The railway reached Bulawayo at about 3pm on the afternoon of Tuesday 22 October 1897. On that day the first construction train arrived. The official opening of the railway, which was attended by an elaborate ceremony that took place in Bulawayo on Thursday 4 November 1897 - the anniversary of that historic day in 1893 when the Victoria and Salisbury Columns entered the ruins of Lobengula’s kraal.

The Bulawayo Chronicle of 21 October 1897 states, “A Chronicle reporter went out to the old B.A.C. ground on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after 2pm and sat with a number of others on the bank between the cuttings to await the arrival of the first construction train. The work of laying the rails, which are now some distance to the town side of the refreshment room, was going on cheerily and expeditiously at the feet of the expectant watchers. All eyes were turned towards the rise to the south of the town over which it was known the train must travel.”

Suddenly someone said, “There she comes!” Everyone rose to his feet and could just discern a faint column of smoke over the crest of the rise. It advanced rapidly, and presently the train emerged from the bush and became visible, a shrill whistle demonstrating to another sense its approach almost at the same time.

  N&T photo: the official opening of the railway: Bulawayo, 4 November 1897

At about 3pm the train drew up at the temporary siding about half a mile from the station site to which place, for the next month or six weeks, goods and passengers will be brought commencing before the week is out. The train tarried here so long that the Chronicle reporter became impatient and risking punctures, cycled down to the loop where the train was standing. Here he found that it consisted of a saloon car, a cattle truck and four or five ordinary trucks. The engine, the same one that had been used for the platelaying all the way up from Lobatse,[1] was gaily decorated with bunting and greenery. On the front were the words “Advance Rhodesia” surmounted by the arms of the British South Africa Company. Miniature Union Jacks, Stars and Stripes, and the Harp of Erin, adorned the escape pipe and a variety of flags wreathed gracefully round the iron monster.

The reporter records that the passengers by the first train included Mr H.W. Pauling, Mrs Pauling, Mr R.B. Carnegy and Mr Buchan, one of the engineers of the Bechuanaland Railway. The train also brought some of Mr Pauling's horses, a quantity of timber for the temporary buildings at the station site and some miscellaneous goods. The real trucks having been detached, the train moved slowly to the old B.A.C. ground and the reporter just arrived in time to swell the crowd which now numbered over a hundred people, to see several photographers taking snapshots of the approaching train and to join in the cheering with which the new arrival was greeted. Having steamed some distance into the cutting, the train came to a standstill and the engine room responded to the cheers with a series of shrill whistles.

The report concludes, “After gazing awhile on the wonderful invention, which brings Bulawayo within four or five days of sea breezes and makes progress with giant strides a possibility, the crowd dispersed. It is probable that the railway will not be taken over by the Cape Government until the end of the year. But it is here at last. The contractor, despite immense difficulties, has accomplished his work well under the specified time and coaches and wagons along the great artery from Cape Town to Bulawayo are almost things of the past.”

Bulawayo thereafter busied itself with preparations for the festivities of 4 November. On that day, the Chronicle, in an editorial headed, “The new era” said, “Today is the parting of the ways for Matabeleland, the relegation of the old method of transport to the past, and the beginning of civilization in its entirety. Up to the present we have been living in a kind of semi-civilised state, at times cut off from our fellows, isolated from the seething world outside, but that phase of our history ends when the High Commissioner declares today that the Cape Town-Bulawayo railway is open.” The article proceeded to speak of the vast changes which the railway would bring to Bulawayo and voiced the opinion that, “the happy-go-lucky methods, so common in new towns, and indeed so necessary in the early days of a settlement, will no longer be possible,” and that,  “in many hearts there will be feelings of regret that the old order of things is passing away and this regret will be found among the men who have led England's advance into the heart of the Dark Continent and who now realise that they are not suited to the polished life of the town connected by railway with the coast and soon to be the happy hunting grounds of Thomas Cook’s tourists. It is, however, but the irony of fate; the change was certain to come and in the interests of Rhodesia and the Empire, the metamorphosis is beneficial.”

The first special train arrived that morning at 7am and brought 96 passengers, chiefly from Port Elizabeth and East London. The second came direct from Kimberly arriving at 7:35, with about 60 passengers. The third and fourth trains were delayed and did not arrive until shortly before 3pm. Among the guests arrived there were His Grace, the Duke of Roxburgh, Colonel Saunderson and Mr H.M Stanley MP. His Excellency the High Commissioner, Sir Alfred Milner, had arrived late on Tuesday night by the first special train. In his reply to an address of welcome, His Excellency conveyed a message of appreciation of the work of the settlers from Mr Joseph Chamberlain, then Secretary of State for the Colonies.

    THL Image Collection: N&T photo: the official opening of the railway: Bulawayo, 4 November 1897

Thereafter his Excellency presented the Victoria Cross to Trooper Herbert Stephen Henderson for having saved Trooper Celliers from the Matabele when they were cut off from their Troop, mentioning that Trooper Baxter would also have received the Victoria Cross had he survived.[2]

Speeches were made at the banquet in the evening in the Palace Hotel by Captain the Hon Arthur Lawley, Sir Alfred Milner. Mr Townshend Griffin (Commissioner of Mines and Works) Sir James Sivewright, Mr J.M. Orpen (Surveyor General) Mr Frances Fox, Sir Charles Metcalfe, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, Mr E. Ross-Townsend (the Civil Commissioner) Mr Harold Pauling, the Bishop of Mashonaland and Mr J.A. Pease MP.

That night's banquet concluded about midnight with the singing of the National Anthem and cheers for Cecil Rhodes.

Bulawayo entertained its visitors most lavishly. One report of the occasion estimated that the entertainment cost about £12,000 and gave the following details of the supplies, “1000 dozen eggs, 1,000 fowls, 200 turkeys, 200 geese, any quantity of beef, pork and mutton and enormous consignments of fruit and vegetables. Wines, spirits and cigars were of the very best.” There were over 200 invited guests from a distance.

The Queen, through Earl Grey, sent the following message from Balmoral, “The Queen desires me to convey to the people of Bulawayo her heartiest congratulations on the arrival of the railway and her good wishes for their future prosperity.”

Reference

Occupation of Matabeleland: A Souvenir