The Todd family: from gold rush roots to Lowveld agriculture
The Todd family story stretches back to the gold rush era of the late 1800s and evolved alongside the development of the Lowveld itself.
Hans Bornman: the man who preserved the Lowveld’s history
Over decades of writing, illustrating and researching, Hans Bornman became one of the region’s most dedicated storytellers, capturing the people, places and events that shaped Barberton and the wider De Kaap Valley.
The women who built Barberton
Gold may have sparked Barberton’s beginning in 1884, but it was women who ensured its survival.
The notorious Chute: Barberton’s most dangerous road
Before tar roads and mountain passes, the journey into Barberton meant facing the dreaded Chute, a five-kilometre descent so steep that wagons had to be dismantled to get down.
Rimer’s Creek: Where Barberton’s gold rush began
Rimer’s Creek may look like a quiet stream today, but it was the spark that ignited Barberton’s gold rush in 1884.
John Duncan: a life shaped by the De Kaap Valley
From a farm boy known as “Dubula” to a merchant navy engineer sailing the world’s oceans, John Andrew Duncan’s life was shaped by adventure, resilience and deep roots in the De Kaap Valley.
The Duncan's of Barberton: A family rooted in gold rush history
The Duncan family has been part of Barberton since the gold‑rush days of the 1880s. From early bakeries and stores to generations of local business involvement, their story, to this day, forms an important part of the town’s heritage.