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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During the 1800s the area known today as Hobie Beach was originally called The Fishery. As the coast south of the harbour was rocky and inland of the shore was covered with fine, soft sand dunes into which ones feet would sink much like into a soft jelly, the direct coastal route was considered impassable. Instead, a circuitous route which bypassed this sand belt, was created. It was this road that was the improvised roadway known as the old Fishery Road which vended its way inland before making a sharp left turn towards the sea.
As The Fishery was the centre of a thriving fishing and whaling operation, its lifeline to civilisation was via this non-descript road for over half a century. It should be noted that minor adjustments were made to this route, the Mark 2 version, which did reduce its length. However, there was never access to the Fishery along the beach, but only by the overland “Fishery Road“.
Main picture: Map of the Fishery Road
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In all likelihood, school pupils who take history as a subject are made aware that Piet Retief, a descendant of French Huguenot extraction, was a renowned Voortrekker leader who was ultimately killed by the duplicitous Dingane.
What the school history books do not teach is that he owned substantial land in well-known parts of what was to become the city of Port Elizabeth. Furthermore he earned the lasting friendship of the 1820 Settlers for ther kindness that he showed them when acting as their transport contractors entrusted with their conveyance to the wilds in the Albany District.
Main picture: The Piet Retief Monument in Summerstrand
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