 The discovery of diamonds led to a rush of prospectors descending on the town, whose population skyrocketed as increasing numbers of prospectors arrived to seek their fortune.As more diggers arrived in Kimberley, diamond-mining increased in scale, focusing in open-pit mining of three main sites.As surface deposits of diamonds were excavated, deeper pits had to be dug, propelling the Minera

To excavate deep deposits of diamonds, diggers needed machinery (particularly steam engines), credit, and a large labour force.