A brief guide to Northern Rhodesia

It is well worth trawling the internet archive for content. New material is liable to emerge at any time.
Here is an item relating to early independence (and before) era, online:

A brief guide to Northern Rhodesia  Unfortunately the epub seems a bit messed up - if you want to download it, try the PDF with text, which seems okay and not too large. It's a guide that's short enough to print, if the urge strikes you.

This is a booklet issued by the Northern Rhodesia Information Department and printed in Lusaka in 1960, so comes a few years before independence. It is described as 'a guide for intending settlers, visitors and others wishing to know something about Northern Rhodesia'.

We are told that the first explorer was 'a Portuguese half-breed Manoel Pereira' in 1796. (I find 'half-breed' really offensive, but I'm quoting....)  Pereira apparently crossed the Luangwa and Chambeshi rivers to reach the court of chief Kazembe, who had conquered large areas of land around Lake Mweru. He was soon followed by the governor of Sena (present day Mozambique) Dr de Lacerda in an attempt to open up trade routes, but Lacerda died on the way and Fr Francisco Pinto took charge of the expedition.

Next come two half-caste traders (I wonder if half-caste is the same as half-breed, sigh)  Pedro Baptista and Anstacia Jose, coming from Angola in 1802. In 1832 Major Monteiro and Captain Gamitto return to Kazembe's area, but after this Portuguese interest seems to decline.

We then get an account of Livingstone's time, on his mission of Christianity and commerce, and mention of some of those who followed in his immediate footsteps.

Lewanika with Revd Jalla

In 1893 the African Lakes Company transferred its concessions in
the north of Zambia and into Malawi and Tanganyika to the BSA and in 1900 their span reached further south following their treaty with Lewanika (see right, shown with Rev Adolphe Jalla of the Paris Evangelical Mission, in 1902).

There are sections on the centres of population, living conditions, farming, mining , 'African affairs', tourism and more.

There are also many references to further publications the interested reader could explore.



Here are some more pictures that may be of interest. The athletes here are Gordon Pirie and Yotam Muleya (racing in Southern Rhodesia).







Further mentions go to the Waddington Players (drama society) and their production of "Noah", the Lusaka Civic Centre (these days virtually invisible from the road), a Young Farmers club (not clear where), Regent Street, Kitwe, a rural parish church (unamed) in Abercorn (Mbala), a luxury hotel in Lusaka (puzzled as to which this is! could it be the Ridgeway?), students at David Livingstone Teacher Training college, the agricultural show (must be in Lusaka at this time) and the police motorcyle display team.