Big Bend : A History of the Swaziland Bushveld - Peter J Gosnell

In the 19th century the Swazi lowveld was only used in winter; by herdsmen grazing the kings cattle, by hunters and explorers from the Natal colony and by invading Zulu warriors.

In 1912 Allister Miller began to develop a vast ranch on the Usuthu River whose agricultural section was called Big Bend. The ranch hands were soon joined by returned soldiers, Afrikaans farmers, Jewish refugees and English aristocrats. These pioneers battled malaria, wildebeest invasions, wild dogs, floods and droughts. On ox-wagons, mule carts, on horseback and in motor cars they fought to carve out new lives for themselves in the inhospitable bushveld.

A syndicate of English and South African investors bought Millers ranch in 1942. The new investors built a major canal which paved the way for large scale rice and sugar production. The first sugar mill in Swaziland was built in 1958 and ushered in the modern era. The isolation and rigours of existence in the bushveld developed a breed of tough, often eccentric, farmers and traders. This is their story; set against the backdrop of the unique story of Swaziland itself.