King Lobengula

An illustration of Lobengula who succeeded Mzilikazi as King of the Ndebele people in 1870. Lobengula would not allow photographs of himself believing they would take away his spirit. In Oct 1888 he signed the famous Rudd concession with CD Rudd, a partner of Cecil Rhodes, by which, in return for a 1,000 Martini-Henry rifles, 100,000 rounds of ammunition, £1200 annually & a steamboat, Lobengula unwittingly gave Rhodes & his partners a monopoly of all the metals & minerals in his Kingdom.

Cecil Rhodes 1853 - 1902

Cecil John Rhodes was born in England in 1853 the son of a vicar. In 1871 at the age of 18 he entered the diamond trade in Kimberley South Africa & later formed De Beers Ltd which dominated the diamond trade into the 21st century. He also served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. His British South Africa Company founded Rhodesia in 1895. He also set up a scholarship in 1902 which to this day enables outstanding students from around the world to attend Oxford University.

Pioneer Column - 1890

The Pioneer Column was raised by the British South Africa Company to annex Mashonaland. It consisted of 180 men including soldiers, lawyers, engineers, builders, bakers, butchers & farmers. They marched from Macloutsie in Bechuanaland in June 1890 & reached the site of Fort Salisbury on 12th Sept 1890. The next morning a full dress parade was held, a 7-pounder canon fired a royal salute & Lt Edward Tyndale-Biscoe hoisted the flag atop a kopje overlooking the site of the future capital, Salisbury

Frederick Selous:1851-1917

Frederick Selous was a famous hunter, explorer & author. An Englishman by birth he helped chart the southern & eastern regions of Africa, expand the world's zoological knowledge & champion conservation. His real-life adventures inspired Sir Henry Rider Haggard to create the fictional Allan Quartermain character. Selous was also a close friend of Theodore Roosevelt & Cecil Rhodes. He guided the pioneer column into Mashonaland in 1890.

King Lewanika 1842-1916

A photograph of King Lewanika, a powerful traditional ruler of the Barotse people who inhabited the north-western part of Rhodesia. In 1890 the King signed a treaty with the British South Africa Company because he was fearful of attack from the Portuguese as well as from the Matabele & so he wished to have British protection. Thus Barotseland became a British protectorate. It was eventually amalgamated with North-Eastern Rhodesia to form Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1911.

William Fairbridge - 1891

In June 1891, the Argus Company sent William Fairbridge to Fort Salisbury to obtain reports about the settlement to send back to Britain. On 27 June 1891, he filled a German sausage with glue & treacle using it as a roller to print the first copies of 'The Mashonaland & Zambesian Times' newspaper. After working a year printing from a mud hut he imported more modern equipment by ox wagon & on 20th Oct 1892 the Mashonaland Herald & Zambesian Times became the Rhodesian Herald.

Zeederberg Coach Co

The Zeederberg Coach Company was a South African horse-drawn mail and stage coach service which began in 1887 when Christiaan Zeederberg & his 3 brothers started the first mail-coach route between Johannesburg & Kimberley. In April 1891 the Zeederberg company inaugurated a route from Pretoria to Pietersburg & then on to Fort Tuli, Fort Victoria & Fort Charter & finally Salisbury. Zeederberg’s were paid £4,500 annually by the BSAC & became the official mail carriers to & from Southern Rhodesia.

Trading Station - 1890s

A postcard photograph of a trading station in the late 1890s on the Bulawayo to Gwelo transport road. Typically such stations consisted of huts which had mud walls & thatched roofs, with a canteen at one end & the store at the other, separated by a partition, the bar fittings consisted mainly of spirit cases. A round hut, innocent of window frames or doors normally served as the dining room.

Mashonaland Police

The Mashonaland Mounted Police force was established in January 1892 following the disbandment of the British South Africa Company Police. It was a paramilitary force of mounted infantrymen responsible for policing the occupied region of Mashonaland.

Afrikander Volunteers 1893

During 1893 several incidents took place in Matabeleland, including the raiding of Mashona livestock & the theft of a British telegraph line. The Fort Victoria incident in which Matabele raiders attacked the Mashona and besieged the European settlers was the trigger to the first Anglo-Matabele War. During this conflict the Afrikander Volunteer Corps was established as a military unit, & provided substantial support to the Rhodesian Police in two decisive battles against the Matabele.

