Fountain Baths Guest Cottages

23/09/2026

In our garden...dankie Willie Rowan!!!

31/03/2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

31/03/2026

Beautiful Barberton...make sure to visit this amazing historical town and let us take you on an unforgettable journey through time with Dusty Tracks - Offroad Adventures

28/03/2026

28/03/2026

On top of the world with Dusty Tracks - Offroad Adventures ... what an amazing experience!!!

23/02/2026

14/02/2026

Barberton Stories – Episode 2
Thomas Mine

This photograph shows Thomas Mine, situated north-east of Barberton town. Its discovery is one of the most legendary tales to emerge from the early gold-rush years.

Charley Thomas was reportedly loafing about Barberton when a prospecting party, moved by kindness, allowed him to join them on their search for riches. As night fell, the group made camp. Charley found a bottle of wh**ky, drank himself into a deep sleep, and when the party set off again before dawn, he was left behind.

When Charley eventually awoke the next morning, he noticed something remarkable — the rock that had served as his pillow showed clear signs of gold. Samples were taken for assay, and the results were extraordinary: an estimated 100 ounces (3000grams) of gold per ton of ore. This made the find 100`s of times richer than any of the gold mines operating in Johannesburg at the moment.

Sometimes history turns not on careful planning, but on chance, timing, cheap wh***ey and a night spent sleeping on the right stone.

The historical image of Thomas Mine appears below.