The Casual Observer

Port Elizabeth of Yore: St. John the Baptist Anglican Church

By Alan Montgomery in Port Elizabeth of Yore 2 November 2023 0 Comment

The suburb now known as Walmer; Port Elizabeth was originally a farm known as Welbedacht. It was loaned to a Johannes Potgieter in 1776 and subsequently granted to a Antonie Michael Muller[1] (B c 1770 married Aletta Maria Potgieter c 1782, died 21 January 1843, Uitenhage who was from Holland). On 24 May 1852, a portion of the farm that was granted to Anthonie Michael Muller in 1815, was divided in one morgan erven by his sons into a township called Walmer. The sons got into financial difficulties, and they decided to sell the farm in lots. Whilst it is not definitely known, a Mr D. MacDonald a Government surveyor probably gave the name. The auctioneers responsible for the sale went bankrupt immediately after the sale and the Muller brothers suffered financial loss thereby although some of the money was recovered in subsequent lawsuits. In 1860, the local newspaper the EP Herald reported tigers (leopards) in the Walmer area. In 1899, Walmer became a municipality. Walmer was named after Walmer Castle, the death place of the First Duke of Wellington 1769-1852.He is buried under the dome of St Pauls Cathedral by the side of another famous Englishman Lord Nelson.

A (Gob)SMAC in the Face #55: Stade de France – High Crime Zone

By Blaine McCleland in Opinion Pieces 1 November 2023 0 Comment

The last three matches of the Rugby World Cup were faster than the Fast and the Furious, more brutal than the Gladiator and had more drama than your average soapie. But ultimately they were muggings on steroids. The three teams – France, England and New Zealand must have asked themselves how did the amaBokke manage it – single point wins, three weeks in a row. SMAC doesn’t know either. In fact, he’s gobSMACed. It wasn’t pretty, but there it is and it will be thus till eternity.

Port Elizabeth of Yore: A Description from 1910

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 31 October 2023 0 Comment

This description of Port Elizabeth is an extract from a publication entitled Cape Colony: its History, Commerce, Industries and Resources published in 1910.

Main picture: The Customs House at the entrance to the harbour with its tower

Port Elizabeth of Yore: When Beach Holidays meant Camping even at Humewood

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 30 October 2023 0 Comment

Prior to the 1940s, holidays at the coast for those of modest means would automatically imply a camping holiday. It was the rare exception that a family’s coastal holiday would be in an hotel of which there was a dearth. By today’s standard’s the majority of these hotels would not even be rated as today’s One Star accommodation.

For the average family, it was either a canvas sail over one’s head or nothing at all.

Main picture: Camping at Humewood in 1910

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Architectural Style of the Grey High School

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 26 October 2023 0 Comment

In South Africa and especially within Port Elizabeth, the picture of Grey High School is evocative of high academic standards and sporting prowess. The dream of every parent in Port Eliabeth is that their child would step inside the portals of this iconic school. All except one. The parents of my brother, Blaine, who was awarded a bursary to Grey due to his academic achievements at Hubert Hurd Primary School, but my parents rejected the offer. So, he never graced the portals of the school.

Main picture: Grey High School

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Economic Developments in the Early 1850s

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 23 October 2023 0 Comment

In the 25 years since the arrival of the 1820 Settlers, Grahamstown had been larger than Port Elizabeth. To many, especially those in Grahamstown, this seemed to be preordained. Many relished the idea of a harbour on the Kowie River as this would undermine Port Elizabeth’s only supposed advantage in the development stakes.

By 1850 Port Elizabeth was clearly in the ascendancy with vibrant growth and its enterprising mein. From now on, Port Elizabeth would be Grahamstown’s bete noir.

Main picture: Market Square

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Timeline of Construction of Feeder Dams

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 15 October 2023 0 Comment

Port Elizabeth’s dams in order of date constructed

Main picture: Churchill Dam (now called the Kromme Dam although nobody really uses that name) is fed by the Kromme River. Commissioned in 1943

Humus and the PLO versus The Settlers: Dawn, 12 October 2023

By Blaine McCleland in Fiction, Stories 14 October 2023 0 Comment

This is another of the whacky but insightful blogs written by my brother Blaine. All grievances arising from the mischaraterisation of moles and their evil intent should be addressed to the author himself as he is the one who maligns them mercilessly perhaps in his frustration in his hopeless quest to eradicate the pesky moles from his Plumstead home.

The Cape dune mole-rat, or Bathyergus suillus to give it its proper name, might be cute and cuddly to some with its soft fur, but it is a menace. This blighter grows to over 30cm long and weighs up to 1.5kg. This is a mole on steroids. This is the Arnold Schwarzenegger of moles and is only found in the western and southern areas of South Africa. In particular it is a plague in the soft sandy areas of the Cape Flats, of which Plumstead where I live forms part of. They are like piles: they are extremely irksome, difficult to get rid of and have a habit of coming back. If let loose in your garden, your prize petunias, cleverly arranged clivias and herbaceous borders dotted with the odd dope plant will soon be trashed and unresurrectible. Short of dropping a tactical nuclear bomb on them, the only other remedy is to pave the whole garden over.

Last year I waged a war against one of these terrorists with what I thought was success. Unfortunately, like Arnold who famously said, “I’ll be back!”, he did come back. On the morning of 12 October to be precise. I was dutifully do-doing my distasteful daily doggy poo parade when I turned the corner of my house and there it was – not a molehill, but a mountain.

Main picture: Moley revealed ready to destroy another suburban garden

Port Elizabeth of Yore: James Daly of No. 7 Castle Hill

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 6 October 2023 0 Comment

Over the past two centuries since the construction of No. 7 Castle Hill, only three people owned it before it was declared a National Monument. It was James Daly who purchased the No. 7 from the daughters of the Rev. Francis McCleland in 1904 and was culpable for the near destruction of this cottage. As the spectre of demolition loomed but prior to the damning verdict being announced, the municipal surveyor Harold Smith purchased it in order to restore it.

In this noble selfless quest Smith was ultimately successful. Having already covered the lives of McCleland and Smith, this blog will reveal the life of Daly and his family.

Main picture: Portion of Harries ‘Southern View of Port Elizabeth’ showing No 7 Castle Hill

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Review of Book by Rev Francis McCleland

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 4 October 2023 2 Comments

On the second anniversary of the establishment of the Port Elizabeth public library, the Rev. Francis McCleland was requested to deliver the main address at the Commercial Hall on the 4^th July 1851. The title of his talk was The Progress and Advantages of Literature. At a later stage, somebody deemed it necessary to release this 30-page address in booklet form. In the hope – perhaps forlorn – that it would provide an insight into the character of my great great grandfather or the milieu of that era, I obtained a copy of this book.

Main picture: Cover of the book