John Thomas Baines (1820-1875) was an intrepid explorer, cartographer, collector of plant specimens and an author. But he is perhaps best remembered for his paintings and sketches.
Portrait of Thomas Baines
Some of his works depict scenes encountered during his travels through Australia and regions of Southern Africa. A number of the drawings originated from his visit to the newly discovered gold fields at Marabastad and Smitsdorp. These two mining settlements were in the vicinity of the farm, Eersteling, owned by Edward Button, and situated to the south of (then) Pietersburg.
Gold coin issued in 1975 to commemorate the Rhodesian Baines Centenary. The design depicts the unique solution for crushing gold bearing ore with the rocking boulder that appears in the Baines painting. (Michael Laidlaw)
Baines stayed at Eersteling from 8 to 12 December 1871. This enabled him to observe the local culture and customs, which he later reported in his travel journals. He took particular interest in the gold mining activities in the surrounding hills. Apart from making extensive notes of his impressions, he also sketched prominent features of...
