A 100 Year History of the Gatooma (Kadoma) Library

The original settlement of Gatooma (derived from the Kadoma Hills), situated in the Midlands of Southern Rhodesia (97 miles from Salisbury and 190 miles from Bulawayo) owes its very existence to the rich gold reefs which were discovered by prospectors and miners in the late 19th/early 20th century and, also partially, to the fact that the site of the future town lay in the direct path of the national railway line linking Bulawayo to Salisbury, which had been laid in place in 1902. So begins, Peter Sternberg’s very comprehensive and interesting History of the Gatooma/Kadoma Library. His tale outlines the highs and lows in the 100 year old existence of the Library, initiated after the settlement was only about 11 years old. A well-worth read for those interested in the History of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe.