Colony of Natal
Encyclopedia
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa
. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer
Republic of Natalia
, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa
, as one of its provinces
. It is now the KwaZulu-Natal
province of South Africa
. The Indians who were brought to this country from India called it 'Netaal Tapu' (island of Netal).
It was originally only about half the size of the present province, with the north-eastern boundaries being formed by the Tugela
and Buffalo rivers beyond which lay the independent kingdom of Zululand
(KwaZulu in Zulu
). The present province was also enlarged by the addition of Griqualand East
to the south.
Fierce conflict with the Zulu population led to the evacuation of Durban
, and eventually the Boers accepted British annexation in 1844 under military pressure. A British governor was appointed to the region and many settlers emigrated from Europe and the Cape Colony. The British established a sugar cane industry in the 1860s. Farm owners had a difficult time attracting Zulu labourers to work on their plantations, so the British brought thousands of indentured labourers from India. As a result of the importation of Indian labourers, South Africa became the home to a large Indian population.
of 1879 the British defeated the Zulu army, and Zululand
was annexed to Natal in 1897.
In April 1842 Lord Stanley (afterwards 14th earl of Derby), then secretary for the colonies in the second Peel Administration, wrote to Sir George Napier
that the establishment of a colony in Natal would be attended with little prospect of advantage, but at the same time stated that the pretensions of the emigrants to be regarded as an independent community could not be admitted. Various measures were proposed which would but have aggravated the situation. Finally, in deference to the strongly urged views of Sir George Napier, Lord Stanley, in a despatch of the 13th of December, received in Cape Town
on the 23rd of April 1843, consented to Natal becoming a British colony. The institutions adopted were to be as far as possible in accordance with the wishes of the people, but it was a fundamental condition "that there should not be in the eye of the law any distinction or disqualification whatever, founded on mere difference of colour, origin, language or creed." Sir George then appointed Mr Henry Cloete (a brother of Colonel Cloete) a special commissioner to explain to the Natal volksraad the decision of the government.
There was a considerable party of Natal Boers still strongly opposed to the British, and they were reinforced by numerous bands of Boers who came over the Drakensberg from Winburg
and Potchefstroom. Commandant Jan Mocke of Winburg (who had helped to besiege Captain Smith at Durban
) and others of the "war party" attempted to induce the volksraad
not to submit, and a plan was formed to murder Pretorius, Boshof and other leaders, who were now convinced that the only chance of ending the state of complete anarchy into which the country had fallen was by accepting British sovereignty. In these circumstances the task of Mr Henry Cloete was one of great difficulty and delicacy. He behaved with the utmost tact and got rid of the Winburg and Potchefstroom burghers by declaring that he should recommend the Drakensberg as the northern limit of Natal. On the 8th of August 1843 the Natal volksraad unanimously agreed to the terms proposed by Lord Stanley. Many of the Boers who would not acknowledge British rule trekked once more over the mountains into what are now the Orange Free State and Transvaal provinces. At the end of 1843 there were not more than 500 Dutch families left in Natal.
Cloete, before returning to the Cape, visited Mpande
and obtained from him a valuable concession. Hitherto the Tugela from source to mouth had been the recognized frontier between Natal and Zululand
. Mpande gave up to Natal all the territory between the Buffalo and Tugela rivers, now forming Klip River county.
and established a settlement on the northern shore of the Bay of Natal, near today's Farewell Square. The budding settlement was able to stay on the good side of the powerful Zulu chief Shaka
when they were able to administer medical aid to the chief after he'd been injured in a battle. As a token of gratitude, he granted the tiny settlement a "25-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in depth."
The tiny British settlement was almost strangled at birth when the Boer Great Trekkers arrived from the Cape Colony. These Boers were trying to escape the British administration in the Cape Colony. The three thousand Boers found it easy to intimidate the tiny British settlement into withdrawing and set up the Boer Natalia Republic
in its place. Two problems would afflict this Boer Republic. First of all, the British used the prior existence of the Port Natal colony as justification to extend British jurisdiction to the area. Secondly, the Zulus were not so impressed at the quantity and actions of these Boers. They clashed frequently with one another.
These two problems combined to make many of the Trekkers reload their wagons and cross back over the Drakensberg
Mountains and disappear North looking to avoid the British and Zulus if at all possible. Those Boers who did remain were content to allow the British Army enter the colony of Natal in 1843 and provide some form of defence from the intimidating Zulu nation. British settlers were now welcomed back to the colony.