Salisbury School - 1894

An 1894 photo of the staff & pupils at the first school in Salisbury. In early 1894 as a result of the efforts of Archdeacon Upcher & his assistant N.C Panilod, All Saints School opened with a handful of pupils. The teacher H.C Rankillor had brought desks, books & other equipment with him from Pretoria. Unfortunately, the school was too small to be economically sustainable & was closed by Bishop Gaul in 1895.

Standard Bank - 1894

The Standard Bank of British South Africa Ltd established a pioneering presence in southern Rhodesia in 1892. The first 'branch' was located in a bell tent in Bulawayo. This photo shows the first proper branch building to be erected in Salisbury in 1894.

The Kopje Club - 1895

As the Salisbury Club was initially only accessible to civil servants & members of the military, a group of traders got together & built the Kopje Club in Sinoia street, the outside of which is shown in this photograph taken in 1895. Ladies were not normally admitted to either the Salisbury or Kopje clubs. The latter eventually closed down and became the Castle Hotel.

Mashona Rebellion - 1896

In 1896 some local tribes were angry over the influx of settlers into Mashonaland & stringent colonial health rules on livestock to prevent rinderpest. In June two spirit mediums, Kagubi & Nehanda, urged the local tribespeople to attack European settlers. Within a few days 119 people had been murdered in the rural areas of Mashonlaland. The European population then moved from their farms & the mines to form laagers in Salisbury, Headlands & Umtali.

Farm Attack - 1896

Image of the scene found by Inspector Nesbitt & his Mashonaland Mounted Police patrol at the Porta farm in June 1896 after the entire Norton family & two farm employees living there had been murdered by tribesmen during the `Mashona rebellion.

Mazoe Patrol Survivors

On 19 June 1896, Captain Nesbitt of the Mashonaland Mounted Police led a 13-man patrol to the rescue of miners & their families at the Alice Mine in the Mazoe Valley located 27 miles from Salisbury, who were surrounded by over a thousand armed rebel Mashona tribesmen. Captain Nesbitt & his patrol fought their way through the enemy & succeeded in getting the beleaguered party back to Salisbury in spite of heavy fighting in which three of the small rescue party were killed & five wounded.

Salisbury Laager - 1896

A copy of a sketch map showing the layout of the laager built in Salisbury during the Mashona rebellion. The only substantial brick building existing in Salisbury at that time was the jail house. This was hastily converted into a laager with wagons, sandbags & barbed wire. Then on the afternoon of the 20th June 1896, following a warning that hostile Mashona warriors had been sighted on the outskirts of Salisbury, the town's population were ordered into the laager.

Artillery Troop - 1896

Members of the artillery troop who served with the Rhodesia Horse Volunteers group (which was later renamed the Salisbury Horse). This photograph was taken outside of the Salisbury laager in 1896.

Defenders of Salisbury

Matabeleland & Mashonaland were officially referred to collectively as 'Southern Rhodesia' from 1898 & formally united under that name in 1901. The overall centre of BSAC administration was Salisbury, which was also the Southern Rhodesia capital. The BSAC's administrative centre in North-Eastern Rhodesia was Fort Jameson, while in North-Western Rhodesia the capital was Kalomo initially & then Livingston from 1907.

Matabeleland Police - 1897

In 1893 the Matabeleland Mounted Police (a forerunner of the BSA Police) was formed. Both it & the Mashonaland Mounted Police unit came under the umbrella of the Rhodesian Mounted Police, commanded by Captain Charles White. The unit played a central role in both the 1st Matabele War (1893) & the 2nd Matabele War (1896/7) with many troopers also serving in the Jameson Raid. This original photo was taken by William Rausch a well-known photographer at the time. He died in 1900.

Khami Ruins - 1897

An original silver gelatine photograph of troops resting by part of the Khami Ruins during the 2nd Matabele War. This image was taken in 1897 by William Rausch. These ancient ruins date from 1450 AD & are remnants of the Torwa dynasty whose capital was called Khami.

Chief Gambo

A photograph of Chief Gambo who was once one of Lobengula's senior military officers. He later switched sides & fought with the European settlers. He eventually became one of the most influential chiefs in Matebeleland & married one of Lobengula's daughters.

Matabeleland - 1897

An original silver gelatine photograph taken by William Rausch of members of the Matabeleland Mounted Police force sitting outside a hut near Bulawayo in 1897.

