A different view on current affairs & history
Blogs on Port Elizabeth
In a town’s layout, topography matters and, in Port Elizabeth’s case, hugely important. Two geographical features guided the direction and type of development. These were the Baakens River valley and the steep hill immediately southwest of Main Street. Both factors impinged upon the direction and type of development.
Main picture: The Royal Engineer’s Map of 1810 shows the main roads of the pre-820 Settler era
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Sometime ago I wrote a blog about working in the motor industry during the 1920s in Port Elizabeth. This is a follow-up article on working life on the assembly line during the 1960s. Warwick Owen has kindly allowed me to use his article as the basis of this blog. As Warwick worked at SAMAD, the predecessor of VW, I have included a brief history of the company from its inception until Warwick is employed by the company in the 1960s
Main Picture: Original SAMAD Building
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Historically Piet Retief’s connection with Port Elizabeth and importance as a resident has been wholly misstated. Perhaps due to English dominance of the town, a vision of Retief arose to counterbalance the contemporary narrative. Apart from owning the farm Strandfontein in Summerstrand and several plots in the centre of the hamlet, Retief never actually took up residence in the area.
As Prof. Terblanche concludes in his article entitled “Die feite oor the omstrede Piet Retief” dated 10 March 2009, “Die idilliese prentjie wat mense dus het van Retief wat op sy plaaswoning se stoep gesit en oor Algoabaai getuur het, is eenvodig nie waar nie.”
Main picture:
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On the 4th of August 1914 the world was at war. The Allied powers which included Great Britain were ranged against the Central Powers and South Africa was called upon to assist in the effort by invading the territory adjacent to her borders, German South West Africa.
Unlike WW2 when citizen force units were activated and war service was performed in them, during WW1 men served directly in the Union Defence Force. One such unit was the 7th Dismounted Rifles known as the Southern Rifles in which a Walmer resident Louis John Poulter would serve.
Main picture: The Southern Rifles
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William Barton Marshall established Marshall’s & Co in Main Street while J. Garlick purchased the building and established his business which was identical to Marshall’s, adjacent to Marshall’s. The Tearoom in Marshall’s was totally revamped and became two tearooms, one being self-service and one a conventional tearoom. This would have happened circa 1970 being the same time when the escalator was installed and the old lifts with the iron gates replaced
Main picture: Marshall’s Tearoom
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During 1890, the first golf club was formed in Port Elizabeth. A preliminary meeting was held in the Algoa House Hotel on 29 August, and the first rounds were played on 27 September. The first President was Sir Frederick Blaine and the site chosen for the course was on the North End flats. In 1902 the new course and club-house on the Cape Road flats were opened.
Main picture: Golf Links of the Port Elizabeth Golf Club
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Fragility defines any process of change. And so it was in the process of restoring No. 7 Castle Hill and saving it from being demolished instead of restoration. It was certain key players whose strong beliefs and convictions which determined the positive outcome of this process. Why was this change fraught with pitfalls that could have snared the process and trapped it until its lifeblood was drained?
1967 was that crucial year.
Main picture: Castle Hill painted by H Fancourt White in 1850
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The Impalas based in Port Elizabeth after 1975 formed part of 6th Squadron which over its operational life had been disbanded several times. On 5 July 1952 the squadron was reformed as a citizen force unit, flying Harvards from Port Elizabeth but was again disbanded in 1959. It was resurrected in May 1961, again flying Harvards; from 1973 to 1976 the squadron flew a single Cessna 185. In March 1975 it began receiving Impala Mk Is which remained as the operational aircraft until the unit’s final disbandment in October 1990.
Prior to the crash of Impala Mark 1 serial number 550 in 1982, Port Elizabeth had only experienced two crashes by SAAF aircraft subsequent to WW2; being a Ventura Bomber on the 4th December 1959 and a Sabre on the 15th July 1960.
Main picture: Impala Mk 1
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At its establishment, Port Elizabeth was known for its pioneering and enterprising spirit. It was this ethos which drove the development of the town. Then it was the discovery of gold and diamonds in the north which diverted this spirit to the Transvaal as it steadily gained the ascendancy.
Main picture: Johannes Molikoe was appointed snake handler on 1 August 1918 and retired in August 1947. He died aged 83.
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Humewood was a late starter, a slow developer. The focus of the residents of Port Elizabeth was northwards and westwards as the town laid down its industrial roots in North End and its commercial roots in the Main and Strand Street areas. By the 1920s, Humewood had gained a reputation as Port Elizabeth’s playground centred on Humewood Beach and Happy Valley.
Main picture: 1926 photos from the Humewood collection of Sava Michaelides. By then beach attire converted from a formal suit and tie to more relaxed beach wear and informal clothing
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