*** Welcome to piglix ***

Orange River Colony

Orange River Colony
Oranjerivierkolonie
British colony
1902–1910
Flag Coat of arms
Orange River Colony
Capital Bloemfontein
Languages Afrikaans, Dutch, English, Sesotho
Religion
Government Constitutional monarchy
Monarch
 •  1902–1910 Edward VII
 •  1910 George V
Governor
 •  1902–1905 Viscount Milner
 •  1905–1907 Earl of Selborne
 •  1907–1910 Sir Hamilton John Goold-Adams
Prime Minister
 •  1907–1910 Abraham Fischer
Historical era 20th century
 •  British occupation 28 May 1900
 •  British annexation 6 October 1900 1902
 •  Treaty of Vereeniging 31 May 1902
 •  Self-government 27 November 1907
 •  incorporation in the Union of South Africa 31 May 1910 1910
Population
 •  1904 est. 387,315 
Currency Pound sterling
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Orange Free State
Union of South Africa
Today part of  South Africa

The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Union of South Africa as Orange Free State Province.

During the Second Boer War, the British forces entered the territory of the Orange Free State and occupied the capital Bloemfontein on 13 March 1900. Five months later, on 6 October 1900, the British government declared an official annexation of the full territory of the Orange Free State, despite the fact that the British had not yet occupied the full territory of the state, nor defeated the Free State forces.

The Orange Free State government had moved to Kroonstad during the first months of the war and would subsequently convene in the field until the end of the war. From the perspective of the Orange Free State, independence was only lost with the ratification of the Treaty of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902.

Therefore, there existed an ambiguous constitutional situation between 6 October 1900 and 31 May 1902, with two constitutional entities and two governments. On the Boer side, the government was led by state president Martinus Theunis Steyn (1857–1916) until 30 May 1902, when he went on sick-leave and was replaced by general Christiaan de Wet as acting state president. On the British side, Sir Alfred Milner was appointed Administrator of the Orange River Colony on 4 January 1901, with Hamilton John Goold-Adams as lieutenant-governor.

Following the end of hostilities Lord Milner visited Bloemfontein on 23 June 1902 and promulgated the new constitution, in the presence of military officials, heads of civil department and representatives of the late Boer government (including General De Wet). He was sworn in as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Orange River Colony on the same day.


...
Wikipedia

...