Rhodes Campsite

A photograph of Rhodes in front of his camp wagon in Matabeleland, together with his personal secretary John Grimmer and his batman Tony.

John Grootboom

John Grootboom was a member of the Tembu tribe who fought with the settlers during the Matabele rebellions. He bravely volunteered to go to the Matabele stronghold with a message from Rhodes. This approach eventually led to the 'Great Indaba' & the famous peace agreement. Rhodes later offered Grootboom a substantial reward for this action but his offer was refused.

Salisbury - 1898

A copy of an 1898 photograph showing the southern section of Salisbury and highlighting some of the important structures/areas back then.

Government House - 1899

An original picture of government house in Bulawayo taken by the famous photographer William Rausch in 1899. In 1897 Cecil Rhodes had this house built as his personal residence on the site of King Lobenguela's original Kraal. The garden contained a large tree under which he and Lobengula held their negotiations. The building, was later used by the BSAC during their administration of Southern and Northern Rhodesia.

1st Board Members BSAC

The British South Africa Company was formed in 1899 & backed financially by Baron Nathan de Rothschild & Cecil Rhodes. A Royal Charter encouraged the BSAC to extend the infrastructure of modern capitalism into south-central Africa for the benefit of the British but without any cost falling on the British taxpayer. The BSAC's administration of Rhodesia ended in 1923 when the settlers were granted responsible government.

Lt Colonel Spreckley

Lt Colonel John ‘Jack’ Spreckley served with the Bulawayo Field Force during the Matabele Rebellion & later as a member of ‘E’ Squadron, the Rhodesia Regiment during the 2nd Boer War (including the relief of Mafeking). Later, whilst on patrol on 20 August 1900, his party was surrounded by a group of Transvaal Boers at Klip Drift. Spreckley & his party were called upon to surrender, but he shouted "Never give in to them, lads" & was immediately killed.

2nd Boer War - 1899

In 1899 Colonel Baden-Powell was sent out to Rhodesia to raise two regiments, in order to protect the borders of that country & of the Bechuanaland Protectorate from possible Boer attacks. Two regiments, namely the Rhodesian under Colonel Plummer & the Protectorate under Colonel Gore, were raised, trained & equipped. This photograph shows a detachment of Rhodesian volunteers leaving Market Square in Salisbury & heading to the country's south-western border with the Northern Transvaal.

Field Telegraph Unit - 1899

This photo Showa a field telegraph unit near Fort Tuli in 1899. A police detachment under Sgt McGee was sent on the 5th of August 1899 from Bulawayo to re-establish Tuli's defences. They were joined in September by four troops of the Rhodesia Regiment who arrived just before the Boer War started on 11th Oct 1899. The first fighting in the area broke out on 18th Oct 1899 when a Rhodesian recon unit from Tuli crossed the Limpopo River into the Transvaal & were fired upon by Boer commandos.

Salisbury to Umtali 1899

On 23rd May 1899, the Mashonaland Railway Company inaugurated the first rail service between Umtali and Salisbury. The 170 mile line was built with materials transported to Umtali via the Beira railway which had itself been completed in February 1898 and financed by both the BSAC and some Portuguese investors.

Salisbury Hospital - 1901

A 1901 photograph of the staff at Salisbury's first general hospital which opened in 1895.

Rhodes Funeral - 1902

An original photograph taken by SC Turner of preparations in the Matopas for the funeral of Cecil Rhodes. Samuel Turner was born in England in 1866, arriving in Bulawayo in 1897 & establishing himself as a picture framer, working from his home at 72 Abercorn Street Bulawayo. In 1902 Turner produced a series of 20 photographs of the funeral of Rhodes. From around the mid-1900s Turner published postcards using his photographs, with two series known to exist. He never married & died in July 1941.

Matabele Induna - Faku

A photograph of Faku an Induna (Commander) under Lobengula who was one of the key senior leaders of the Matabele who signed the peace agreement with Rhodes which ended the rebellion. The two men later became good friends & it was Faku's warriors who gave the Matabele Royal Salute over Rhodes's coffin as he was buried atop a granite hill in the Matopos in 1902.

Abercorn street - Bulawayo

A photograph looking down Abercorn street Bulawayo & taken in 1902. This city was the first in the country to operate electric street lights in 1897 a time when even London was still using mostly gas lamps. It was also home to Rhodesia's first stock exchange which opened in 1896.

