Then and Now – Fort Frederick

Fort Frederick is the oldest building in Port Elizabeth and said to be the first permanent stone structure built by the British in Africa south of the Equator. The fort was built in August 1799 near the mouth of the Baakens River in Algoa Bay to safeguard the fresh water supply and to keep watch … Continue reading Then and Now – Fort Frederick →

Spotlight on the Mackay Bridge

The Colchester area east of Port Elizabeth was a very busy spot in the mid 1800 and early 1900s, as it had the only pont over the Sundays River on the main road between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown. The original pont was washed away in 1874 and a second one in 1875. A bridge was … Continue reading Spotlight on the Mackay Bridge →

A bit of history of South End

Most people know South End as the area in Port Elizabeth just above the harbour where the main fire station, Humewood Police Station, South End Cemetery and lots of townhouses is. A lot of younger residence of Port Elizabeth probably don't know the history of the area.South End used to be a very cosmopolitan community. … Continue reading A bit of history of South End →

Grey Institute at night

When was the last time you've passed by the Donkin Reserve after dark. Well I did last week and snapped this pic of the Grey Institute. For those who don't know the history of the building, here it is. In the mid 1800's there was a boom happening in Port Elizabeth. It was during this time … Continue reading Grey Institute at night →

The Great Gale Memorial in South End Cemetery

"Never before in its history has this port suffered under such overwhelming disaster as we record today. On Sunday morning some 38 craft rode at anchor under the leaden sky. Heavy rains had fallen and the wind gradually rose until, as the shadows of evening hid the shipping from view, a fresh gale was blowing … Continue reading The Great Gale Memorial in South End Cemetery →

The Grave of Joseph Crowe in Uitenhage

Making my rounds through Uitenhage on a Geocaching expedition a week or so ago I got to visit the MOTH garden for the first time. The garden is where the grave of Joseph Crow is located.Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Petrus Hendrik Crowe VC (12 January 1826 – 12 April 1876) was the first South African-born recipient … Continue reading The Grave of Joseph Crowe in Uitenhage →

The fountain in the Pearson Conservatory

I swung past the Pearson Conservatory last week while looking for a Geocache in St Georges Park and was happy to see that the fountain inside had a new lick of paint. Whatever they put on it after the Conservatory's renovation started to get ugly. The fountain itself wasn't working but I'm hoping its a case of … Continue reading The fountain in the Pearson Conservatory →

The Old Erica school building

I was in Richmond Hill for an event a few weeks ago and decided to swing past the old Erica Building for a quick pic. The Erica School for Girls was started in 1884 by Miss Mary Anne van Wyk, who initially gave lessons in the old Erica Hall. After the Anglo Boer War it … Continue reading The Old Erica school building →

Rainy day in the Bay

The last couple of months have been a bit on the dry side and after the previous weekend's rain it seems that the weather has suddenly discovered some more moisture to share with us. Over the last 48 hours we've had some good rains in and around Port Elizabeth with apparently more to come in the next … Continue reading Rainy day in the Bay →

Prince of Wales Obelisk

I often wonder how many people have noticed the stone obelisk outside Bayworld in Humewood. The obelisk is called The Prince of Wales Obelisk and was brought to South Africa by the founder of the Eastern Province Herald, John Paterson. It was meant to be placed on the grave of his partner, George Kemp but … Continue reading Prince of Wales Obelisk →