From 1844 to 1856, the colony was administered from the Cape Colony. This was partly due to the lack of settlers in the colony and the population needed to be built up. But it was also due to the generally dangerous and fragile frontiers around Natal. The tiny colony needed all the support it could get being surrounded by powerful African tribes and the ongoing difficulties of dealing with the Boers.
The colony would slowly expand its British contingent. It would never attract the quantity of settlers that Australia
and New Zealand
was able to attract. This was largely because of the perceived threat to the colony. It was just too dangerous and the land, although relatively good for Africa, was not that good compared to other destinations available throughout the Empire. The English would gain a majority of the white population, but there would always a remain a significant Boer minority.
According to genealogist Shelagh Spencer "The biggest addition to the population of the new colony was the settlers who arrived from the United Kingdom between 1849 to 1851. Great Britain was in the midst of a depression in the 1840s, causing many millions of her inhabitants to emigrate, mainly to the United States, Canada and Australia. Natal received a small percentage of these emigrating masses. There were various schemes under which people came to the Colony".
The British would now be drawn into a needless and difficult campaign against the Zulus against their better judgement. Although they had a fearsome reputation, previously the Zulus had rarely come into conflict with the British. In the 1870s the Zulus were rightfully complaining about Boer encroachments into their lands from the Transvaal
. A British boundary commission actually found in favour of the Zulu. However the Cape High Commissioner Sir Henry Bartle Frere
decided to use this excuse to reduce the Zulu military threat. He said that the disputed land would only be returned if the Zulu army was disbanded. This was too harsh a term for the proudly militaristic Zulu and they ignored the provocative ultimatum.
Meanwhile, on 14 September 1876, the Colonial office in the UK received a telegram from Sir Henry Barley in Cape Town
of the imminent collapse of the Transvaal
because the Transvaal’s President Burger and his men had been routed after their attack on Sekhukhune
and his people the Pedi. This galvanized Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
who obtained permission from Disraeli to appoint Sir Theophilus Shepstone
(known by the Zulu honorific as Somtseu meaning ‘’father of the nation’’) who had served for 30 years as a Natal administrator, first as Diplomatic Agent to Native Tribes, then as secretary for native affairs, to act as special commissioner to the Transvaal. On 15 December 1876, Sir Shepstone with 25 troopers from the Natal Mounted Police and others set out from Pietermaritzburg
to Pretoria
; arriving on January 27, 1877 to a cordial reception. That controversial British annexation of the Transvaal, was disrupted when Sekhukhune allegedly signed a peace treaty with the Boers removing the main justification for British intervention in the Transvaal- at that time.
The British invasion in 1879 from Natal was poorly conceived. The British force was split and the Zulus fell on the main column at Isandlwana
with devastating results. The poor deployment and over confidence of the British meant that Natal Colony was virtually undefended. A Zulu Impi
did cross the Limpopo
River and attacked a British outpost at Rorke's Drift
. However, despite the brave defence, this Impi
had actually overstepped its orders. Chief Cetshwayo
had wisely advised his warriors to fight a defensive war within the borders of Zululand only. They never had any intention of invading Natal, but that did not stop the Natal colonists from being deeply concerned at their security. The British had to respond by sending out an even larger regular army expedition at great expense that defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Ulundi
. The irony of this pointless war was that it helped the Boers more than the British colonists. With the threat of the Zulus removed the Transvaal no longer needed British protection and promptly declared its independence but only after fighting the first Boer War
of 1880/1881. The antagonism between the British and Boers was not over yet.
In 1893, the colony was granted responsible government
.
Natal's security was once more under severe threat as the North of the colony was captured by the Boers and Ladysmith
found itself besieged. Their initial successes would bring the full force of the British Empire onto the Boer Republics. However the military defeat of the Republics would only mean that the war would move into a longer drawn out guerilla phase of warfare for the next two years. The human and physical costs would be enormous for all involved. A small localised problem became a huge international embarrassment for the British. The determination and skill of the Boers took all by surprise and forced the British Army to seriously question its tactics and approach to modern warfare.
The ultimate consequence of the war would be the Union of South Africa. Paradoxically, for such a long and difficult war, the British awarded surprisingly liberal terms for their foe with the Treaty of Vereeniging
. The British would gain formal control of the two Republics but would give considerable rights to the defeated Boers and committed themselves to rebuilding the Boer Republics. 1910, would see this formalised yet further with the Union of South Africa between the Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
The British set about establishing large sugar plantations in Natal, but found few inhabitants of the neighbouring Zulu areas willing to provide labour. The British turned to India to resolve their labour shortage, as Zulu men refused to adopt the servile position of labourers and in 1860 the SS Truro arrived in Durban harbour with over 300 people on board. Over the next 50 years, 150,000 more indentured Indians arrived, as well as numerous free "passenger Indians", building the base for what would become the largest Indian community outside of India. Most of these Indians embarked to Natal from Calcutta port. As early as 1893, when Mahatma Gandhi arrived in Durban, Indians outnumbered whites in Natal.
