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: The First Tarred Roads

The renowned economist John Maynard Keynes once famously exclaimed that “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones”. Whilst that might have been true in most instances, it is doubtful whether anybody except the most curmudgeonly would have objected to this innovation. But who knows? Progress always has its naysayers. Perhaps others ignored it as being fatuous!

Main picture: Steam roller on the opening of Albany Road. The prominent building on the hill is the Erica School for Girls, designed by architect William White Cooper and opened on 4 November 1903.

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