Nigel, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Nigel is a small gold
mining town in Gauteng
Province, South Africa
. The town is on the edge of the area known as the East Rand, the industrial engine room of Johannesburg
.
A prospector, reading Sir Walter Scott
's The Fortunes of Nigel
at the time (see Nigel
), discovered gold on the farm Varkensfontein in 1886 and immediately formed the Nigel Gold Mining Company. The town which grew around the mine still bears names derived from Scott's book.
Today the town is focused primarily on mining and also has various heavy industries.
Nigel's municipal government became part of the much larger Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality municipality following the creation of new local government structures in 2000, along with most of rest of the East Rand.
On 1 August 2010 a fire at the Pieter Wessels old age home lead to the death of 22 people.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining town in Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
Province, 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 town is on the edge of the area known as the East Rand, the industrial engine room of Johannesburg
Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area
The Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area is the name of the area surrounding the city of Johannesburg, in South Africa. It includes Johannesburg and the areas of the East Rand and West Rand. It is often referred to as the Witwatersrand, or Rand, after a low mountain range that runs through the...
.
A prospector, reading Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's The Fortunes of Nigel
The Fortunes of Nigel
The Fortunes of Nigel is a novel written by Sir Walter Scott. The setting is some time between 1616 and 1625.- Plot introduction :...
at the time (see Nigel
Nigel
Nigel is an English masculine given name. The name is derived from the Latin Nigellus. This Latin word would seem to derive from the Latin niger, meaning "black"; however this is thought to be an example of an incorrect etymology created by French speaking clerics, who knew Latin as well, to...
), discovered gold on the farm Varkensfontein in 1886 and immediately formed the Nigel Gold Mining Company. The town which grew around the mine still bears names derived from Scott's book.
Today the town is focused primarily on mining and also has various heavy industries.
Nigel's municipal government became part of the much larger Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality municipality following the creation of new local government structures in 2000, along with most of rest of the East Rand.
On 1 August 2010 a fire at the Pieter Wessels old age home lead to the death of 22 people.