Port Elizabeth of Yore: McWilliams Father & Son -Duo of Architects

Port Elizabeth seems to be blessed with famous McWilliams names. Apart from the McWilliams of Rink Street, there was the father and son duo who were both famous architects: William and Herbert McWilliams. 

Of the two, Herbert, the son, certainly led a full and varied life, worthy of a biography. 

Main picture: Sprogs on the banks of the Swartkops River in 1955 – Herbert McWilliams’ sprog is #15

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George Dix-Peek: Port Elizabeth’s First Architect [1839-1901]

A lasting legacy has been left by George Dix-Peek in his adopted town of Port Elizabeth in the form of some well-known buildings. Ironically his grandson, Milton Dix-Peek, also had ambitions of becoming an architect but WW2 intruded in his studies. Sadly, after the war he did not resume his studies.

Main picture: George Dix-Peek circa 1874 in colonial military attire

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