About Ndola
Ndola, the second oldest colonial-era town of Zambia lies just 10Km from the DR Congo border. It is the headquarters of the Copperbelt, a town with a rich history in slave trade and Copper mining. It was the first town to be established as an administrative centre on the 
Copperbelt on July 18 1904 by John Edward "Chirupula" Stephenson.
The town derives its name from a small insignificant stream tributary of the Kafubu River called Kandola. In 1930, the town
was declared a municipality. In 1932, the Colonial administrative offices were moved to the present day Civic Centre from their original home where they were housed at what is today's Ndola Golf Club.
Ndola was granted a Coat of Arms from the Royal College of Arms in London in 1952 and city status in 1967. The boundary of the original council extended to 1124 Sq Km. The arrival of the railway line from the south was preceded by the discovery of copper at Bwana Mkubwa in 1910.
Ndola hosts the International Trade Fair, an annual event that takes place at the beginning of July.
Bwana Mkubwa, a settlement with no municipal status of its own, is the industrial base for Ndola, holding the Petroleum industry, Copper processing and Sulphuric acid plants. The settlement owes its fame to the abundant copper deposits found in the area and its name to a trader and hunter William Wright, who was given the name by local inhabitants. It was pegged as a modern mine in 1902, it was the first mine on the Copperbelt to produce copper on a commercial basis in 1913. William Collier who pegged the mine christened it Bwana Mkubwa after Wright, as he had led them to the mine.
It is in this area that some 18,000 Polish refugees fleeing the onslaught of the Nazi and Russian forces during World War II, found asylum in 1943. The Rhokana Corporation leased 200 acres to the Northern Rhodesian Government for a camp holding some 490 women, 190 men, and 385 children. The camp was under the command of a British army officer, Captain Grill.
In May 1945, at the end of the war, the refugees were released to either remain or immigrate to America or other countries in Europe.
A memorial raised to the memory of the refugees stands in Bwana Mkubwa today.
In 1961, Ndola caught the eye of international media in under tragic circumstances. Shortly before midnight on 17 September 1961, the DC-6B United Nations plane carrying then United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld and 15 others crashed at Dola Hill 13 Km from the city centre killing all on board. Dag Hammarskjöld was on a peace mission to today's Democratic Republic of Congo. A Cairn commemorating the tragic loss stands on the spot where the plane made initial impact in the Memorial Garden.
The Secretary General's body was found on an anthill approximately 40/5 meters away from the burnt plane. A plaque marks the spot where his body
was found. Dag Hammarskjöld's body lay in state at today's St. Andrews church on Blantyre Road where a church service was later held. The body then took a roundabout route to its final resting place starting with Salisbury (Harare), New York, Geneva and finally Stockholm in Sweden.
The site was declared a National monument by first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda in 1970.
The Copperbelt museum is a living museum of resources emphasising natural resources, ecology conservation, geology mining and local history.
It was established in 1962 by a steering committee of Civic and mine leaders. The museum’s mission is to protect and conserve Zambia’s heritage for posterity. To enable people of all generations, public or professional understand, appreciate and enjoy the variety of national heritage.
Along with the gallery of permanent themes are temporary exhibitions on rare and selected themes; the education serves to help and sharpen observation and powers inquiry and imaginative thought of the visiting groups or individuals.
The crafts and curio shop, which provides on sale items of aesthetic or indigenous art for the interested collector; and the cafeteria for snacks and refreshments to visitors.
The museum is open daily (except on New Year’s Day and Christmas day) from 09:00 Hours – 06:30 Hours.
Used with permission of the author