Heritage & History

Malaria, the disease that challenged gold seekers

They arrived with dreams of striking it rich, but making a living in the valley was no easy task. The climate, unfamiliar surroundings and constant threat of disease presented challenges that could not simply be overcome with determination and a pickaxe.

Barberton today as seen from Sunset Hill.

The story behind the name of our valley

Agnes Mine: The gold story that refused to die

The origins of Agnes are somewhat tangled, as is often the case with a mine that has been worked, consolidated and renamed over more than a century.

Gold brought Kaapschehoop and Barberton together

The gold rush that transformed Barberton also reached the high ground of Kaapschehoop, linking two very different settlements within the same De Kaap goldfield.

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