The following lists events that happened during 1863 in South Africa.

Incumbents

* Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir Philip Wodehouse. * Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: John Scott. *

State President of the Orange Free State This is a list of State Presidents of the Orange Free State. List Last election See also *State President of the South African Republic External links Archontology.org: Orange Free State: Heads of State: 1854–1902 {{DEFAULTSORT:Stat ...

: ** Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (until 17 June).Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices, Orange Free State: Heads of State: 1854-1902 (Accessed on 14 April 2017)
/ref> ** Jacobus Johannes Venter (acting from 20 June). * President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic: W.C. Janse van Rensburg (acting until instated).Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices, South African Republic (Transvaal): Heads of State: 1857-1877
(Accessed on 14 April 2017)

Events

;March * 18 – Joseph Allison becomes acting

until 17 June during the absence of M.W. Pretorius. ;April * 1 – The Cape Town and Green Point Tramway Company commences with the first horse-drawn

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

s in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

from the foot of

Adderley Street Adderley Street is a street in Cape Town, South Africa. It is considered the main street of the central business district (downtown) of Cape Town. The Christmas lights, night markets, main train station and numerous shops and restaurants and off ...

and out along Somerset Road to Green Point. ;June First train arrives at Wellington

* 17 – M.W. Pretorius resigns as State President of the Orange Free State. * 20 – Jacobus Johannes Venter becomes acting State President of the Orange Free State. ;October * 23 – Acting President

Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg (16 May 1818 – 13 August 1865) was the second President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic, from 18 April 1862 until 10 May 1864. Life He was born near the town of Beau ...

becomes President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic. ;November * 4 – The

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

railway is officially inaugurated.Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1943). ''The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter I - The Period of the 4 ft. 8½ in. Gauge''. South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, June 1943. pp. 437-440.The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, pp. 4, 8.

Births

Deaths

Railways

Railway lines opened

* 4 November – Cape Western – Stellenbosch to

, .''Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway'', Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13

References

{{Africa topic, 1863 in, state=collapsed

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Years in South Africa