The road of diamonds!

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

Could be, looks like the spot...
There use to be a lot of liquid tar lying on the ground, we use to play there when we kids.... what a mess we were afterwards 
Tar is probably long covered in sand.

[Michael Alexander]

Yep! That would be the place then, wonder if Ronel will have the place tidied up then?

RONEL???????????????????????????????????

[Bob Molloy]

Finding the odd sparkler in town gravel has a long history. A search of the archives for "Penny finds pretty stone" will bring up a piece written back in the early Sixties

[Michael Alexander]

@Bob, hence the reason that I ask about proclaiming the town. there is documented proof on two occasions where stones have been picked up in town....

Penny and the cricket field......

[Adriaan Van Rooyen]

so when do we submit our claim forms to mine........

[henniek]

I believe the tar plant was moved to the mining area when the road to 1 plant was tarred

[Michael Alexander]

Is this photo on the mine or down by the log cabin?

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

The Tar Plant came from Germany and the only manual for it was also in German.
It was first used at Grootfontien to bulid a runway there.
My Dad and Gunther Maghts flew there to have a look at it.
It was later brought to Alexander Bay to build the runway there. Some time around 1964.
After that it was brought to Oranjemund for the roads here.
Then it went to the mine and my Dad said he last saw it in 1987 rusting in the desert somewhere north of Uubvley.
Dad says he remembers it well because he had to live for 6 months in Alexander Bay while they were building the runway.

[Andrew Darné]

There were still a few rusted drums and evidence (in 2009) of the tar plant having been there near the log cabin end of the diamond road. Most of that road was ripped up and used as base material for the new Oranjemund runway a few years ago.

The old German made tar plant retired opposite 142U sampling plant. Here are a few pics I took of the remians back in 2008. I'm curious as to whether or not SA metal have klapped it yet. All the historical evidence is being eaten up by the scrap mongers. I just hope that they don't eat up what's left of the old South Works and the siemens shovels.

[henniek]

just to add a little story ; During the Diamond sales slump, plants and vehicles were mothballed. The CAT 769 fleet were taken to Arriesdrift . But 3 or 4 of them ,  that were parked earlier at the tar plant was left behind. when things normalised , and the trucks braught back on the mine , the tally did not count up . untill the heli pilot heard about the scramble about the missing / stolen trucks. He was able to come to the rescue - and tell the mining dept where to look for the missing 769 's