BSAP Colour Party - 1909

The Mashonaland Mounted Police was formed in 1892, the Matabeleland Mounted Police in 1893 & the Matebeleland Native Police in 1894. Eventually, these three units together with other forces including municipal forces in both Salisbury & Bulawayo were all merged together into a single force in 1909 when control of the BSA Police transferred to the Imperial government under the command of one Commissioner of Police.

7th Queen's Hussars - 1897

An original photo of the Queen's own 7th Hussars on parade in 1897. This regiment was deployed in Rhodesia between 1896 & 1897 to help quell the Matabele & Mashona rebellions. It was a cavalry regiment in the British Army & was first formed in 1689. It saw service across the world for three centuries, including during WWI & WWII. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, but it was amalgamated with the 3rd The King's Own Hussars, forming the Queen's Own Hussars in 1958.

Terminus Hotel - Matopas

The Terminus hotel served a recreational railway line which would take visitors from Bulawayo to the Matopas Hills. This line operated between 1903 - 1948 & was funded by the Rhodes Trustees.

Smith & James - 1903

George Smith and Jimmy James established a partnership as butchers and bakers to the growing Victoria Falls community in 1903. Proudly promoting their contract as suppliers to the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company.

Ladies Shooting Club

A 1903 postcard photograph of the Manicaland Ladies Rifle club.

St Georges College

In 1896, a French Jesuit priest Friar Marc Barthelemy opened the door of a small corrugated-iron two windowed hut to admit the first six pupils into St Georges Boys School in Bulawayo. It was later upgraded & expanded in 1912. But in 1927 the school moved to its current 40 hectare site in Salisbury (now Harare) & renamed St Georges College. It is still considered to be one of the top schools in the country. This photo shows the parents of some of the scholars at St Georges School in Bulawayo.

Sir John Norton-Griffiths

Sir John Norton-Griffiths (1871-1924) had no formal qualifications as an engineer, yet successfully carried out vast projects including the building of the Benguela Railway & the mining of Messines Ridge. He served in the Mashonaland Field Force & later formed & led the 2nd King Edward's Horse regiment during WWI, during which he was awarded the Legion of Honour (1918), the order of St Vladimir (1917) & the Grand Star of Rumania (1917) for various acts of bravery & ingenuity.

Main St Bulawayo - 1908

A 1908 photograph looking up Main Street Bulawayo. The city is well-known for its very wide streets, a legacy of the formative days to allow adequate space for a wagon and full span of oxen to turn around. Bulawayo attained the status of being a city in 1943, while the City Council was the first local authority in Southern Rhodesia to establish a viable African Advisor Board as well as home ownership schemes for Africans.

The Umtali Club - 1909

An original postcard photograph of the Umtali Club from 1909. This building was designed by James Cope-Christie in 1897 & stands on the corner of Main street (now Herbert Chitepo St) & Fifth Ave in Umtali (now Mutare). It was originally designed to be a Stock Exchange, a sign of the exuberant spirits of the time when more than 150 gold mines were in the early stages of development in the Penhalonga / Umtali area.

Umtali & Rusape FC - 1910

An original photograph taken in 1910 of players in the Umtali & Rusape football clubs. In Southern Rhodesia, football was organised around private clubs. The sport officially became multiracial from 1959 including the national side. Dynamos FC (founded in 1963) is still the country's most successful club.

Gladiator Salisbury - 1910

Photo of an unknown woman driver outside the Empire hotel in Salisbury in 1910. The first motor car was brought into Rhodesia in 1902 by Charles Duly. It was a French built Clément-Gladiator, an 8HP vehicle originating from a bicycle manufacturer of the same name. The first vehicle in Salisbury only appeared in 1906 and was a Chenard-Walcker another vehicle evolution by a French bicycle manufacturer. By 1910 there were many more vehicles on the roads and vehicle licensing had been introduced.

G H Williams & Co - 1915

A photograph taken in 1915 outside G.H Williams & Co in Baker avenue Salisbury.

Rhodesian road - 1928

This is an original photograph of two Rhodesian settlers after having successfully dug their vehicle's tyres out of the sand in 1928. Until Rhodesia introduced its innovative strip road system in the 1930s, all roads outside the towns were no more than dirt tracks, or at best gravel surfaced.

New Carlton Hotel - 1921

A photograph taken in-front of the New Carlton Hotel in Orr Street Salibury in 1921.

