Welcome To The Big Hole..
150 years ago, the site of the Big Hole
was a featureless, flat-topped hill.
When word spread that diamonds had been
discovered, thousands of prospectors, armed with nothing more than
picks, shovels and hope, descended on
Kimberley and created the largest hand-dug excavation site site,
The Big Hole was mined to about 800 meters and, in its time,
yielded 2.7 tons of diamonds. The mine closed in 1914 and is now an
enormous water filled crater. The first recorded South African diamond,
the Eureka, is on display in the very informative museum. You can try
your luck by sifting through some diamond bearing gravel and also
experience a diamond mining operation. Refreshments are available at the
bar and admission to the museum is free.
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