Today Natal produces over 2 million tons of sugar per annum, supplying the whole of South Africa, and exporting the surplus. In Natal, the coins used that time for payment to sugar workers were made up of gold. However, they were not allowed to bring gold coins back to India. The clever Indians resorted to a unique way for bringing their earned coins to India. They made bread (Indian roti or paratha) and kept the gold coins between these rotis and baked. To those checking the luggage in ships, they told these are being taken for eating during the journey. Thus they were able to bring those gold coins to India.
The problem was caused by currents in opposition to the south-flowing Mozambique Current, which sets up a littoral drift moving sand northward along the East African coast. A fair bit of that sand ended up as a bar across the mouth of the bay, where the littoral drift curled around the end of the Bluff.
The bar made entering the bay highly hazardous for all but the smallest vessels, and substantial numbers of ships were wrecked in the attempt to cross it. Larger vessels were forced anchor outside the entrance to the harbour.
This made it difficult to load and offload cargo and passengers and, furthermore, left the ships at the mercy of the elements, which often didn't show them any. The authorities were well aware that the bar had to go before the town could fully come into its own, but many years were to pass and many attempts were to be made, before the task was finally accomplished.
In his book Who Saved Natal, Colin Bender gives Charles Crofts the lion's share of credit for beating the bar, having done much of the work under Innes and Methven, and during his own tenure as harbour engineer. Having won the battle through persistent dredging, Charles Crofts was put on early retirement by a grateful Natal Government in 1907.
In 1860, the railroad arrived in the Port of Durban, linking the harbor and the town. By 1890, the rails stretched all the way to Johannesburg almost 500 kilometers inland, and the Port of Durban stretched inland to the cool hills of Berea.
When gold was discovered in the area of the Port of Durban and coal was discovered in Dundee, the Port of Durban grew quickly. Many ships used the port for bunkering. As the traffic in the Port of Durban grew, marine-related industries moved in. Shipbuilders, stevedores, and chandlers established shops in the port, and a dry dock was constructed.
Near the end of the 1800s, the sugarcane industry exploded, making the Port of Durban one of the British Empire's most important seaports. It soon was the busiest sugar terminal in the world. By the turn of the century, the Port of Durban had roads and water and sewerage systems. With the railways also expanding, the Port of Durban began to attract people who wanted to vacation there. The port grew as a tourist destination, and it is still an important tourist destination today.
Direct rule by Cape Colony (31 May 1844 - 4 December 1845)
The post of Governor of the Colony of Natal became extinct on 31 May 1910, when it joined the Union of South Africa
.
The post of Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal also became extinct on 31 May 1910, when it joined the Union of South Africa.
, one of the four founding provinces of the Union of South Africa
in 1910, and in 1994 was combined with the KwaZulu
bantustan
to become KwaZulu-Natal
.
is home to the Zulu nation. There is also a large East Indian population, a white Boer-descended population to the north, and descendants of British settlers mainly in the cities.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
Republic of Natalia
Natalia Republic
The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic, established in 1839 by local Afrikaans-speaking Voortrekkers shortly after the Battle of Blood River. The republic was located on the coast of the Indian Ocean beyond the Eastern Cape, and was previously named Natalia by Portuguese sailors. The...
, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
, as one of its provinces
Natal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
. It is now the KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The Indians who were brought to this country from India called it 'Netaal Tapu' (island of Netal).
It was originally only about half the size of the present province, with the north-eastern boundaries being formed by the Tugela
Tugela River
The Tugela River is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The river originates in the Drakensberg Mountains, Mont-aux-Sources, and plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls...
and Buffalo rivers beyond which lay the independent kingdom of Zululand
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
(KwaZulu in Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
). The present province was also enlarged by the addition of Griqualand East
Griqualand East
Griqualand East was one of four short-lived Griqua states in Southern Africa from the early 1860s until the late 1870s and was located between the Umzimkulu and Kinira Rivers, south of the Sotho Kingdom.Griqualand East's capital, Kokstad, was the final place of...
to the south.
