Located at the base of the Drakensberg Mountains and along the Ncandu River, Newcastle is one of South Africa’s main industrial hubs and the third-largest town in KZN. It has a lot to offer in terms of adventures, attractions and experiences and, intriguingly, shares its name with 27 other Newcastles worldwide!
Although it no longer stands on the main N3 road, it is still worth a detour because of all the battle sites nearby. There are also numerous monuments and memorials, including Hilldrop House (where King Solomon’s Mines author Rider Haggard once lived) and O’Neil’s Cottage which was a makeshift hospital during the war.
The Carnegie Art Gallery houses excellent examples of African Art, while tours of rubber plants, potteries and textile factories can also be arranged.
Other interesting places are
- Newcastle City Hall
- The Armoury
- Newcastle Cemetery
- Hindu Shiva Temple
- Chief Albert Luthuli and the Blaauwbosch Methodist School and Church
- King Dinuzulu & the Old Prison
- Maharaj House
- Fort Amiel Museum
- Majuba Mountain
In 1876, Fort Amiel was constructed to ward off the Zulus during the war. In 1873 Newcastle became a separate electoral division.[5] To commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond (60th) Jubilee the construction of a sandstone town hall started in 1897, and was completed two years later. The town was used as a depot by the British during both the First and Second Boer War. Newcastle functioned as a major transport junction and popular stopover for wagons and post chaises during the late 19th century.