Port Elizabeth of Yore: The first attempt at ship building

An enterprising local resident, John Owen Smith, entered into various disparate business ventures. Several of them such as mining copper in Namaqualand or recovering guano on Bird Island, required a seagoing vessel. This is what set in motion the necessity to build one locally. The unlikely location selected was a non-descript lake at the western end of Kragga Kamma road known as Lake Farm.  

Main picture: Lake Farm in 1944

Continue reading

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Lake Farm in Kragga Kamma

Initially the area known as Kragga Kamma stretched all the way from the Van Stadens River to the headwaters of the Baakens River. Included in this vast portion of land was a lake then called Klaas Niemand’s Lake but now renamed Lake Farm. Replenishing the lake is a short feeble stream called grandiosely Klaas Niemand River. Correctly speaking such a lake can be referred to as an “endorheic” lake, id est, that is one with no outflow.

Main picture: Lake Farm. The picture was obviously taken many years ago as the Lake has sadly not looked like this for years.  The probable reason for this is the curtailment of the water flow due to the building of farm dams for their cattle.

Continue reading