Person

Nicolaas Waterboer

1819–1896 · 19th century

Nicolaas Waterboer was kaptein (chief) of the Griqua of Griquatown in southern Africa from 1852. When diamonds were found in the late 1860s, rival claims to the diggings were settled by the Keate Award of 1871 in his favour. He then accepted British protection, and Britain annexed the territory as Griqualand West, which included the Kimberley mines.

Nicolaas Waterboer
Image: The Microcosm. South African Library Anon. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Griqualand WestGriqualand West Colony

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Nicolaas Waterboer. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nicolaas-waterboer
MLA
“Nicolaas Waterboer.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nicolaas-waterboer. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Nicolaas Waterboer.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nicolaas-waterboer.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Nicolaas Waterboer’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nicolaas-waterboer (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