Cornelius Frederik Delfos (c1868-1933)
1934 Obituary [1]
C. E. DELFOS died in Pretoria, South Africa, on October 23, 1933, at the age of sixty-five.
He was born in Amsterdam, and went to Pretoria about forty years ago, starting work there as an engineer. Some fifteen years later he began to plan the establishment of an iron and steel industry, for he had become convinced that all the raw materials requisite for such an under- taking could be found in the immediate neighbourhood of Pretoria; at that time it was thought that South Africa did not possess coke suitable for the purpose. With the help of friends, sufficient capital was raised to erect an experimental plant, which was known as the Pretoria Iron Mines, Ltd.; it manufactured 5,000 tons of pig iron.
In 1928 Mr. Delfos' efforts were at last successful, Parliament passing the Iron and Steel Act, whereby sufficient money was provided to start the industry.
At his death Mr. Delfos was a director of the South African Iron and Steel Industrial Corporation, Ltd.
He had joined the Iron and Steel Institute in 1920.
* 1933 Obituary
The death occurred in Pretoria on October 23rd, of Mr. Cornelius Frederik Delfos, the only full-time director of the South African Iron and Steel Industrial Corporation, Ltd. Mr. Delfos was sixty-five years of age, and was perhaps the first man to visualise the great industrial undertaking which is now approaching completion at Pretoria West.
Born in Amsterdam, Mr. Dolfos was an engineer by profession. He came to South Africa forty-three years ago, and went straight to Pretoria, where he set up a small workshop with only one lathe. The enterprise grew and developed into the well-known concern, Delfos, Ltd. As early as 1906 Mr. Delfos conceived the idea of an iron and steel works at Pretoria., and spent many days on the hills overlooking the town prospecting for iron ores, coal and limestone. His investigations convinced him of the success of such a project, both technically and economically. He was able to interest friends, who put in capital to put up an experimental plant close to the site of the works now being erected. This experimental works, the Pretoria Iron Mines, Ltd., worked successfully from 1918 and manufactured about 5000 tons of pig iron. In 1921 the name was changed to the South African Iron and Steel Corporation, Ltd. From that time until the Iron and Steel Industrial Bill was passed, Mr. Delfos made many visits to Europe endeavouring to raise capital for a large works. It was after his failure to secure capital that the Government stepped in and passed a Bill to form the present corporation