Places of Worship # 5

This is St Augustines Catholic Church, just off Market Square in the City Centre. It is built on a steep cliff face on the side of one of the streets leading up the Hill to Central. The foundation stone was laid in 1861, and the steeple completed and the church consecrated in 1866. It became … Continue reading Places of Worship # 5 →

The Main Library

A gracious old building, completed in 1901, and home to a wonderful collection of historic books, documents and photos, dating back to the very beginning of the city's establishment.

By Special Request………. 49 Havelock Street

The other day the following comment arrived on our introductory post to this blog:OH MY, OH MY I WAS SEARCHING FOR THE NEW NAME OF PE AND FOUND YOUR SITE. I WAS BORN IN UITENHAGE AND LIVED IN PE UNTIL EARLY 20'S. MY PARENT'S HOME IS NOW A NATIONAL MONUMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE … Continue reading By Special Request………. 49 Havelock Street →

Places of Worship # 4

The Hill Presbyterian Church, Cnr Parliament St and Belmont TerraceThis is a wonderful building, completed in 1865, with such intricate detail all over, that 1 photo would not have done it justice. So here is a montage to show it in its setting, on the brow of the hill overlooking the bay, and to show … Continue reading Places of Worship # 4 →

Award and Red Location Museum

Ok, this just wouldn't be a city daily blog if I didn't show you this morning's newspaper headline.....I mean that is quite an achievement for a town whose nickname was, until recently, the ghost on the coast!In the 50s and 60s PE developed as the hub of the SA motor industry (very punny),but in the … Continue reading Award and Red Location Museum →

Time is Tight

Remember the other day I showed you the Urban Renewal project going on in our City Centre?Well the grand opening is scheduled for tomorrow night, with an evening street festival, live bands etc. This is how it looked when I went to pay our tax (grrrrrrrr) on Friday. With holes in the street, barricades and … Continue reading Time is Tight →

Urban Renewal

All cities go through cycles of growth and decay, and the centre of Port Elizabeth is no exception. Established in 1820, she grew rapidly and a bit haphazardly at first, to become, by the early 1900s, the South African port with the biggest exports. This was mainly because the diamond industry in Kimberley, and the … Continue reading Urban Renewal →

The old Post Office

The clock on the old Post Office building. Time has stood still here for a while, and the building is sadly neglected, one of many owned by an Irish property tycoon who has bought up many of the historic gems in Port Elizabeth, and let them go to rack and ruin. It is very sad.

Tug and Campanile

One of a pair of tugs bringing a large container ship into the Harbour. (I was on the other one, it was cool!) They are amazing vessels, they look tiny here, dwarfed by the ship, but in fact they are not that small, and their propellors are interesting because they are multi-directional.In the background, you … Continue reading Tug and Campanile →

The Donkin Memorial

The Donkin Reserve, featuring a lighthouse and a pyramid, is one of the iconic landmarks of PE. The lighthouse is no longer in use, and now houses a military museum.Sir Rufane Donkin, arrived here in 1820 to oversee the settlement of the embryo town, having been en-route for England when he was requested to remain … Continue reading The Donkin Memorial →