As we explore Barberton's rich heritage, it is worth remembering that the valley's story did not begin with the discovery of gold. Long before prospectors arrived, families were already building lives here, laying the foundations of a history that deserves to be remembered.
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Barberton families who vanished when the Drummond Castle sank
In June 1896, several people connected to Barberton boarded the Drummond Castle for the journey home to Britain. They never reached their destination.
When faith came to the goldfields
By the late 1880s, Barberton had representatives of several Christian denominations, each attempting to establish a congregation in a rapidly expanding gold-mining town.
Forgotten occupations that kept Barberton goldfields alive
Gold was the dream that brought them to Barberton, but gold alone did not build the town. Behind every prospector was an entire army of people whose work kept the goldfields alive.