Fierce conflict with the Zulu population led to the evacuation of Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, and eventually the Boers accepted British annexation in 1844 under military pressure. A British governor was appointed to the region and many settlers emigrated from Europe and the Cape Colony. The British established a sugar cane industry in the 1860s. Farm owners had a difficult time attracting Zulu labourers to work on their plantations, so the British brought thousands of indentured labourers from India. As a result of the importation of Indian labourers, South Africa became the home to a large Indian population.
British Annexation
Natal was proclaimed a British Colony in 1843, and administered from the Cape Colony in 1844. However, it was not until the end of 1845 that an effective administration was installed with Mr Martin West as lieutenant-governor that the power of the volksraad finally came to an end. In the Anglo-Zulu WarAnglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
of 1879 the British defeated the Zulu army, and Zululand
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
was annexed to Natal in 1897.
In April 1842 Lord Stanley (afterwards 14th earl of Derby), then secretary for the colonies in the second Peel Administration, wrote to Sir George Napier
George Napier
Colonel The Hon. George Napier was a British Army officer, most notable for his marriage to Lady Sarah Lennox, and for his sons Charles James Napier, William Francis Patrick Napier and George Thomas Napier, all of whom were noted military officers, collectively referred to as “Wellington’s...
that the establishment of a colony in Natal would be attended with little prospect of advantage, but at the same time stated that the pretensions of the emigrants to be regarded as an independent community could not be admitted. Various measures were proposed which would but have aggravated the situation. Finally, in deference to the strongly urged views of Sir George Napier, Lord Stanley, in a despatch of the 13th of December, received in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on the 23rd of April 1843, consented to Natal becoming a British colony. The institutions adopted were to be as far as possible in accordance with the wishes of the people, but it was a fundamental condition "that there should not be in the eye of the law any distinction or disqualification whatever, founded on mere difference of colour, origin, language or creed." Sir George then appointed Mr Henry Cloete (a brother of Colonel Cloete) a special commissioner to explain to the Natal volksraad the decision of the government.
There was a considerable party of Natal Boers still strongly opposed to the British, and they were reinforced by numerous bands of Boers who came over the Drakensberg from Winburg
Winburg
Winburg is a small mixed farming town in the Free State province of South Africa.It is the oldest proclaimed town in the Orange Free State, South Africa and thus along with Griquatown, one of the oldest settlements in South Africa located north of the Orange River.Winburg is situated midway...
and Potchefstroom. Commandant Jan Mocke of Winburg (who had helped to besiege Captain Smith at Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
) and others of the "war party" attempted to induce the volksraad
Volksraad
The Volksraad was the parliament of the former South African Republic , which existed from 1857 to 1902 in part of what is now the South Africa. The body ceased to exist after the British victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The Volksraad sat in session in Ou Raadsaal in Church Square, Pretoria...
not to submit, and a plan was formed to murder Pretorius, Boshof and other leaders, who were now convinced that the only chance of ending the state of complete anarchy into which the country had fallen was by accepting British sovereignty. In these circumstances the task of Mr Henry Cloete was one of great difficulty and delicacy. He behaved with the utmost tact and got rid of the Winburg and Potchefstroom burghers by declaring that he should recommend the Drakensberg as the northern limit of Natal. On the 8th of August 1843 the Natal volksraad unanimously agreed to the terms proposed by Lord Stanley. Many of the Boers who would not acknowledge British rule trekked once more over the mountains into what are now the Orange Free State and Transvaal provinces. At the end of 1843 there were not more than 500 Dutch families left in Natal.
Cloete, before returning to the Cape, visited Mpande
Mpande
Mpande , uMsimude owavela ngesiluba phakathi kwamaNgisi namaQadasi, as he was praised, was king of the Zulu nation from 1840 to 1872, making him the longest reigning Zulu king. He was a half-brother of Shaka and Dingane, who both preceded him as kings of the Zulu...
and obtained from him a valuable concession. Hitherto the Tugela from source to mouth had been the recognized frontier between Natal and Zululand
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
. Mpande gave up to Natal all the territory between the Buffalo and Tugela rivers, now forming Klip River county.
British Settlement and Security
A small group of British settlers were attracted to the seemingly benign climate and soil. A small force of 25 men under British Lieutenant F. G. Farewell arrived from the Cape ColonyCape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and established a settlement on the northern shore of the Bay of Natal, near today's Farewell Square. The budding settlement was able to stay on the good side of the powerful Zulu chief Shaka
Shaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona , also known as Shaka Zulu , was the most influential leader of the Zulu Kingdom....
when they were able to administer medical aid to the chief after he'd been injured in a battle. As a token of gratitude, he granted the tiny settlement a "25-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in depth."
