Kimberley

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The LAGEOS group flew from Johannesburg to Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province to view the famous diamond mining operation. (Not that we saw any actual diamonds!) The first evidence of the mining operation is the "Big Hole" visible from the air. The Big Hole was an open-air diamond mine dug by hand to a depth of 747 feet (246 m). Excavation began in 1872, and the mine continued to yield until 1914. The Kimberley Mine’s headgear is set up as a museum.

As was often the case with Valene’s trips in this era, Kimberley was a fly-in, fly-out stop. The group arrived by air from Johannesburg, toured the mine premises, and flew onward to Cape Town the same day.

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Photos

The Big Hole at Kimberley
Aerial approaching Kimberley, South Africa. The "Big Hole" is visible in the centre. The "Big Hole" open pit mine was manually dug and diamonds extracted from it between 1871 and 1914.
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Kimberley Mine Headframe
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Abandoned Mineshaft
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Kimberley Airport
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South African Airways Vickers Viscount
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