Barney Barnato can refer to actual person, or to the title of the TV mini-series made of his colourful life (1989).

Barney Barnato (1852-1897)

Barney Barnato was a mining magnate, boxer and entertainer.

Biography

Born Barnett Isaacs ("Barney") in Aldgate, London on 21 February 1851, he was the son of Isaac and Leah Isaacs and grew up in Whitechapel, the very poor East End of London in an area that was predominantly a Jewish neighborhood. He was educated at the Jewish Free School in London, and when he and his brother Harry were teenagers, the began to performed turns in the various music halls in their vicinity. They were initially billed as "the Great Henry Isaacs and Barnett too", but at Barney's suggestion they later utilised the phrase "Bar-na-to" and called themselves Harry Barnato and Barney Barnato or "The Barnato Brothers" when appearing on stage. Barney henceforth adopted the name Barney Barnato. In addition to his performances, he was also a talented boxer, and - in the days before the Marquess of Queensberry Rules were widely used - he made money by placing bets on himself with the bookies.

In 1871 Harry went out to South Africa to join the diamond rush in Kimberley, and in 1873 Barney too travelled to Cape Town, aiming to join his brother, who was not successful at the prospecting and was trying to eke out a living by from performances on stage and doing odd jobs.

With Barney's arrival, things slowly changed, for he took trouble to learn the diamond business and when the brothers had were offered the opportunity to buy four adjacent claims in Kimberley they took it. This and other successful investments in Kimberley diamonds now turned Barney Barnato into a major mining magnate and life Governor of De Beers Consolidated Mines (which he and Rhodes founded in 1888). Member of Cape Parliament for Kimberley (1889-1897) and founder of Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Co. in 1889.

Barnato died under mysterious circumstances in 1897 when he allegedly fell overboard in mid-ocean when travelling from England.

Contribution to South African theatre and performance

In the period 1870-1875 he was one of the performers who performed in "Entertainments" at the Good Hope Gardens, and when he first arrived on the diamond fields, he initially continued his interest in both boxing and theatre, often appearing on stage in the old Theatre Royal in Kimberley. He was popular with the miners for his fiery performances, despite his lack of education and uncouth pronunciation. Apparently great in character parts, he also played "Iago" once in a production of Othello in aid of the Kimberley hospital. (He had offered to double the takings, if allowed to play the part.)

In Johannesburg the Little Theatre was renamed the Barnato Theatre in his honour.