Camels in the BSAP

In 1903 Colonel John ‘Mad Jack’ Flint, began to import a number of camels into Rhodesia as he thought they would be immune to the AHS virus affecting horses in the country at the time. In 1905 Lt Colonel Chester-Master established a camel riding school at Sinoia & camel patrols were eventually deployed to various police camps in the countryside. However the whole exercise was abandoned by 1910 as the camels fell ill with other diseases & were patently unsuitable for police work in the bush.

BSAP Constable - 1911

A beautiful colour illustration from 1911 of an African constable in the BSAP with his mule.

Prince Edward - 1925

A professional copy of the original 1925 photograph of Edward Prince of Wales (left) after having just shot a wildebeest on the central estate near Bulawayo Southern Rhodesia. Between the 30th of April and 29th July 1925 the Prince toured Southern Africa. He travelled on a Royal train provided by the South African Railways, visiting the Cape Province, the Orange Free State, Basutoland, Natal, Transvaal, Swaziland, Southern & Northern Rhodesia and the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

BSAP parade ground - 1928

An original photograph of African members of the BSAP standing smartly at attention on their camp parade ground in 1928.

Railway workers - 1928

Original photograph of railway workers on the Victoria Falls bridge in 1928. The bridge was designed by George Andrew Hobson & crosses both the Zambezi river & the falls. The Zambezi river is a border separating Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) from Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) while the bridge links the two countries. The bridge took 14 months to construct & was completed on the 11th of April 1905. It carries road, railway & foot traffic.

Vic Falls Bridge - 1930s

A 1930s photograph of the Victoria Falls bridge taken from the veranda of the Victoria Falls hotel.

Queen Victoria Library

A photograph of the Queen Victoria Memorial Library & Museum in Salisbury. It was established in 1902 as a lending and reference library for the colony’s first settlers. It soon built branches in the suburbs of Greendale, Hatfield, Highlands, Mabelreign and Mount Pleasant. In 1982, the Library & Museum separated, with the library portion of it becoming Harare City Library retaining its five branches.

Vic Falls Hotel Dining Room

A postcard photograph of the Victoria Falls Hotel dining room (date unknown). The original Victoria Falls Hotel was intended only as temporary quarters for the builders of the bridge. However once established in 1904 it was quickly expanded & proved impossible to close due to jump in the number of tourists wishing to visit the Falls. The property itself still belongs to the National Railways of Zimbabwe & there is a shared 50/50 partnership operation between African Sun & Meikles Africa.

Mount Cazalet - Gwanda

The township of Gwanda was founded in 1898 & grew quite rapidly with life revolving primarily around the Antenior Mine. The large hill overlooking the town was called Mount Cazalet & was named after the town's first police captain. The story goes that he was able to run from the Police Station to the top of the hill in 10 minutes. The first hotel was also called Mount Cazalet & was initially built of wood and iron before being modernised in brick later as per the above 1930s photograph.

The Royal Car - 1947

An original photograph of the car used by the Royal party during their visit to Bulawayo. In 1947 the British Royal Family embarked upon a world tour. It included an excursion to South Africa, Southern Rhodesia and Bechuanaland. This was the first overseas state visit since the outbreak of war in 1939 and was celebrated with much pomp and fanfare. The young Princess Elizabeth also celebrated her 21st birthday during the tour.

Railway Station - 1947

An original photograph taken outside Bulawayo station during the 1947 Royal Visit to South Africa, Rhodesia & Bechuanaland. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth & the two Princesses Margaret & Elizabeth flew from South Africa to Salisbury where they later travelled by Royal Train to Victoria Falls & then Bulawayo. On 14th April 1947 the King received survivors of the Pioneer Column, veterans of the Matabele War & the next day held an Indaba for Rhodesian chiefs in the Matopo Hills.

Manica Road - Salisbury

A photograph taken in 1915 of Manica Road in Salisbury. This was the principal business & shopping street in the capital at this time before First Street became more predominant in the 1950s. It was also home to Fereday & Sons which became Rhodesia's most well known supplier of firearms, ammunition, bicycles & camping equipment. Pelhams Furniture shop & the famous Meikles Department store were also located along here. The street was renamed Robert Mugabe Road in 1980.

