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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
Country Cape Colony
City Kimberley
VenuePublic Gardens
Coordinates 28°44′34″S 24°46′36″E / 28.7427111111°S 24.7767583333°E / -28.7427111111; 24.7767583333
Timeline
Opening8 September 1892
Closure10 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

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. ^ a b c d e "Cape Colony: South African International Exhibition, Kimberley". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e "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.