colony · Central and Southern Africa

Orange River Colony

1902 CE – 1910 CE · capital Bloemfontein

The British colony that replaced the Orange Free State after the Second Boer War, until it joined the Union of South Africa.

Origins

British forces took Bloemfontein in March 1900, and Britain proclaimed the annexation of the Orange Free State as the Orange River Colony in May 1900. Boer commandos fought on until the Treaty of Vereeniging in May 1902, when British rule became effective.

Rule and society

During the war, farms were burned and Boer women and children held in concentration camps, where thousands died, as did many black Africans in separate camps. Under Lord Milner's reconstruction the colony was run by appointed officials. After the Liberal victory in Britain, responsible government was granted in 1907, and the Orangia Unie party under Abraham Fischer took office.

Decline and legacy

In 1910 the colony joined the Union of South Africa as the Orange Free State Province, keeping Bloemfontein as the seat of the Appellate Division, which made it the country's judicial capital.

Lineage

Orange Free State 1854 CE – 1902 CEOrange River ColonyUnion of South Africa 1910 CE – 1961 CE

Connections (1)

More states of Central and Southern Africa →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Orange River Colony. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orange-river-colony
MLA
“Orange River Colony.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orange-river-colony. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Orange River Colony.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orange-river-colony.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Orange River Colony’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orange-river-colony (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