Stanley Avenue - 1936

A photograph of Stanley Ave in Salisbury & taken in 1936. It was named after Sir Henry Morton Stanley who was a Welsh explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author & politician. He was famous for his exploration of Central Africa & his search for the missionary & explorer David Livingstone. Besides his discovery of Livingstone, he is also known for his search for the sources of the Nile & Congo Rivers. The street was renamed Jason Moyo Avenue after the country became Zimbabwe.

Manica Road - 1930

A postcard photograph of Manica road in Salisbury taken in 1930.

Rhodesia Regiment

A group of soldiers from the Rhodesia Regiment boarding a Vickers Type 56 'Victoria' plane. This aircraft was developed as a troop transporter capable of carrying 23 fully armed troops over a range of 400 miles & operating from rough fields, with a landing speed of no more than 50 mph.

Jameson Ave - 1940s

A photograph taken in the 1940s looking up Jameson Ave in Salisbury. It was named after Dr Leander Starr Jameson who came to Mashonaland in 1890 with the pioneer column. He was also a friend of Cecil Rhodes & was behind the failed 1895 raid into the Transvaal to overthrow the government of Paul Kruger. This roadway was renamed Samora Michel Ave in 1980.

'L' Detachment SAS - 1943

Members of 'L' detachment 1 SAS Regiment who worked closely with the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) during WWII & this photograph was taken in North Africa in 1943. Rhodesians & New Zealanders made up an integral component of the LRDG.

Rhodesian LRDG Crew

An original photograph of a group of Rhodesian members of the Long Range Desert Group. This was taken in the Tunisian Desert in 1943. Both Rhodesians & New Zealanders made up an integral component of the LRDG during WWII.

Birchenough Bridge

Birchenough bridge was opened on 20 Dec 1935 to link the central & southern districts of Southern Rhodesia. At 329 metres long it was the longest single arch suspension bridge in the world at the time. It cost £145,000 which was funded by the Beit Trust, a foundation chaired at the time by Sir Henry Birchenough whose ashes are buried beneath the structure of the bridge. Its designer was Ralph Freeman who was also the structural designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Shangani Patrol Memorial

A 1940s photograph of former BSAC members standing in front of the memorial to the Shangani Patrol. This was a 34-soldier unit of the British South Africa Company that in 1893 was ambushed & completely annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors during the 1st Matabele War. Headed by Major Allan Wilson, the patrol was attacked just north of the Shangani River in Matabeleland.

First Street Salisbury-1950s

A 1950s press photo looking down First Street in Salisbury (now Harare) the capital of Southern Rhodesia. (now Zimbabwe)

BSAP Charge Office - 1950s

An original photo of a BSAP Charge Office taken in the 1950s. The Uniform Branch was the mainstay of the BSAP. More specialisation occurred in the larger town stations, giving rise to a number of sections, while a district branch policeman often became a 'Jack of all Trades'. The first line of call by the public to report crime or seek assistance was a police Charge Office.

Lusaka street scene - 1950s

A 1950s press photo of a street scene taken in the central shopping district of Lusaka, the capital of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia).

Charter House - Salisbury

A photograph taken in 1950 of Charter House in Salisbury. This was the head office of the British South African Company. The BSAC was a mercantile company incorporated on 29th October 1889 by a royal charter given by Lord Salisbury, the British prime minister, to Cecil Rhodes.

Jameson Avenue - 1950s

A 1950s press photograph taken from the Pearl Assurance building & looking east down Jameson Avenue (now Samora Machel Ave) in Salisbury (now Harare).

Livingston Statue - 1950s

A 1950s press photo of David Livingston's statue. This famous bronze statue was sculpted by Scottish artist William Reid-Dick & unveiled overlooking the western view on the south bank of the Victoria Falls on 5th August 1934 by Mr Howard Unwin Moffat, CMG, ex-Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia & a nephew of David Livingstone’s wife, Mary Moffat. It stands 3.2 metres high on a 37-ton rough hewn solid granite base. Its $50,000 cost was funded by the Federated Caledonian Societies of SA.

Vic Falls - 1950s

A 1950s press photograph of an African gentleman seated on a bench and observing the Victoria Falls.

Vumba Mountains - 1950s

The eastern highlands of the country formed a bastion between Portuguese & British ambitions during the colonial period & has a geographic distinction that tends to cast it in shades of Avalon rather than the central heartland of Africa. It is a beautiful region of green forests, rolling hills & occasional rugged mountain peaks. It has in the past attracted a more genteel class of colonist the 'Bengal Chancers' as they were once known.

