Oom Paul Kruger’s calm-under-fire visit to the goldfields
President Paul Kruger's visit became one of the town’s most talked‑about moments in history.
Heritage & History
Unearthing the stories, buildings, and moments that connect Barberton’s past to its present.
The story behind Ezzey’s Pass and the road that opened Barberton
The pass was named after George Ephraim Ezzey, a former Australian soldier who served during the Anglo-Boer War.
What Barberton's 1880s newspapers told the world
Early press reports chronicle the gold fever, drama, and ambition that sparked Barberton’s rise.
Sammy Marks: The empire builder who left his mark on Barberton
From immigrant trader to Transvaal tycoon, Sammy Marks helped shape Barberton’s golden rise.
Barberton, 1884: The journal of a gold digger
My name is James "Jim" Redding. I am thirty-seven years old, though my face has aged faster than the calendar says. I came from Kimberley with a rusted spade, a donkey, and a sack of pipe tobacco, and I suppose, a head full of dreams.
French Bob: The mysterious gold digger who lit the fire before Barberton’s boom
The enigmatic loner whose 1883 gold find helped spark the birth of Barberton.
Barberton celebrates 141 years of golden beginnings
The story of Barberton begins in June 1884, when Graham Barber and his cousins Fred and Harry discovered a rich gold reef at Umvoti Creek.