• Silver Mine

    in the Crocodile River Reserve

Silver Mine

Silver, gold, lead, and lime have all been mined in and around the Crocodile River Reserve at various points in history.

The story of this particular silver mine, however, is especially intriguing. During the Anglo-Boer War, a British officer named John Hepke was wounded in a battle at Kalkheuwel. Years later, he was diagnosed with lead poisoning, and when the bullet was finally removed from his body, it was found to contain a high concentration of silver.

Driven by curiosity, John Hepke returned to South Africa and, with the assistance of an old Afrikaans farmer, retraced his steps to the site of the battle. He inquired about the fate of the spent cartridges, only to be informed that they had been collected for re-use. The farmer then led him to a small mine, which he claimed was the source of the silver in the bullets. The evidence strongly suggested that this was indeed the same mine.

Hepke eventually purchased the farm, naming it the Lonely Hand Silver Mine. His son later sub-divided the farm, and the original homestead was eventually sold to Pik Botha.

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