A few taverns and pubs in Kimberley have existed since the Diamond Rush's early days.

During the Diamond Digging days, the city was known for the variety and number of its drinking holes. 

During the peak of the diamond rush, Kimberley had more pubs than pharmacies and churches.

Apparently, this was partly due to a shortage of natural surface water, but rather, one would suspect, to quench a digger's thirst with a cold beer or something stronger 

Social life in Kimberley was as hectic as the frantic search for diamonds and many a digger celebrated a large find or drowned his diamond-digging sorrows in these pubs. 

A few of these establishments from those days still exist and are flourishing alongside modern bars and restaurants.

Three of these old pubs still standing today are Star of the West, Phoenix Hotel, and the Halfway House.