In 1996, a group from the Johannesburg Historical Foundation visited multiple sites associated with the Jameson Raid to mark the centenary of the historic event. Following the visit, Rob Milne put together this wonderful piece which appeared in the 1997 edition of the Foundation's journal Between the Chains.
On Tuesday 2 January 1996, the centenary of the Jameson Raid, two small parties visited the surrender site at Doornkop. Hamish Gilfillan, whose great-grandfather was a member of the Reform Committee was there at the approximate time of the surrender. My party arrived around lunchtime, having traced the footsteps and burial places of the raiders and their adversaries. Barely thirty people commemorated an event which led to the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, and which was a contributing factor to the Great War of 1914-1918 that cost millions of lives.
Battle Sites
After 100 years, what remains to be seen that relates to the Jameson Raid? If you drive westwards out of Krugersdorp on the Rustenburg Road (R24), you will see the old Queens Mine dumps between Robert Broom Drive and the entrance to the Krugersdorp Game Reserve. The dark red eroded mine dumps overlook the rocks and rubble from the now-levelled mine buildings. There is a small mine shaft still in operation on the crest of the Queens Mine ridge. The stream and vlei at the bottom of the valley is now crossed by a bridge instead of a drift and, looking back, you realise what a strong defensive position the Boers occupied. Proceeding westward...
