Tracing the early footsteps of Percy Fitzpatrick in Barberton
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Fitzpatrick arrived in Barberton in 1884. At the time, the town was booming, with thousands of hopeful diggers, traders, and adventurers crowding into the Kaap Valley. It was a lawless, volatile place, but one that held endless promise for those with ambition and grit. Fitzpatrick was just 22 years old when he found work as a transport rider and storeman. His journeys took him along the ox-wagon trails between Barberton, Delagoa Bay, and the Lowveld interior.
Though his name is most famously tied to the tale of Jock, a brave dog that accompanied him on his bushveld travels, Fitzpatrick’s Barberton years offered more than canine companionship. He met men from all walks of life - miners, swindlers, pioneers, and prospectors - whose stories would later feed the pages of his memoir. He also bore witness to the rapid transformation of Barberton from a rough mining camp into a functioning town with streets, saloons, and steam engines.
Fitzpatrick worked for the firm of H. Eckstein & Co., a company that played a central role in supplying goods to the goldfields. He quickly developed a reputation as a hard worker and effective communicator. His experiences navigating the political and logistical challenges of life in Barberton later shaped his views on colonial trade, labour, and administration.
Although much of Jock of the Bushveld is set beyond Barberton, the town’s distinctive character, its unpredictability, danger, and the deep bond among frontier people, is evident throughout the book. Many researchers believe that the early chapters, which describe dusty outposts and chaotic gold diggings, draw directly from Fitzpatrick’s Barberton experience.
According to local historians, Fitzpatrick often returned to Barberton in memory, even after he moved to Johannesburg and became active in politics and business. He spoke fondly of the De Kaap Valley in later life, crediting it as the place where he learned resilience, self-discipline, and the value of storytelling.
Today, Barberton continues to honour his legacy. Several walking tours include references to the places Fitzpatrick likely visited, and the story of Jock is told in schools and tourist sites across Mpumalanga. A special statue of Jock also stands proudly in front of the town hall, where tourists linger to take photographs. While the physical traces of his time here may be few, the spiritual imprint remains strong. His voice, captured in the pages of Jock of the Bushveld, still echoes across the rocky ridges and valley floors.
