Dundee
KwaZulu-Natal

First Dundee was just a farm belonging to the Scottish farmer Peter Smith, who named it after his hometown. After Boer settlers had reported coal findings in the area, Smith also began to search for the black gold on his farm. He really hit on a substantial coal deposit and soon started sending truck loads of coal to Pietermaritzburg. In 1899 Smith founded the Dundee Coal Company. And after he had been able to establish his company at the London Stock Exchange, Dundee's economic up-swing began and the town grew to become the centre of coal-mining in Natal.

Dundee was the scene of the first battle in the Anglo-Boer War. On October 20, 1899 the first shots were fired on Talana hill north of town. In the "Battle of Talana" the British troops initially succeeded in pushing the Boers back, but suffered a great loss of lives. The Boers organised reinforcement and the British retreated to Ladysmith. The Boers conquered the town and called it Meyersdorp. However, some months later Dundee was reconquered by the British.