History Hack: The toss of a coin

Farms were cheap in Northern Natal in the 1890s. The upset price was usually a shilling an acre – roughly R2.50 per hectare at the conversion rate in 1961 when South Africa adopted the decimal currency.
Buyers were given 20 years to pay for the farms they bought.

Two friends, George Langley and Edward Phillips, had decided to catch the train to Johannesburg to work on the gold fields after gold had been discovered in 1886.

Imagine the train trip from Durban – stopping at every white-washed gate post! The train chugged into Dannhauser and the two friends got off. They immediately decided to get involved in bidding for farms in the area that were to be resold by the agents, Walton & Tatham of Ladysmith.

Two such farms were on offer – Gardenia in the Newcastle district and Boys Kraal (now Ferroland) on the road between Dannhauser and the N11. George and Edward decided to toss a coin, as neither could make a decision about which farm they wanted.

Edward, who had married Alice Wade from Dundee, tossed the winning call and chose Gardenia, while George got Boys Kraal.
George was perhaps the luckiest.

By 1898, coal was discovered on Boys Kraal and the rest is history. Durban Navigation Collieries was started and soon the area become a hugely successful mining village. Mining continued until around 2000 and the homes sold off to private people.

Iscor sadly also flattened the legendary Duchens Hotel and Butchery, opposite where the new Dannhauser Community Hospital is. The golf club, where many mine employees gathered, has also gone to rack and ruin.

However, Langley’s agreement with the mine assured him a penny per ton for every load of coal for life. Not a bad toss to win.

ALSO READ: Museum adds historic wagon and tools to its collection

HAVE YOUR SAY:
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram or email us at dundee.courier@caxton.co.za.  Add us on WhatsApp 071 277 1394