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The following lists events that happened during 1857 in South Africa.

Incumbents

  • Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir George Grey.
  • Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: John Scott.
  • State President of the Orange Free State: Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff.
  • President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic: Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (from 6 January).

Events

January

  • 6 &ndash; Marthinus Wessel Pretorius becomes the first President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek).

Unknown date

  • Robert Moffat completes Old Testament Bible translation into Setswana.
  • About 157 Irish women arrive on the ship and settle in British Kaffraria.
  • The first Legislative Council is selected in the Natal Colony.
  • The Union Steam Ship Company wins the first mail contract for regular mail service between Great Britain and South Africa.
  • The Cape Point Lighthouse at Cape Point is built.
  • Building of the Roman Rock Lighthouse at the entrance to Simon's Town starts and only completed in 1861.

Births

  • 2 October &ndash; Martinus Theunis Steyn, lawyer, politician and statesman, last president of the independent Orange Free State. (d. 1916)

Deaths

  • 15 December &ndash; Anna Maria Truter, Cape Colony botanical artist and wife of Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet. (b. 1777)

References