A look back in history: Newcastle’s historic buildings
The historically significant town of Newcastle has undergone remarkable transformations - from being a mere stopover on the way to Johannesburg to a thriving industrial hub full with opportunities
Founded in 1864, Newcastle was first known as Post Halt Number 2 as it was a ‘halfway house’ where travellers on the Durban/Johannesburg route would stop to refresh.
The town was later named Waterfall River Township and finally Newcastle, after the British Colonial Secretary, the fifth Duke of Newcastle.
The Newcastle Town Hall is a historic building that was built in in commemoration for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1899.
Any significance Newcastle had in its early history stemmed from its strategic military posture. To the west of town, over the small Drakensberg mountains were the flat plains of the Orange Free State. To the north, the Transvaal, whose population were becoming increasingly hostile to British authority and to the east laid Zululand – another point of contention that threatened to devolve into conflict as the Zulus opposed British attempts to put them under their authority.
Fort Amiel was the army base for the British forces and was built on a hill looing over Newcastle in 1876
See historical photos below:
To read more about the history of Newcastle,clickhttps://surl.li/pqupg
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