A different view on current affairs & history
Arnoldus Bernhard Dietz was born in Holland circa 1768 and died on the 16th January 1832 aged 64 in Graham’s Town. Being of Dutch descent, on obtaining his majority, Arnoldus initially relocated to Batavia, a Dutch colony, and commenced trading. Later he became a Government Resident in Borneo where his two vessels were captured by the British and that is how he arrived at Cape Town in 1817.
Main picture: Arnoldus Bernhardus’ house in Graham’s Town
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Port Elizabeth commenced the year on a bright optimistic note with the appointment of Henry Green Dunsterville as Harbour Master and Port Captain with effect from the 1st January 1835. This appointment was only confirmed on the 7th June. Immediately after this announcement, the imminent threat of a Xhosa invasion of the town set the town on edge. This was followed in late September by a disastrous storm which resulted in the loss of several vessels in the Bay.
Among the bright rays which barely penetrated the dark, dank clouds was the appointment of the town’s first civilian doctor. Another spark was an extended stay of the Cape Governor during which the residents were able to address their frustrations about the lack of a lighthouse at Cape Receife.
Main picture: A blustery day in the Bay
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During the 1830s, a number of instances of fake distress calls being made were reported. These incidents raised the heckles of boating companies which responded to these emergencies by charging exorbitant “rescue fees” in those cases.
Main pictures; Ships at the roadstead during a gloomy day
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Both father and son bore the names John Chambers Kemsley and both became a Mayor of the town. In doing so, they created confusion for historians. In order to distinguish the father from the son, the son will be referred to Kemsley Junior. Like his father J.C. Kemsley junior was also appointed to the boards and management committees of numerous civic organisations, exacerbating the confusion.
Main picture: Kemsley’s Outfitters in Main Street
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Mills were initially used for grinding grain into flour and in the case of Port Elizabeth they were used to compress bales of wool. Prior to the invention of motors, mills were powered either by wind or water. During the Industrial Revolution, the definition of mills was expanded to include factories fitted with machinery which performed a specific manufacturing process.
Main picture: Painting by Thomas Baines of Cradock Place with the mill tower in the background
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On 11 October 1945, Flight Lieutenant Walter Morgan crashed near the Van Stadens River mouth in an Avro Anson. He recalls the events in an Evening Post article.
Main picture: Avro Anson crashed at Van Stadens river mouth
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This biography by Eric Attwell covers Richard’s life in Grahamstown as an 1820 settler as well as his later life in Cape Town. The Attwell’s connections with Port Elizabeth in the form of the South African Milling Company are also covered.
Main picture: Queen Street. The Port Elizabeth Steam Mill Company was opened on 6 September 1884 & the building was designed by G W Smith. It later became the South African Milling Company
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What one is unaware of is that bureaucracy prevailed even in ancient times. It is not a recent invention and in fact, its application could have been much more stringent than current applications as no latitude was permitted. In many cases, the punishment was extremely severe.
Much like today, junior civil servants did not have cart blanche to acquire additional or even replacement capital equipment without obtaining the requisite levels of approval.
This blog will provide some examples of mid-19th-century bureaucracy in action within the Harbour Master’s office.
Main picture: Market Square in 1842 with Scorey’s flagstaff in the centre next to John Centlivres Chase’s house in the centre
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Being such a tiny town at the turn of the century, one would not have expected so many fires. Yet there were an inordinate number based upon anedcdotal evidence of the newspaper clippings of that period. Needless to say but this fact was atributable to both the archaic fire fighting equipment exacerbated by the type of construction materials used.
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The Port Elizabeth-Avontuur Narrow Gauge line was authorised in 1899, with construction starting in 1902. In late 1906, it reached the end point at Avontuur and officially opened early in 1907. A main line track covers a length of 177 miles (284kms) from Port Elizabeth to Avontuur – this is the longest narrow gauge railway line in the world, crossing Van Stadens Railway Bridge, the highest narrow gauge railway bridge in the world. In 1914, the 30km Branch Line, from Gamtoos Station to Hankey and Patensie was opened to serve this rich irrigation farming area. Both freight and heritage operations successfully operated on line.
Main picture: Accident on 25 Aug 1906 on Van Stadens Gorge on Apple Express / Avontuur Line
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