Country | Cape Colony |
City | Kimberley |
Venue | Public Gardens |
Coordinates | 28°44′34″S 24°46′36″E / 28.7427111111°S 24.7767583333°E |
Timeline | |
Opening | 8 September 1892 |
Closure | 10 January 1893 |
The South African and International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Kimberley, Cape Colony in 1892 to promote trade and labour.
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]
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]