Okiep

Last updated
Okiep
O'okiep
Chimney, Okiep.JPG
Ventilation shaft built by the Cape Copper Company in 1880
South Africa Northern Cape location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Okiep
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Okiep
Coordinates: 29°35′45″S17°52′51″E / 29.59583°S 17.88083°E / -29.59583; 17.88083
Country South Africa
Province Northern Cape
District Namakwa
Municipality Nama Khoi
Area
[1]
  Total38.63 km2 (14.92 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total6,304
  Density160/km2 (420/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
   Black African 3.8%
   Coloured 93.8%
   Indian/Asian 0.3%
   White 1.1%
  Other1.0%
First languages (2011)
[1]
   Afrikaans 96.2%
   Xhosa 1.0%
  Other2.7%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
8270
PO box
8270
Area code 027

Okiep is a small town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, and was in the 1870s ranked as having the richest copper mine in the world. The town is on the site of a spring that was known in the Khoekhoe language of the Nama people as U-gieb (large brackish place) and was originally spelled as O'okiep. [2]

Contents

History

Early settlers in the Cape Colony heard rumors of mountains in the north-west that were fabulously rich in copper. Governor Simon van der Stel was inclined to believe these tales when, in 1681, a group of Namas visited the Castle in Cape Town and brought along some pure copper. Van der Stel himself led a major expedition in 1685 and reached the fabled mountains on 21 October. Three shafts were sunk and revealed a rich lode of copper ore; the shafts exist to this day. For almost 200 years nothing was done about the discovery, largely because of its remote location. The explorer James Alexander was the first to follow up on van der Stel's discovery. In 1852 he examined the old shafts, discovered some other copper outcrops and started mining operations. Prospectors, miners, and speculators rushed to the area, but many companies collapsed when the logistical difficulties became apparent.

The first miners were Cornish, and brought with them the expertise of centuries of tin-mining in Cornwall. The ruins of the buildings they constructed, as well as the stonework of the bridges and culverts of the railway built to transport the ore to Port Nolloth, can still be seen. The Namaqualand Railway started operating in 1876 and lasted for 68 years, carrying ore to Port Nolloth and returning with equipment and provisions. The carriages were initially pulled by mules and horses, which were later replaced by steam locomotives — the last of these, the Clara, stands at Nababeep. Nowadays, road transport is used to convey the ore to the railhead at Bitterfontein. The other principal mines of the area are at Carolusberg and Nababeep.

The Cape Copper Company Medal for the Defence of O'okiep Okiep00.jpg
The Cape Copper Company Medal for the Defence of O'okiep

Okiep’s mine saw action on 4 April 1902 during the Anglo-Boer war when some 700 officers and men of the 3rd Battalion Queen's Royal Regiment, 5th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Namaqualand Border Scouts, the Town Guard, and the Cape Garrison Artillery withstood a 30-day siege by Jan Smuts’ forces. The village of Concordia, with a garrison of 100 men, surrendered a day after the siege started. On 4 May 1902 a British relief column arrived from Port Nolloth and ended the siege. A ruined blockhouse is still visible on a hill north-east of the town.

As with most metals, copper suffered mixed fortunes, and in the early 20th century, the copper price dropped below the profitable level, so that mining operations ceased, but were resumed when prices rose. [3] [4] [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namaqualand</span> Arid region of Namibia and South Africa

Namaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over 1,000 km (600 mi) and covering a total area of 440,000 km2 (170,000 sq mi). It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions – Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the north.

The following lists events that happened during 1886 in South Africa.

The following lists events that happened during 1871 in South Africa.

The following lists events that happened during 1869 in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Nolloth</span> Place in Northern Cape, South Africa

Port Nolloth is a town and small domestic seaport in the Namaqualand region on the northwestern coast of South Africa, 144 kilometres (89 mi) northwest of Springbok. It is the seat of the Richtersveld Local Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springbok, South Africa</span> Place in Northern Cape, South Africa

Springbok is the largest town in the Namaqualand area in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It was called Springbokfontein until 1911, when it was shortened to Springbok. Springbok is located on the N7 national route which connects the Cape with Namibia, and at the western end of the N14, which connects it with Upington and Pretoria. It is the main town of the Nama Khoi Local Municipality, which also includes a number of surrounding towns such as Okiep and Nababeep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namaqualand Railway</span>

The Namaqualand Railway was a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge railway operating between Port Nolloth and O'okiep in the Namaqualand region of the former Cape Colony in South Africa. It was originally a mule-drawn railway built to provide an outlet for the copper mines of the region. Constructed between 1869 and 1876, the railway was 93+12 miles long, with an additional 8 miles purely associated with the copper mine workings. Although owned by the Cape Copper Company, the railway always operated as a public railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richtersveld Local Municipality</span> Local municipality in Northern Cape, South Africa

Richtersveld Municipality is a local municipality within the Namakwa District Municipality, in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concordia, South Africa</span> Place in Northern Cape, South Africa

Concordia is a town in Namakwa District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The distance from Concordia to Cape Town is approximately 600 km (370 mi).

Nababeep is a town in Namakwa District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steinkopf, South Africa</span> Place in Northern Cape, South Africa

Steinkopf is a town in Namakwa District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namaqualand 0-6-0T</span>

The Namaqualand 0-6-0T of 1871 were two South African steam locomotives from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namaqualand 0-4-0WT Condenser</span>

The Cape Copper Mining Company 0-4-0WT Condenser of 1886 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namaqualand 0-6-2 Clara Class</span>

The Namaqualand 0-6-2 Clara Class of 1890 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namaqualand 0-6-2 Scotia Class</span> Class of 6 South African 0-6-2 locomotives

The Cape Copper Company 0-6-2 Scotia Class of 1900 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

Namaqualand 0-4-2IST <i>Caledonia</i> Type of locomotive

The Cape Copper Company 0-4-2IST Caledonia of 1904 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

Namaqualand 0-4-2T <i>Britannia</i>

The Cape Copper Company 0-4-2T Britannia of 1905 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

Namaqualand 0-4-2ST <i>Pioneer</i>

The Namaqua Copper Company 0-4-2STPioneer of 1901 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

In South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, the railways played a huge part in development and growth on nearly all terrains in the country. Conversely, events in South Africa and its neighbours over the years had a huge influence on the development of railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Copper Company Medal for the Defence of O'okiep</span> Award

In the Colonies and Boer Republics which became the Union of South Africa in 1910, several unofficial military decorations and medals were instituted and awarded during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The Cape Copper Company Medal for the Defence of O'okiep is a private campaign medal which was instituted by the Cape Copper Company Limited in 1902. The medal was awarded to members of the O'okiep Garrison who defended the town while it was besieged by Boer Commandos from 4 April to 4 May 1902, near the end of the Second Boer War.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Okiep". Census 2011.
  2. Raper, R.E. (1989). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa). p. 347.
  3. "The O'okiep Copper District".
  4. Tassell, Arthur (15 September 2023). "Reviving a historic mining district". Miningreview.com.
  5. Cairncross, Bruce (1 July 2004). "History of the Okiep copper district: Namaqualand, Northern Cape Province South Africa". The Mineralogical Record. pp. 289–318.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Okiep at Wikimedia Commons