1860 in South Africa

Events in South Africa in 1860

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1860
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Decades:

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:
- Esaias Reynier Snijman (acting until 7 February).^[3]
- Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (from 8 February).^[3]
President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic:
- Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (until 14 September).^[4]
- Johannes Hermanus Grobler (acting from 15 September until 5 December).^[4]
- Stephanus Schoeman (acting from 6 December).^[4]

1 – The seat of the South African Republic (ZAR) government is officially transferred from Potchefstroom to Pretoria.
4 – The Orange Free State signs a peace treaty with Moshoeshoe I at Wittebergen, near Winburg, ending the first Basuto War.

26 – The Natal Railway Company officially opens the first revenue-earning railway line in South Africa, a 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) line from Market Square in Durban to the newly built Point station at Durban Harbour.^[5]

6 – Stephanus Schoeman unconstitutionally ousts J.H. Grobler as acting President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic.^[4]

The first indenture of Indian workers arrive in Natal to work in the sugar industry.
The first telegraph service in South Africa starts operating between Cape Town and Simonstown.
The penny post is started in Cape Town.

20 March – The Cape Town Railway and Dock Company takes delivery of eight broad gauge 0-4-2 tender locomotives for service on the Cape Town-Wellington line, which is still under construction.^[5]
13 May – The Natal Railway Company's first locomotive, the broad gauge engine "Natal", is landed at Durban.^[5]

^ "Grey, Sir George (1812–1898)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
^ World Statesmen: Botswana (Accessed on 14 April 2017)
^ ^a ^b ^c Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices, Orange Free State: Heads of State: 1854-1902 (Accessed on 14 April 2017)^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices, South African Republic (Transvaal): Heads of State: 1857-1877 (Accessed on 14 April 2017)
^ ^a ^b ^c Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 11, 13, 15–16, 20–21, 23, 84. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
^ Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13