Barberton

History

Barberton was founded in 1884 by the two Barber brothers, Fred and Harry, and their cousin Graham, who found a reef rich with gold called “Barber’s Reef”. It was the mining commissioner of Kaapse Hoop, David Wilson, who declared the township of Barberton. This makes Barberton older than the city of Johannesburg. The first stock exchange opened its doors and was called the De Kaap Exchange, and is now a National Monument.  Rock paintings in the mountains and caves nearby provide evidence to the earlier existence of the San Group.  Some of the oldest sedimentary rock formations on the planet, called the Barberton Greenstone Belt, are found here. First form of life on earth, a bacterial micro fossil Archaeospheroides barbertonis was also discovered here and has been identified as being 3.2 billion years old.

Geology

The Barberton Greenstone belt is distinguished in that it geologically produces the oldest gold and silver ore bodies to be commercially mined anywhere in the world, having being deposited at an estimated 3.5-billion years ago. Our hills contain the oldest and best preserved sequence of volcanic and sedentary rocks on earth. Their physical and chemical characteristics provide an unparalleled source of scientific information about early Earth. The geotrail is part of the Genesis Tourist route and a definite bucket list candidate. There is something for everyone to appreciate; from families on leisure breaks to geology students. It has a number of laybys at significant geological and view sites.

Nature

The Barberton Daisy was discovered here in 1889 by Robert Jameson. The daisy forms part of the Gerbera Jamesonii species, also known as the Gerbera or the Transvaal Daisy.  Gerbera is also commonly known as the African Daisy. The Barberton Centre of Plant Endemism has high biodiversity, second only to the Cape Fynbos. There are grassland flowers in abundance, rare proteas and cycads in the hills, pockets of indigenous forest with waterfalls and blue monkeys; and for those who look very closely, there are Crowned Eagles, Knysna Turacos and Narina Trogons.

Activities

Barberton is ideal for mountain bike and cycle racing, with several well attended events held annually. Paragliding is popular from Lone Tree Hill, with the golf course providing a convenient landing and base- station. The National Championships are held here, with the sky filling with multi-coloured ‘smileys’, circling gracefully above the mountains. A private airstrip hosts a well-attended annual Bush Pilots fly-in. If the local Swimming pool is too tame for the kids, try Tegwaan Pools in the Queens River, here the water rushes crystal clear along rocky mountain streams.