Cape Government Railways (fl. 1873-1910)

Organization

Staff Only

Dates

Existence: fl. 1873 - 1910

Biography

Cape Government Railways was established by the Cape Government around 1873 to operate lines previously administered by the Cape Town Dock and Railway Company, with the commissioners of crown lands and public works in charge. The first general manager, Charles Bletterman Elliott, was appointed in 1880 and he was responsible for a significant improvement in the efficiency of the administration. He remained in the post for nearly 25 years.

Between 1875 and 1880 the total distance of lines in the Colony rose from 154 to 913 miles. By 1899 this had reached 2001 miles. From 1889 to 1895 Cape Government Railways also operated the Orange Free State Railways. With the establishment of the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910, the railway companies of the four separate territories (Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State) merged to form South African Railways and Harbours with Cape Government Railways contributing almost a half of the total mileage of 7577 miles (Lingen 1960, pp.1-27).

Sources:

Lingen, A. van (1960), 'A century of transport', Johannesburg: Da Gama Publications Limited.

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Item

Molteno. Early morning at the coal mines, 1900 - 1910

Item

Reference Code: GBR/0115/RCS/Y305J/20

Scope and Contents

193 x 142 mm. Showing African labourers gathered around a cooking pot outside stone huts. Coal mining activity which was started in the area in 1859: the better quality coal from the Transvaal and Natal [KwaZulu-Natal] soon destroyed the foundations of the industry.

Dates: 1900 - 1910

Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).