The High Court of Griqualand West was established on 27 October 1871 (The Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette Extraordinary, No 4386, 28 October 1871, Proclamation No 70, 27 October 1871).
The Master controls the administration of deceased and insolvent estates. In this connection he protects the property rights of creditors and heirs and especially of minors. The acts which mainly control his functions are the Administration of Estates Act, 1965 (Act 66 of 1965), the Insolvency Act, 1936 (Act 24 of 1936), the Companies Act, 1973 (Act 61 of 1973), the Close Corporations Act, 1984 (Act 69 of 1984) and the Trust Property Control Act, 1988 (Act 57 of 1988). He appoints executors and trustees in estates and liquidators of companies. He has in respect of minors to a limited extent the function of upper guardian, especially in regard to alienation of hypothecation of their immovable property. The interests of mentally affected persons and persons under curatorship are also protected by him. The most important task of the Master's office is to check liquidation and distribution accounts. He has wide powers to enforce proper administration by executors, liquidators and trustees.
There were six Master's offices in South Africa prior to 1997, one in each of the provincial capitals and one at Kimberley and also Grahamstown.
On 19 October 1880 Griqualand West was annexed to the Cape Colony in terms of Act No 39 of 1877 (Government Gazette No 6070 dated 19 October 1880, Proclamation No 124 of 15 October 1880). According to Section 20 of this Act all “courts of resident magistrates established in such districts, shall become and be districts and courts of resident magistrates of this colony, and be in the same situation and condition as if such courts had been created by the “Resident Magistrate’s Court Act, 1856” (The Statue Law of Griqualand West, 1882, p 400). James Lionel Truter was appointed Magistrate for Kimberley on 24 December 1880 (Government Gazette No 6094 dated 24 December 1880, Government Notice No 1372 of 22 December 1880). An Assistant Magistrate, GRK Bradshaw, was appointed on 20 October 1882 (Government Gazette No 6301, dated 20 October 1882, Government Notice No 1236, dated 19 October 1882). On 24 December 1880 John Hemming was appointed Civil Commissioner for Kimberley and Registrar of Deeds in the late province of Griqualand West in place of HB Wright who temporarily filled this post (Government Gazette No 6094 dated 24 December 1880, Government Notice No 1375 of 23 December 1880). For the records of the Civil Commissioner see 1/KIM Add 5/1/1/1 – Add 5/A1/1/2/1. On 7 July 1908 P Dreyer was appointed Magistrate and Civil Commissioner for Kimberley and Registrar of Deeds for the territory of Griqualand West (Government Gazette No 9081, dated 7 July 1908, Proclamation No 741 of 1 July 1908).
The Municipality of Kimberley was constituted by Griqualand West Ordinance No 7 of 1877 dated 27 June 1877.
In 1994 Kimberley became part of the Northern Cape Province. It forms part of the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, one of five local municipalities that falls under the Frances Baard (previously Diamantveld) District Municipality.
The Division and District of Kimberley was constituted as part of the Province of Griqualand West in terms of Ordinance No 8 of1879. Ordinance No 9 of 27 March 1879 provided for the establishments of Divisional Councils in the Province of Griqualand West. The first meeting of the Divisional Council of Kimberley was held on 16 September 1881 (The Statute Law of Griqualand West, pp284 – 287).
On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Kimberley was reconstituted together with the Divisional Councils of Barkly West and Herbert to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Vaal River (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 dated 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 dated 18 July 1979).
