rought a new era of prosperity and several ambitious building projects were planned including the construction of the Town Hall, which was completed in July 1899 just in time to be occupied by the Boer Forces at the start of the Anglo Boer War in October 1899.
THE ANGLO BOER WAR
The advent of the War brought all development to a halt. On 14th October 1899 the first Boer Forces led by General Ben Viljoen entered the town. Renaming the town Viljoensdorp. It was to remain in Boer hands for the next 8 months before the British under General Buller were able to re-occupy it.
During their occupation the Russian-Boer Ambulance Unit set up a military hospital in the Convent Buildings. The Boers ransacked the town and piled up their takings in the Town Hall but when their retreat came it was too quick for them to collect their loot and the towns residents returned to a shambles.
Because of its strategic position and the possibility of its attack by roving Boer Commandos the British were forced to place the town under martial law for the duration of the war. However the presence of military forces also helped to increase the social life of the town with musical concerts, balls and performances by military bands. When peace was declared, the soldiers gradually departed and the Club Institution Buildings were purchased were purchased by Council for civic use.
the first record of any educational work in Newcastle dates back to 1874 when a small school committee was formed ans a school opened in the Dutch Reformed Church building in Lennoxton but the school only lasted until 1878. In 1881 renewed efforts were made to establish a permanent Government School. The site chosen was that where the Junior Primary School stands today. the scholl opened in October 1882 with 47 boys and 30 girls.
In 1904 it was decided to build a new Boys’ School and a new site was chosen “far out of town” and the new buildings were opened on 4th February 1907. The building that now houses the main offices of the Newcastle High School was erected in 1907 and served as an all boys school until 1911 when the Headmaster, TD Wilson made a determined effort to introduce education levels higher than standard six.
Although this was met with some opposition from parents, the boys’ and girls’ Schools were integrated and divided into junior and high schools, both being co-educational. During this same period a Convent was opened in Sutherland Street and in 1909 The Order of St Dominic bought the beautiful property of Sir Charles Gubbins and opened the St Dominics Academy.
THE MODERN ERA
By 1910, many problems with regard to public amenities had been sorted out. A dam had been constructed on the Ncandu River, a waterworks established and electricity was being made available. Bridges were built across the Jordan Spruit and the tree planting programme begun in 1898 completed. Newcastle’s potential as an industrial centre was seriously considered but the onset of the Second World War put a damper on things and it was not until 1918 that Mr JK Eaton decided to build a Steel Works.
Within a few years Newcastle Iron and Steel works Ltd was established. Between 1920 and 1926 the first blast furnace to be erected in South Africa had been completed, the project was acquired by Union Steel Corporation (SA). By 1937 African Metals had purchased the Newcastle Works and by 1945, a second blast furnace was operating. Some 150 000 tons per annum of various grades of pig iron were being produced.
With the depression came hardship and one of the government projects to eleviate the lack of of work was the re-routing of the railway line from Newcastle to Charlestown in order to do away with the “reverses” at Ingogo that caused such much delay and limited the traffic load. This new line involved the construction of a number of long tunnels, work that was largely carried out by manual labour and a little town of corrugated iron buildings sprung up near the present Ingogo village. Fondly known to its residents as “Blikkies Dorp” its school is alleged to have had as many as 450 children.
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