Barberton offers a contrast between the town’s history and a geological history visible in the surrounding area. In town, the museum, historic houses and traces of the gold rush offer different ways to explore the past. The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains broaden the perspective to include rocks and early Earth history. This also means that the focus of a stay can vary: urban cultural history on the one hand, and the geological landscape and a self-drive route on the other.

Museum and historic houses

The Main Museum of the Barberton Museum presents the general and cultural history of Barberton and its immediate surroundings. It also features geological exhibits and displays on the Stone Age, Iron Age, military and mining history, Victorian cultural history and emaSwati culture. The Barberton Museum also includes the Belhaven House Museum, Stopforth House Museum, Fernlea Museum and Krugerhof Museum.

Fernlea House was built in the late 1880s and now houses an exhibition on Barberton’s botany and the history of Rimer’s Creek. Belhaven House was built in 1904 and is an example of the prefabricated houses imported during South Africa’s mining booms. Stopforth House was built in 1886 by James Stopforth as a prefabricated wood-and-iron house. Comparing the latter two houses shows different connections to prefabricated construction: Belhaven represents imports during the mining booms, while Stopforth is a wood-and-iron house with a specific date and known builder. Krugerhof was President Paul Kruger’s last residence during the South African War.

Traces in the townscape

Clues to Barberton’s history can also be found beyond the museum houses. The design of the Barberton Gateways in town was inspired by Nukain Mabuza’s colourful painted rock garden at Revolver Creek. Original 19th-century kerbstones lie in front of the town hall, where there is also a statue of Jock of the Bushveld. The cemetery contains graves dating from Barberton’s gold rush era.

The Barberton Heritage Walk is free of charge. A map is available at the Barberton Information Centre on Crown Street. If you plan to use the map for directions, check in advance that it is available.

Geology in the surrounding area

The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains encompass 40 percent of the Barberton Greenstone Belt. They preserve an exceptionally well-preserved sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks dating from 3.6 to 3.25 billion years ago. This sequence documents early surface conditions on Earth, meteorite impacts, volcanism, continental formation and the environment of early life. The surrounding area therefore focuses on a much earlier period than the town’s houses and traces of the gold rush.

The Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail is a 38-kilometre self-drive route through the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains between Barberton and the Josefsdal border post. It offers a different geographical scale from the themes within the town: the town’s history can be explored through museums, houses and landmarks, while the geotrail runs through the mountains between the town and the border post. This distinction can help you decide how to include cultural history and geology in your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Emalahleni, Emanzana, Malelane, Dullstroom, Secunda, Middelburg, Krokodilbrug, Hazyview

Return to the regional travel overview: Mpumalanga.