1885 in South Africa

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Hercules Robinson.
• Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
• State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
• State President of the South African Republic: Paul Kruger.
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: Thomas Upington.

  Events

• 26 - The Berlin Conference ends and the Scramble for Africa begins.

• 30 - A British force abolishes the Boer republic of Stellaland and adds it to British Bechuanaland.

• 28 - The railway line from Cape Town to Kimberley is completed.

  Births

• 31 January - Marthinus Johannes de Jong, landscape painter, is born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

  Deaths

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 2 September - Cape Eastern - Molteno to Aliwal North,.
• 28 November - Cape Western - Oranjerivier to Kimberley,.<
• 21 December - Natal - Merrivale to Estcourt,.