Kariba Dam Wall - 1958

A 1958 press photo of a construction worker at Kariba Dam. The dam wall with 6 flood gates was built between 1955 - 1959 & over 430,000 tonnes of cement was produced on site for its construction. By 1960 the walls and turbine rooms deep underneath the earth were complete & on 16th May 1960, HM Queen Elizabeth the British Queen Mother switched on the first electricity generators at Kariba Power Station & officially opened Africa's biggest (at the time) hydro power generation project.

Lake Kariba - 1970s

A postcard photo of Lake Kariba from the 1970s. Construction of Kariba Dam began in 1956. The Dam wall is 40 metres high & over 24 metres wide which took over a million cubic metres of concrete to build. This engineering marvel was required to sustain intense pressure from almost 10 million litres of water per second passing through the spillway. Lake Kariba covers an area of 6,000 sq km & is home to a number of inhabitants including kapenta, tiger fish, bream, crocodiles & hippos.

Chimanimani Hotel

A 1960s postcard photo of the Chimanimani Hotel which is based at the foothills of the beautiful Chimanimani Mountains. It was originally called the Chimanimani Arms & owned by Mr & Mrs Townsend-Green. However, issues with the construction of a new main road leading into Melsetter, resulted in few visitors staying at the hotel. After 6 months, the hotel closed. In 1955 it was reopened by new owners & called the Chimanimani Chalet. In 1960 it was renamed the Chimanimani Hotel.

Ian Smith & his wife - 1973

Ian Smith was born in Selukwe Rhodesia in 1919. He was head prefect, captain of rugby, cricket & tennis at Gwelo High School. He volunteered as fighter pilot with the RAF in 1941 & fought in North Africa & Europe until 1945 when he returned to Rhodesia with an exemplary service record. He married Jane Watt in 1948 & served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 1964-1979. Returned to farming in 1980 & later retired to South Africa in 2005 due to ill health. He died in 2007.

Mounted BSAP - 1960s

A 1960s postcard photo of a mounted BSAP troop. The BSA Police was first formed as a mounted infantry force & the regiment always had an association with horses. The force can trace its equestrian modus operandi back to the Bechuanaland Border Police, the Cape Mounted Police & the Cape Mounted Rifles. Some suggest it even goes back to the Frontier Armed & Mounted Police of the Cape Colony. All of these units required greater mobility in the open veldt & terrain of Southern Africa.

Baker Ave Salisbury - 1950s

A photograph taken in the 1950s looking down Baker Ave in Salisbury. This was named after Samuel Baker an English explorer, officer, naturalist, big game hunter, engineer, writer & abolitionist. He also held the titles of Pasha & Major-General in the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. He served as Governor-General of the Equatorial Nile Basin & established the Province of Equatoria. He is remembered as the first European to visit Lake Albert. The street was later renamed Nelson Mandela Ave in 1997.

Cecil Rhodes - Bulawayo

A 1960s postcard photo of Cecil Rhodes Statue in Bulawayo. The statue was unveiled in the city centre on July 7th, 1904 two years after Rhodes died. It was sculpted by a Scottish artist, John Tweed. In 1981 its was removed from its original location & moved into Bulawayo's Natural History Museum. It was later moved to the Matobo Museum but sadly destroyed when the building was set on fire by an arsonist in 2020.

First Street - Salisbury 1960

A photograph taken in the 1960s looking down First Street in Salisbury which was the main shopping area and where the head office of Barclays Bank, CABS and the famous Barbours department store were located.

Gwelo Town Hall - 1960s

A 1960s postcard photograph of the main municipal offices in Gwelo. The name of the town was derived from the original Matabele settlement called iKwelo (“The Steep Place”) after the nearby river’s high banks. The modern town was founded in 1894 as a military outpost, but later developed as an agricultural centre & became a municipality in 1914. In 1939 the famous Bata shoe company decided to set up its first Rhodesian operation in Gwelo.

Declaration of UDI - 1965

A framed official press photograph of the signing by Prime Minister Ian Smith and his cabinet of Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence on the 11th of November 1965.

Bulawayo City Hall - 1969

A 1969 postcard photograph of Bulawayo's city hall. The foundation stone of the City Hall building was laid on the 14th of June 1939 by the mayor Theodore Holdengarde. The clock and chimes were presented by Mrs Elwyn L. Wynne and were set in motion by her on the 4th of November 1940, the same day that Lady Stanley (the Governor’s wife) unveiled the bas-relief which pictured the Indaba with Rhodes and the Indunas, which was located over the door to the council offices at the base of the tower.