The tiny British settlement was almost strangled at birth when the Boer Great Trekkers arrived from the Cape Colony. These Boers were trying to escape the British administration in the Cape Colony. The three thousand Boers found it easy to intimidate the tiny British settlement into withdrawing and set up the Boer Natalia Republic
Natalia Republic
The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic, established in 1839 by local Afrikaans-speaking Voortrekkers shortly after the Battle of Blood River. The republic was located on the coast of the Indian Ocean beyond the Eastern Cape, and was previously named Natalia by Portuguese sailors. The...
in its place. Two problems would afflict this Boer Republic. First of all, the British used the prior existence of the Port Natal colony as justification to extend British jurisdiction to the area. Secondly, the Zulus were not so impressed at the quantity and actions of these Boers. They clashed frequently with one another.
These two problems combined to make many of the Trekkers reload their wagons and cross back over the Drakensberg
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
Mountains and disappear North looking to avoid the British and Zulus if at all possible. Those Boers who did remain were content to allow the British Army enter the colony of Natal in 1843 and provide some form of defence from the intimidating Zulu nation. British settlers were now welcomed back to the colony.
From 1844 to 1856, the colony was administered from the Cape Colony. This was partly due to the lack of settlers in the colony and the population needed to be built up. But it was also due to the generally dangerous and fragile frontiers around Natal. The tiny colony needed all the support it could get being surrounded by powerful African tribes and the ongoing difficulties of dealing with the Boers.
The colony would slowly expand its British contingent. It would never attract the quantity of settlers that Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
was able to attract. This was largely because of the perceived threat to the colony. It was just too dangerous and the land, although relatively good for Africa, was not that good compared to other destinations available throughout the Empire. The English would gain a majority of the white population, but there would always a remain a significant Boer minority.
According to genealogist Shelagh Spencer "The biggest addition to the population of the new colony was the settlers who arrived from the United Kingdom between 1849 to 1851. Great Britain was in the midst of a depression in the 1840s, causing many millions of her inhabitants to emigrate, mainly to the United States, Canada and Australia. Natal received a small percentage of these emigrating masses. There were various schemes under which people came to the Colony".
The British would now be drawn into a needless and difficult campaign against the Zulus against their better judgement. Although they had a fearsome reputation, previously the Zulus had rarely come into conflict with the British. In the 1870s the Zulus were rightfully complaining about Boer encroachments into their lands from the Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
. A British boundary commission actually found in favour of the Zulu. However the Cape High Commissioner Sir Henry Bartle Frere
Henry Bartle Frere
Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI, was a British colonial administrator.-Early life:Frere was born at Clydach House, Clydach, Monmouthshire, the son of Edward Frere, manager of Clydach Ironworks...
decided to use this excuse to reduce the Zulu military threat. He said that the disputed land would only be returned if the Zulu army was disbanded. This was too harsh a term for the proudly militaristic Zulu and they ignored the provocative ultimatum.
Meanwhile, on 14 September 1876, the Colonial office in the UK received a telegram from Sir Henry Barley in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
of the imminent collapse of the Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
because the Transvaal’s President Burger and his men had been routed after their attack on Sekhukhune
Sekhukhune
Sekhukhune , was king of the Marota , in the current Mpumalanga province, Limpopo province, Gauteng province of South Africa. He became king upon his father's death in September 1861, and lived at a mountain, now known as Thaba Ya Sekhukhune, which he fortified.The Marota lived in the land between...
and his people the Pedi. This galvanized Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, PC, DL, FSA, FRS , known as Lord Porchester from 1833 to 1849, was a British politician and a leading member of the Conservative Party...
who obtained permission from Disraeli to appoint Sir Theophilus Shepstone
Theophilus Shepstone
thumb|Theophilus ShepstoneSir Theophilus Shepstone was a British South African statesman who was responsible for the annexation of the Transvaal to Britain in 1877.-Early life:...
(known by the Zulu honorific as Somtseu meaning ‘’father of the nation’’) who had served for 30 years as a Natal administrator, first as Diplomatic Agent to Native Tribes, then as secretary for native affairs, to act as special commissioner to the Transvaal. On 15 December 1876, Sir Shepstone with 25 troopers from the Natal Mounted Police and others set out from Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
to Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
; arriving on January 27, 1877 to a cordial reception. That controversial British annexation of the Transvaal, was disrupted when Sekhukhune allegedly signed a peace treaty with the Boers removing the main justification for British intervention in the Transvaal- at that time.
