Local farmer, shopkeeper, and prospector Petrus Johannes Marais owned the farm Varkensfontein in the Heidelberg district in the 1880s.
Marais had an agreement with a prospector to allow him to prospect on the farm.
From what could be established, the prospector’s surname was Johnstone.
Prospecting at the time was done in secrecy because Johnstone searched for mineral deposits.
According to various reports, Johnstone discovered valuable minerals but did not tell Marais about his find.
One day, a stranger turned up at the Marais farm and offered to buy it.
When the stranger made the offer, Marais was reading a book called The Fortunes of Nigel by Sir Walter Scott.
Scott was a Scottish historian, novelist, poet and playwright.
The book was about a young man who fell victim to dishonesty and how the character achieved his goal in life.
Marais was suspicious about the offer and decided to investigate why someone wanted to buy the farm.
Marais started his own prospecting on his farm, and his suspicions proved well-founded because he discovered minerals.
Marais started Nigel Gold Mining Company in 1886, with gold discovered on the farm.
In 1888, the then president Paul Kruger, declared Nigel a public digging site under notice number 331.
Since then, Nigel and its development were synonymous with the gold mines on the Witwatersrand.
Until 1923, the town was just a mining camp until Nigel’s control changed hands and became a dorpsvillage.
The new council first met on January 2, 1923.
At that time, the Sub-Nigel Mine was formed and it was one of the richest gold mines in the world.
Nigel experienced an influx of people who wanted to share in the riches.
In 1930, the dorpsvillage was upgraded to a town council. On November 24, 1930, they held the first meeting of the town council, and CL Mackle was the first mayor of Nigel. This historical event led to the growth of Nigel.
The influx of people between 1934 and 1939 caused the town to become increasingly overpopulated. It only slowed due to WWII and SA’s involvement in it.
The closest railway line at that time was Kaydale, about 8km from Nigel.
All the transport to the railway and back was either by ox wagon, horse, or car.
Because of the distance and to simplify doing business, they built a railway line to service Nigel. They opened the railway line between Springs, Nigel and Heidelberg on October 18, 1935.
