1857 in South Africa explained

The following lists events that happened during 1857 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir George Grey.^{[1] [2]}
• Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: John Scott.
• State President of the Orange Free State: Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff.^[3]
• President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic: Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (from 6 January).^[4]

Events

January

• 6  - Marthinus Wessel Pretorius becomes the first President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek).^[4]

June

• 29  - Act no. 10 of 29 June 1857 grants the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company approval to construct a 57miles railway between Cape Town and Wellington.^[5]

Unknown date

• Robert Moffat completes Old Testament Bible translation into Setswana.
• About 157 Irish women arrive on the ship and settle in British Kaffraria.
• The first Legislative Council is selected in the Natal Colony.
• The Union Steam Ship Company wins the first mail contract for regular mail service between Great Britain and South Africa.
• The Cape Point Lighthouse at Cape Point is built.
• Building of the Roman Rock Lighthouse at the entrance to Simon's Town starts and only completed in 1861.

Births

• 2 October  - Martinus Theunis Steyn, lawyer, politician and statesman, last president of the independent Orange Free State. (d. 1916)

Deaths

• 15 December  - Anna Maria Truter, Cape Colony botanical artist and wife of Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet. (b. 1777)

Notes and References

1. Book: Australian Dictionary of Biography . National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . Sir George Grey (1812–1898) . 2024-09-12 . http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/grey-sir-george-2125.
2. Web site: Botswana . 2024-09-12 . www.worldstatesmen.org.
3. Web site: Orange Free State: Heads of State: 1854-1902 . 2024-09-12 . Archontology.
4. Web site: South African Republic: Heads of State: 1857-1877 . 2024-09-12 . Archontology.
5. Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1943). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter I - The Period of the 4 ft. 8½ in. Gauge. South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, June 1943. pp. 437-440.