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Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:03 pm

Several weeks ago, there was a discussion in the Forum about the railway line to the interior of the Colony of Natal. As I think I mentioned, my paternal great grandparents built the line from Botha's Hill to Drummond and I've been trying to find out more about it. You may recall that I identified the railway line up Field's Hill, actually running past the back of my home.
I have discovered that the Colonial Government decided to extend the original line at the Point because wheat was being successfully grown in the Northern Natal and it was considered cheaper and of course quicker to transport it by rail.
Arthur Shepstone (the brother of Sir Theophilus Shepstone - Secretary for Native Affairs) was employed as a contractor agent and he visited King Cetshwayo kaMpande early in 1877 to obtain labour. He was able to obtain 800 Zulus at 1 Pound per month. They were from the Mbonambi community and resident between the Zulus and the Thonga people. These 800 were actually forced by King Cetshwayo to work on the railway and he benefited financially because he was paid 1 Pound for every labourer who came to work on the railway.
The Natal public were dissatisfied with the slow rate of progress and when the War was in its planning stages, the military authorities were also unhappy with the rate of progress.
At the outbreak of the War, the line only reached Pinetown, so Plan 'B' was the use of the wagon.
Regards
Ken