The harbour in Port Elizabeth has always been intimately connected with the City. When the 1820 Settlers arrived, they found wide expansive, almost virgin beaches devoid of human habitation except for the occasional Khoi San nomads. Fort Frederick had recently been constructed and some troops were manning it. Apart from that it was desolate and unoccupied.
Essentially the harbour’s history can be trifurcated as follows:
- the North Jetty – 1837
- the Charl Malan quay in 1933
- The modern era
Main picture: An early view of the harbour from the Donkin