Of all the recreational facilities that Port Elizabeth required at the end of the 19th century, a state-of-the-art seawater swimming pool located in the harbour was not on that list. It should not have been amongst the highest ranking priorities but yet clearly in the rankings of the Port Elizabeth Municipality this was the one that they, in their wisdom, selected.
This is a detailed description of this facility taken from the 1899 issue of The Visitors’ Guide
Main picture: April 1901 – the swimming pool in the harbour
Port Elizabeth’s first seawater swimming bath was built by the PE Municipality on an embankment of reclaimed ground near the elegant Customs House at the entrance to the harbour. The budgeted cost was £4,000. GW Smith was the architect and Kohler & Reynolds the contractors. It is one of the largest seawater baths in the country holding 12,000 tons of water taking 16 hours to fill. Opened on July 2nd 1898, the entrance is on the northern side and the frontage is prettily designed. Each corner of the front dome housed a flag post and windows faced the Customs House with its impressive dome.
The other three sides are plain. The foundation are dug to a natural beach. 12′ deep 4′ wide. The interior is finished with white glazed tiles. The bottom of the pool consisting of 12 inches of concrete is considered fairly solid as trains had previously run over the area. On the right is a refreshment room where coffee and other refreshments can be obtained. On the left is a hairdressing salon, and next to it an electric motor room. In the front part of the building are gentlemens and ladies towel rooms. Altogether there are 27 public dressing rooms 8′ x 6′, 28 private rooms 8′ x 4′ besides a large common dressing room. There are also four freshwater shower baths. The buildings are of constructed of wood and iron. Sheds are inclined inwards so that rainwater falls into the pool. The bath is 150′ x 50′ with a graduated depth varying from 3′ to 7′. There are steps at each corner with teak coping to prevent slipping. Copper rings are placed all around the pool through which chains are run for the safety of beginners, novices et cetera.
To prevent contamination of the water by the bathers, the surface water continually overflows into pipes at the deep end and the mechanical works are situated there including the valve which controls carrying off all water in the basin, the 12″ pipe being underneath the steps at the sea corner. 6′ asphalt gangway is placed all around the pool. Water is pumped from the sea at the end of North Jetty by an electric motor capable of delivering 400 gallons a minute. The bath has been sub-let by the PEM for two years at £450 per annum to Messrs Willett & Green. At nighttime the bath is left full so that in case of a fire at the Custom House, there is plenty of water nearby at hand.
Bathing hours: Gentlemen 7 days a week 6am to 7pm Sundays 6 – 9 and 2 – 5. Ladies only Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am – 4 pm and Saturdays 10am to midday
The reasons for my objection to this facility relate mainly to its location. Two aspects of its location are troubling. Firstly the harbour is not exactly a salubrious area in which to set up an entertainment area and secondly the city was expanding rapidly but in a north westerly direction. If the pool was required to use salt water, it could ether have been built at North End or New Brighton.
Source
The Visitors’ Guide for 1899
Details from this Guide were provided by Jon Inggs
My fatherRAF Air Sergeant Harold Saville Price was in the 42 Air School Band, and his friend Harry Fowler was Bandmaster.
Dad played any brass instrument, and I’m not sure what instrument he was on in the band.
They were both members of the Port Elizabeth Citadel Salvation Army.
He was from Castleford Yorkshire England before being posted to Oudtshoorn, when my sister, Margaret was born in George in 1944.
Afterwards coming to 42 Air School Port Elizabeth, to train wireless operators.
I was born while he was in PE. Mom and he stayed in accommodation at the bottom house of the Donkin Hill row of houses.
He returned to England in February 1945, when I was 3 months old, and was de-mobbed at the end of the war.
We returned to sunny South Africa, Cape Town in 1947.
Hi John
Interesting. Do you have some photos of him in his miitary attire. In addition if you have some addition info on the period that he was 42 Squadron, I will ost the photos and comments on my blog of 42 Sdn
Dean McCleland
082 801 5446