Isandlwana
Isandlwana is an isolated hill in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, southeast of Rorke's Drift and north by northwest of Durban....
with devastating results. The poor deployment and over confidence of the British meant that Natal Colony was virtually undefended. A Zulu Impi
Impi
An Impi is an isiZulu word for any armed body of men. However, in English it is often used to refer to a Zulu regiment, which is called an ibutho in Zulu. Its beginnings lie far back in historic tribal warfare customs, where groups of armed men called impis battled...
did cross the Limpopo
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
River and attacked a British outpost at Rorke's Drift
Rorke's Drift
The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
. However, despite the brave defence, this Impi
Impi
An Impi is an isiZulu word for any armed body of men. However, in English it is often used to refer to a Zulu regiment, which is called an ibutho in Zulu. Its beginnings lie far back in historic tribal warfare customs, where groups of armed men called impis battled...
had actually overstepped its orders. Chief Cetshwayo
Cetshwayo
Cetshwayo kaMpande was the King of the Zulu Kingdom from 1872 to 1879 and their leader during the Anglo-Zulu War . His name has been transliterated as Cetawayo, Cetewayo, Cetywajo and Ketchwayo.- Early life :...
had wisely advised his warriors to fight a defensive war within the borders of Zululand only. They never had any intention of invading Natal, but that did not stop the Natal colonists from being deeply concerned at their security. The British had to respond by sending out an even larger regular army expedition at great expense that defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Ulundi
Battle of Ulundi
The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi on 4 July 1879 and was the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. The British army finally broke the military power of the Zulu nation by defeating the main Zulu army and immediately afterwards capturing and razing the capital of...
. The irony of this pointless war was that it helped the Boers more than the British colonists. With the threat of the Zulus removed the Transvaal no longer needed British protection and promptly declared its independence but only after fighting the first Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
of 1880/1881. The antagonism between the British and Boers was not over yet.
In 1893, the colony was granted responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
.
Natal's security was once more under severe threat as the North of the colony was captured by the Boers and Ladysmith
Ladysmith
Ladysmith is the name of several places:* Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada* Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States* Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, largest settlement with this name* Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia...
found itself besieged. Their initial successes would bring the full force of the British Empire onto the Boer Republics. However the military defeat of the Republics would only mean that the war would move into a longer drawn out guerilla phase of warfare for the next two years. The human and physical costs would be enormous for all involved. A small localised problem became a huge international embarrassment for the British. The determination and skill of the Boers took all by surprise and forced the British Army to seriously question its tactics and approach to modern warfare.
The ultimate consequence of the war would be the Union of South Africa. Paradoxically, for such a long and difficult war, the British awarded surprisingly liberal terms for their foe with the Treaty of Vereeniging
Treaty of Vereeniging
The Treaty of Vereeniging was the peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the South African War between the South African Republic and the Republic of the Orange Free State, on the one side, and the British Empire on the other.This settlement provided for the end of hostilities and...
. The British would gain formal control of the two Republics but would give considerable rights to the defeated Boers and committed themselves to rebuilding the Boer Republics. 1910, would see this formalised yet further with the Union of South Africa between the Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
Sugar and Indian Labourers
For decades prior to white settlement in Natal, there was an indigenous variety of sugar cane which grew wild and was known to the Zulus as 'imphe'. It was chewable and sweet, but its sugar content wasn't found by settlers to be high enough to make its cultivation commercially viable. There was also 'umoba', an imported strain of true sugarcane: in 1837 the traveller Nathaniel Isaacs mentions both these plants. In 1858, Michael Jeffels, a planter and miller at Isipingo, stated that to his certain knowledge sugarcane was growing in the area of the Isipingo River at the time of Shaka's war with Faku in 1828.The British set about establishing large sugar plantations in Natal, but found few inhabitants of the neighbouring Zulu areas willing to provide labour. The British turned to India to resolve their labour shortage, as Zulu men refused to adopt the servile position of labourers and in 1860 the SS Truro arrived in Durban harbour with over 300 people on board. Over the next 50 years, 150,000 more indentured Indians arrived, as well as numerous free "passenger Indians", building the base for what would become the largest Indian community outside of India. Most of these Indians embarked to Natal from Calcutta port. As early as 1893, when Mahatma Gandhi arrived in Durban, Indians outnumbered whites in Natal.
Today Natal produces over 2 million tons of sugar per annum, supplying the whole of South Africa, and exporting the surplus. In Natal, the coins used that time for payment to sugar workers were made up of gold. However, they were not allowed to bring gold coins back to India. The clever Indians resorted to a unique way for bringing their earned coins to India. They made bread (Indian roti or paratha) and kept the gold coins between these rotis and baked. To those checking the luggage in ships, they told these are being taken for eating during the journey. Thus they were able to bring those gold coins to India.
