Port Elizabeth of Yore: Arthur Butterworth – City Engineer

Butterworth, a civil engineer by training, played a key role in the development of the town. The Fire Brigade also fell under his remit during the period of growth and professionalisation of this service.

Implicit in the fact that Butterworth was involved with many of Port Eizabeth’s most pestigious and technological projects during that age, it should be acknowledged that he was the right person in the right place at the right time.

Main picture: Arthur Butterworth at the Military Road Fire Station

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Port Elizabeth of Yore: Ushering in Electricity and Lighting

The lack of street lighting in the pre-electricity era must have made walking outdoors at night particularly dangerous. If nothing else, this factor must have induced the Town Council to expedite the installation of street lighting as the technology enabled this feature. Furthermore commerce and industry required electricity to operate all manner of equipment, apparatuses and appliances which the use of electrical power enabled. To do so, Port Elizabeth would ultimately require its own generating equipment which in turn would
require it to import coal.

To say that the introduction of electricity would fundamentally change society was a gross understatement. It would transform society in ways which were unthinkable previously. Apart from facilitating nocturnal social intercourse, it would also facilitate the introduction of shift work in industry.

Main picture: Installing overhead electricity cables

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