BSAP - Patrol Car 1970s

In 1971 the BSAP introduced a Peugeot 404 4-Door 1,600cc Sedan into the B-Car fleet & this vehicle was used by both Traffic Section & Information Room. It was intended to replace the Austin Westminsters that were slowly being phased out. The pickup truck version of the Peugeot was also deployed in Rhodesia at suburban stations, & used too by the dog section as a patrol vehicle. The Peugeot served the force into the first Zimbabwe Republic Police era, but phased out in 1982.

WWI War Memorial

A 1960's postcard photo of the park in Salisbury's CBD with the WWI memorial in the foreground. The obelisk was funded by public donations & built in 1919. Soldiers, one black & one white were depicted in relief on plaques on each side. The inscriptions below read "1914–1918—We fought and died for our King." 5 years later, Lieutenant-Colonel J A Methuen organised the erection on a kopje near Umtali of a stone cross, 30 feet tall to memorialise the country's fallen black soldiers.

Bulawayo Flower Market

A late 1960s postcard photograph of the famous City Hall flower market in Bulawayo. Historically, about 70% of the country's flower exports came from Banket, Concession, Glendale, Bindura, Salisbury, Goromonzi, Trelawney, and Que Que, growing primarily roses, proteas, asters & chrysanthemums.

Salisbury Cathedral - 1960s

The Anglican Cathedral of St Mary & All Saints was designed by Sir Herbert Baker & located on the corner of Second Street & Baker Avenue in Salisbury. It stands on the site where the Pioneer Column outspanned in 1890. The foundation stone was laid in 1913 while the choir & sanctuary were finished in 1914. The sandstone structure was built over a period of 50 years and was only fully completed in 1961. The cathedral features a bell tower with 10 bells all of which were cast in London.

Northern suburbs Salisbury

Jameson Ave - Salisbury

A 1970s photograph of the famous statue of Cecil Rhodes looking up Jameson Avenue in Salisbury. This statue was built & placed in this position in 1911. In 1980 the statue was removed by the government of the newly independent Zimbabwe & placed inside the National Archives.

Blakiston Ave - Salisbury

This beautiful avenue is named after John Lionel Blakiston who was born in England. In 1893 he joined the Transcontinental Telegraphs Company in Mashonaland. During the 1896 Shona Rebellion, Blakiston volunteered to help bring back some European settlers stranded at the Alice Mine in Mazoe. However soon after his arrival the mine was surrounded by shona rebels, Blakiston & T.G Routledge managed to send a distress message to Salisbury at the mine's telegraph office before both men were killed.

Ian Smith & HMS Tiger

Two framed official press photographs. The one on top is Ian Smith with his wife raising a glass celebrating another year of UDI in 1975. The one below shows Ian Smith with Vice Admiral Michael Pollock on HMS Tiger in 1966. Ian Smith & his Minister of Information Jack Howman held talks onboard this Royal Navy cruiser with the British Prime Minister and his Commonwealth Secretary in an attempt to resolve the Rhodesia situation. However the talks failed.

Air Rhodesia Viscount

A 1960s photograph of an Air Rhodesia Viscount. Air Rhodesia was the national airline & its head office was located at Salisbury Airport. It was formed as a subsidiary of Central African Airways in June 1964, but became an independent corporation on 1 September 1967. Its mainstay aircraft were Douglas Dakota C-47s, Vickers Viscount 700D turboprops & the Boeing 720 jetliners.

BSAP BMW - 1977

The BMW 2800 and 3.0 vehicles were introduced by the BSAP in the mid 1970s & used primarily by the Highway Patrol based in Salisbury. These cars were extensively modified by the CMED & superseded the Jaguar MK2.

Air Rhodesia Boeing 720

A 1970s photo of an Air Rhodesia Boeing 720 at Salisbury airport. The commercial passenger jet age arrived in Rhodesia in 1973 when the national carrier took delivery of three Boeing 720-025 aircraft. The country managed to acquire these jets despite a UN imposed embargo & sanctions resorting to one might say 'Machiavellian' plans the delivery of these aircraft was quite epic. The new planes were put into service on November 1st 1973.