Orange River Colony - Show Them Here!!!!

Hi kacyds

Nice Stamps. Actually, your stamps are from Orange Free State, which was not a British Crown Colony, rather it was a Boer Republic which was separate from the British, and ultimately fought a war trying to repel a British takeover. The problems began when in 1867, diamonds were discovered in the region and Orange Free State along with the other Boer Republics.

Due to the rich diamond fields, the British were determined to bring all of the South Africa area under their control.   In 1895, the British incited a rebellion in the ZAR (South African Republic, which another Boer Republic), but the Boer Republics allied together and captured the British troops which supported the rebellion. Finally in October 1899 war broke out in South Africa between the Boers and the British. At first the Boers were successful but in 1900, as additional British troops arrived and the Boers were pushed back, the British begin taking Orange Free State lands, and the Boers turned to guerrilla warfare. In a sad note in British History, the British commander, Herbert Kitchener, began herding Boer women and children into concentration camps where more than 20,000 of them died of starvation and disease. The Boers surrendered in 1902, and Orange Free State was annexed by Great Britain, and became Orange River Colony.

I will show some of my stamps from the Orange Free State, the British Occupation and Orange River colony in a little bit.

Cheers

Michael

ORANGE FREE STATE (1854-1902)


SCOTT #17
Beginning in 1877, Orange Free State frequently surcharged stamps to reflect shortages and changes in postal rates.  This one was issued in 1881

BRITISH OCCUPATION OF ORANGE FREE STATE (1900 - 1902)

During the Boer Wars, the British Issued stamps to use in the occupied areas. 

SCOTT #54
In mid 1900, British authorities worked to supersede the V.R.I issues with an issue bearing the portrait of Queen Victoria. However, plans had to be scrapped, following the death of the Queen in January 1901. As a result, additional Free State stamps were overprinted, as well as overprinted Cape of Good Hope stamps with the words “ORANGE RIVER COLONY.”

OK, that is it, I sincerely hope that others will show theirs as well.

 I hope you don't mind the short history lesson.

Cheers
Michael