1879 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1879 in South Africa.

← 1878 1877 1876 1879 in South Africa → 1880 1881 1882
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Henry Barkly.
• Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
• State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
• State President of the South African Republic: vacant.
• Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West: William Owen Lanyon (until March), James Rose Innes (starting March).
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Charles Molteno (until February), John Gordon Sprigg (starting February).

Events

January

• 11 – Britain declares war against the Zulus and launches the Anglo-Zulu War after an ultimatum issued on 11 December 1878 is rejected.
• 22 – The Zulus wipe out British forces in the Battle of Isandlwana.
• 22-23 – The British prevail against a Zulu attack in the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

March

• 7 – The first British troops arrive in Durban from all over the Empire.
• 12 – A force of 2,000 Zulus attacks a British camp at Ntombi River. Of the 60 men in the camp, only 15 escape.

July

• 4 – The Zulus are defeated at Ulundi and the war ends.

August

• 28 – The Zulu King Cetshwayo is captured.

Births

Deaths

• 4 May – William Froude, engineer, hydrodynamicist and naval architect, dies in Simon's Town
• 1 June – Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial is killed in action when ambushed by Zulus during the Anglo-Zulu War.

Railways

Railway lines opened

CGR 1st Class 4-4-0

CGR 1st Class 2-6-0

Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0WT

NGR Kitson 2-6-0T

• March – Natal – Pinetown to Botha's Hill, 14 miles 6 chains (22.7 kilometres).[1]
• 11 August – Cape Western – Grootfontein to Fraserburg Road, 52 miles 41 chains (84.5 kilometres).[2]
• 26 August – Cape Midland – Mount Stewart to Graaff-Reinet, 72 miles 18 chains (116.2 kilometres).[2]
• 1 September – Natal – Avoca to Verulam, 12 miles 2 chains (19.4 kilometres).[1]
• 3 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Grahamstown, 34 miles 71 chains (56.1 kilometres).[2]
• 17 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Middleton, 38 miles 3 chains (61.2 kilometres).[2]
• 3 November – Cape Eastern – Döhne to Cathcart, 42 miles 48 chains (68.6 kilometres).[2]

Locomotives

Cape

• Two new 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Cape Government Railways (CGR):
  • The first four of fifteen 1st Class 4-4-0 American type passenger locomotives on the Western and Eastern systems.[3]^:30–31[4]
  • The first six of ten 1st Class 2-6-0 Mogul type goods locomotives on the Western system.[3]^:28–30[4]
• The Table Bay Harbour Board places its fourth 7 ft ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge 0-4-0 well-tank engine in excavation and breakwater construction service.[5]^:115–117

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places seven 2-6-0T locomotives in service, later to be modified to a 4-6-0T wheel arrangement and designated Class G.[6]
• The Natal Harbours Department in Durban places a single 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotive in service, named John Milne.[5]^:126–127

References

1. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13
2. Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
3. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
4. C.G.R. Numbering Revised, Article by Dave Littley, SA Rail May–June 1993, pp. 94–95.
5. Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
6. NGR Class G numbering