Port of Durban
The reason that the early white settlers chose to come to Port Natal is because of its sheltered harbour. Durban would never have reached its full potential if the authorities had not managed to win the battle against the sandbar, which choked the mouth of the bay.The problem was caused by currents in opposition to the south-flowing Mozambique Current, which sets up a littoral drift moving sand northward along the East African coast. A fair bit of that sand ended up as a bar across the mouth of the bay, where the littoral drift curled around the end of the Bluff.
The bar made entering the bay highly hazardous for all but the smallest vessels, and substantial numbers of ships were wrecked in the attempt to cross it. Larger vessels were forced anchor outside the entrance to the harbour.
This made it difficult to load and offload cargo and passengers and, furthermore, left the ships at the mercy of the elements, which often didn't show them any. The authorities were well aware that the bar had to go before the town could fully come into its own, but many years were to pass and many attempts were to be made, before the task was finally accomplished.
In his book Who Saved Natal, Colin Bender gives Charles Crofts the lion's share of credit for beating the bar, having done much of the work under Innes and Methven, and during his own tenure as harbour engineer. Having won the battle through persistent dredging, Charles Crofts was put on early retirement by a grateful Natal Government in 1907.
In 1860, the railroad arrived in the Port of Durban, linking the harbor and the town. By 1890, the rails stretched all the way to Johannesburg almost 500 kilometers inland, and the Port of Durban stretched inland to the cool hills of Berea.
When gold was discovered in the area of the Port of Durban and coal was discovered in Dundee, the Port of Durban grew quickly. Many ships used the port for bunkering. As the traffic in the Port of Durban grew, marine-related industries moved in. Shipbuilders, stevedores, and chandlers established shops in the port, and a dry dock was constructed.
Near the end of the 1800s, the sugarcane industry exploded, making the Port of Durban one of the British Empire's most important seaports. It soon was the busiest sugar terminal in the world. By the turn of the century, the Port of Durban had roads and water and sewerage systems. With the railways also expanding, the Port of Durban began to attract people who wanted to vacation there. The port grew as a tourist destination, and it is still an important tourist destination today.
Special Commissioner
- Henry Cloete (10 May 1843 - 31 May 1844)
Direct rule by Cape Colony (31 May 1844 - 4 December 1845)
Lieutenant-governors
- Martin Thomas West (4 December 1845 - 1 August 1849)
- Benjamin Chilley Campbell Pine (1st time) (19 April 1850 - 3 March 1855)
- John Scott (5 November 1856 - 31 December 1864)
- John MacleanJohn MacLeanJohn MacLean may refer to:* John MacLean , US musician, formerly of Six Finger Satellite, now of The Juan MacLean* John MacLean , professional ice hockey player and coach...
(31 December 1864 - 26 July 1865) - John Wellesley ThomasJohn Wellesley ThomasLieutenant-General Sir John Wellesley Thomas, KCB was a distinguished British military officer who served in Afghanistan, Australia, and China. He was the commander of the British military and police forces that quelled the rebellion at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in...
(acting) (26 July 1865 - 26 August 1865) - John Jarvis Bisset (acting) (26 August 1865 - 24 May 1867)
- Robert William KeateRobert William KeateRobert William Keate was a career British colonial governor, serving as Commissioner of the Seychelles from 1850 to 1852, Governor of Trinidad from 1857 to 1864, of Natal from 1867 to 1872, and of Gold Coast from 7 March 1873 to 17 March 1873.-Early life and family:Keate was born in 1814 in...
(24 May 1867 - 19 July 1872) - Anthony MusgraveAnthony MusgraveSir Anthony Musgrave KCMG was a colonial administrator and governor. He was born at St John’s, Antigua, the third of 11 children of Anthony Musgrave and Mary Harris Sheriff...
(19 July 1872 - 30 April 1873) - Thomas Milles (acting) (30 April 1873 - 22 July 1873)
- Benjamin Chilley Campbell Pine (2nd time) (22 July 1873 - 1 April 1875)
- Sir Garnet Joseph Wolseley (acting) (1 April 1875 - 3 September 1875)
- Sir Henry Ernest Gascoyne BulwerHenry Ernest Gascoyne BulwerSir Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer , the nephew of Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer, was a British colonial administrator and diplomat.Bulwer was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge...
