Queen Adelaide Province

historical colony, Southern Africa

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July 20, 2026

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Queen Adelaide Province was a short-lived British colony established in Southern Africa in 1835 by Sir Benjamin D'Urban, governor of the Cape Colony. It encompassed a region between the Keiskama and Kei rivers, marking the first attempt by the British to directly rule Africans in Africa.1

Despite its popularity with settlers, the annexation was unauthorized and opposed by missionaries and British colonial authorities. In December 1835, Colonial Secretary Lord Glenelg ordered D'Urban to return the province to the Xhosa chiefs. The province was officially revoked in May 1837, though the territory was later reannexed in 1847 as British Kaffraria.1

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Sir Benjamin D’Urban
…established a new colony called Queen Adelaide Province. This is noted as being the first time that the British had decided to attempt direct rule of Africans in Africa.
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…established a new colony called Queen Adelaide Province. This is noted as being the first time that the British had decided to attempt direct rule of Africans in Africa.
Read More