Gold Mining on Witwatersrand 1886

Value of Gold

• Gold is valuable because it is scarce
• Gold shines brilliantly when polished
• Gold is beautiful to look at
• Gold is used in everyday life for various things
• Gold does not rust
• Gold is indestructible
• Gold conducts electricity
• Gold reflects heat rays and thin layers can be used to block sun rays

Gold Standard

• At the time of gold discovery, gold was in great demand in Europe and the USA
• Countries had to keep gold in a bank vault to back their currency
• The price of gold was fixed internationally
• Countries without gold reserves had to buy gold from other countries to back their currency

Discovery and Mining of Deep-Level Gold

Discovery of Gold

• Gold was discovered deep under the ground in Witwatersrand, South Africa in 1886
• Witwatersrand is now in the province of Gauteng
• At the time, South Africa was divided into four states, each controlled by white people
• The gold mines were situated in the Boer Republic of the Transvaal

Gold Law

• The gold law was passed in the Transvaal by the Boer government in July 1886
• The law stated that claim holders had to be white
• Black people were only allowed onto the gold fields as employees of white people

Deep-Level Gold Mining

• Deep-level mining required new and expensive machines to dig deeper to reach the gold
• Machines were used to sink shafts hundreds of meters beneath the ground
• Thousands of people came to Witwatersrand to try to make money
• The discovery of gold led to South Africa's industrial revolution
• Many changes occurred in all aspects of life, including transport

Mining Requirements

• A large amount of money was needed to start a mine
• Investors brought in money from other countries
• Expensive mining machinery and equipment were needed to run the mines