(3 September 1875 - 20 April 1880) - William Bellairs (acting) (20 April 1880 - 5 May 1880)
- Henry Hugh CliffordHenry Hugh CliffordMajor General Sir Henry Hugh Clifford VC KCMG CB was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:Clifford was the third son of Hugh Charles Clifford, 7th...
(acting) (5 May 1880 - 2 July 1880)
Governors
- Sir George Pomeroy ColleyGeorge Pomeroy ColleyMajor-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley KCSI CB CMG was a British Army officer who became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and High Commissionerfor South Eastern Africa....
(2 July 1880 - 27 February 1881) - Henry AlexanderHenry AlexanderHenry Alexander may refer to:*Henry Alexander , American painter*Henry Alexander , Irish Member of Parliament for Londonderry City, 1801–02*Henry Alexander , MP for Barnstaple, 1826–30*Henry P...
(acting for Colley) (17 August 1880 - 14 September 1880) - Sir Henry Evelyn Wood (acting) (27 February 1881 - 3 April 1881)
- Redvers Henry Buller (acting) (3 April 1881 - 9 August 1881)
- Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell (1st time, acting) (22 December 1881 - 6 March 1882)
- Sir Henry Ernest Gascoyne BulwerHenry Ernest Gascoyne BulwerSir Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer , the nephew of Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer, was a British colonial administrator and diplomat.Bulwer was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge...
(6 March 1882 - 23 October 1885) - Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock (18 February 1886 - 5 June 1889)
- Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell (2nd time) (1 December 1889 - July 1893)
- Francis Seymour HadenFrancis Seymour HadenSir Francis Seymour Haden , was an English surgeon, best known as an etcher.He was born in London, his father, Charles Thomas Haden, being a well-known doctor and lover of music. He was educated at Derby School, Christ's Hospital, and University College, London, and also studied at the Sorbonne,...
(acting) (July 1893 - 27 September 1893) - Sir Walter Hely-HutchinsonWalter Hely-HutchinsonSir Walter Francis Hely-Hutchinson GCMG was an Anglo-Irish diplomat and colonial administrator.-Biography:He was the son of Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 4th Earl of Donoughmore, He attended the University of Cambridge....
(28 September 1893 - 6 May 1901) - Sir Henry Edward McCallumHenry Edward McCallumSir Henry Edward McCallum colonial governor born Yeovil, Somersetshire, England and died in England....
(13 May 1901 - 7 June 1907) - Sir Matthew Nathan (2 September 1907 - 23 December 1909)
- Paul Sanford Methuen, Baron MethuenPaul Methuen, 3rd Baron MethuenField Marshal Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen GCB, GCMG, GCVO was a British military commander.-Early life:...
(17 January 1910 - 31 May 1910)
The post of Governor of the Colony of Natal became extinct on 31 May 1910, when it joined the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
.
Prime Ministers of the Colony of Natal (1893-1910)
| No. | Name | Party | Assumed office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir John Robinson | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 10 October 1893 | 14 February 1897 |
| 2 | Harry Escombe Harry Escombe Harry Escombe , South African statesman, a member of a Somersetshire family, was born at Notting Hill, London, and was educated at St Paul's School.... | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 15 February 1897 | 4 October 1897 |
| 3 | Sir Henry Binns Henry Binns Sir Henry Binns, KCMG was Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal, South Africa from 5 October 1897 - 8 June 1899.... | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 5 October 1897 | 8 June 1899 |
| 4 | Sir Albert Henry Hime Albert Henry Hime Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Albert Henry Hime KCMG, PC was a Royal Engineers officer and later a prominent politician in the Colony of Natal.... | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 9 June 1899 | 17 August 1903 |
| 5 | George Morris Sutton | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 18 August 1903 | 16 May 1905 |
| 6 | Charles John Smythe | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 16 May 1905 | 28 November 1906 |
| 7 | Frederick Robert Moor | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 28 November 1906 | 28 April 1910 |
The post of Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal also became extinct on 31 May 1910, when it joined the Union of South Africa.
Natal Province
Natal became Natal ProvinceNatal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
, one of the four founding provinces of the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
in 1910, and in 1994 was combined with the KwaZulu
KwaZulu
KwaZulu was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Zulu people. The capital, formerly at Nongoma, was moved in 1980 to Ulundi....
bantustan
Bantustan
A bantustan was a territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa , as part of the policy of apartheid...
to become KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
.
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-NatalKwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
is home to the Zulu nation. There is also a large East Indian population, a white Boer-descended population to the north, and descendants of British settlers mainly in the cities.