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← 1878 1877 1876 1879 in South Africa → 1880 1881 1882
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1879 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Henry Barkly.
• Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
• State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
• State President of the South African Republic: vacant.
• Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West: William Owen Lanyon (until March), James Rose Innes (starting March).
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Charles Molteno (until February), John Gordon Sprigg (starting February).

Events

January

• 11 – Britain declares war against the Zulus and launches the Anglo-Zulu War after an ultimatum issued on 11 December 1878 is rejected.
• 22 – The Zulus wipe out British forces in the Battle of Isandlwana.
• 22-23 – The British prevail against a Zulu attack in the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

March

• 7 – The first British troops arrive in Durban from all over the Empire.
• 12 – A force of 2,000 Zulus attacks a British camp at Ntombi River. Of the 60 men in the camp, only 15 escape.

July

• 4 – The Zulus are defeated at Ulundi and the war ends.

August

• 28 – The Zulu King Cetshwayo is captured.

Births

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (July 2010)

Deaths

• 4 May – William Froude, engineer, hydrodynamicist and naval architect, dies in Simon's Town
• 1 June – Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial is killed in action when ambushed by Zulus during the Anglo-Zulu War.

Railways

Railway lines opened

• March – Natal – Pinetown to Botha's Hill, 14 miles 6 chains (22.7 kilometres).
• 11 August – Cape Western – Grootfontein to Fraserburg Road, 52 miles 41 chains (84.5 kilometres).
• 26 August – Cape Midland – Mount Stewart to Graaff-Reinet, 72 miles 18 chains (116.2 kilometres).
• 1 September – Natal – Avoca to Verulam, 12 miles 2 chains (19.4 kilometres).
• 3 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Grahamstown, 34 miles 71 chains (56.1 kilometres).
• 17 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Middleton, 38 miles 3 chains (61.2 kilometres).
• 3 November – Cape Eastern – Döhne to Cathcart, 42 miles 48 chains (68.6 kilometres).

Locomotives

Cape

• Two new 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Cape Government Railways (CGR):
  • The first four of fifteen 1st Class 4-4-0 American type passenger locomotives on the Western and Eastern systems.
  • The first six of ten 1st Class 2-6-0 Mogul type goods locomotives on the Western system.
• The Table Bay Harbour Board places its fourth 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge 0-4-0 well-tank engine in excavation and breakwater construction service.

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places seven 2-6-0T locomotives in service, later to be modified to a 4-6-0T wheel arrangement and designated Class G.
• The Natal Harbours Department in Durban places a single 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotive in service, named John Milne.

References

1. ^ 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
2. ^ Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
3. ^ Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
4. ^ C.G.R. Numbering Revised, Article by Dave Littley, SA Rail May–June 1993, pp. 94–95.
5. ^ Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
6. NGR Class G numbering

• 1879 in South Africa
• Years of the 19th century in South Africa
• 1879 by country
• Years in South Africa