History of Port Elizabeth

Posted in Cultural Experiences | Tourism

Port Elizabeth has many names: ‘Algoa Bay’, ‘The Friendly City’, ‘The Windy City’, and, officially, ‘Nelson Mandela Bay’. It also has a long and colourful history, which includes the influences of many famous people. A warm and unassuming city, it boasts a rich heritage which has been formed by people from a multitude of different cultural groups.

In 1576, Manuel de Mesquita Perestrelo named Port Elizabeth’s bay ‘Baia de Lagoa’ because of the lagoon at the mouth of the Baakens River – the river that flows through Port Elizabeth. This has been adapted to the current name, ‘Algoa Bay’.

Algoa Bay was first settled by hunting and gathering people ancestral to the San at least 100,000 years ago. A little over 2,000 years ago, agriculturalist populations ancestral to the Xhosa migrated into the region from the north, eventually displacing or assimilating the region’s indigenes.

For centuries, the area was simply marked on navigation charts as “a landing place with fresh water”.

The first Europeans to have visited the area were Portuguese explorers Bartholomew Dias, who landed on St Croix Island in Algoa Bay in 1488, and Vasco da Gama who noted the nearby Bird Island in 1497. Da Gama also gave Cape Recife its name (‘Cabo do Arricife’, or ‘Cape of the Reef’).

The area formed part of the Cape Colony, and played an integral part in its turbulent history – from its founding by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 to the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

In 1799, during the first British occupation of the Colony during the Napoleonic Wars, a stone Fort was built, named Fort Frederick after the Duke of York. This fort, built to protect against a possible landing of French troops, overlooked the site of what later became Port Elizabeth and is now a monument.

The first European to form any sort of permanent establishment in Port Elizabeth outside of any military influence was a missionary from the London Missionary Society which sent Dr. Johannes Theodosuis Van Der Kemp in 1801 to the area. The doctor built up a settlement on the little Swartkops River in what is now known as Bethelsdorp. There is a square stone house that is reported to have housed Dr. David Livingstone whilst on his travels through the area – aptly named Livingstone Cottage.

During the late 1700’s and early 1800’s there was great conflict between the European settlers and the Xhosa people in the Eastern Cape that came to be called the Cape Frontier Wars. This was as a direct result of the competition for prime farming and grazing lands in the area.

In 1804 the town of Uitenhage was founded along the Swartkops River, a short distance inland from its estuary at Algoa Bay, by the district magistrate, Jacob Glen Cuyler, and named after the Cape’s Commissioner-General, Jacob Abraham Uitenhage de Mis. Uitenhage formed part of the district of Graaff-Reinet at that time; however, it was eventually incorporated into the new Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality together with Port Elizabeth and the town of Despatch in 2001.

In 1820 a party of 4,000 British settlers arrived by sea, sent by the government of the Cape Colony to develop a settlement which would strengthen the border region between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa people. The original settlement developed in to a bustling seaport town founded by Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin, the Acting Governor of the Cape Colony, who named it after his late wife, Elizabeth.

The town boasted a diverse community of European, Cape Malay and other immigrants, and when the railway to Kimberley was built in 1873, it caused the town to grow rapidly and in 1861 Port Elizabeth was granted the status of an autonomous municipality.

In 1836 it was made a free warehousing port, and in 1837 the capital of a small adjacent district. The prosperity of the port which was followed by the construction of railways to the interior earned for the port the designation of “the Liverpool of South Africa.” The port is now in direct communication with all other parts of South Africa.

The Port Elizabeth harbour became the focal point of strong growth in Port Elizabeth and by the 1860’s it was the second largest city in the Colony and one of the most important ports. This changed with the discovery of gold and diamonds in the South African interior and the financial center moving to the Witwatersrand, with Durban and Maputo’s port becoming more active.

The port is home to South Africa’s motor vehicle industry. It hosts General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Continental Tyres and many more automotive companies. It is also a major seaport; with the most significant ore loading facilities in the southern hemisphere.

During the Second Boer War, Port Elizabeth was an important transit point for soldiers, horses and materials headed to the front by railway. While the city itself did not see any conflict, many refugees from the war moved into the city. These included Boer women and children interned by the British in concentration camps.

Following that war, the Horse Memorial was erected to honour the tens of thousands of horses and mules that died during the conflict.

Apartheid Era

According to information gathered by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the original community lived together happily and based social interaction on class and social status, as opposed to cultural, linguistic or racial differences.

However, the effects of the apartheid regime were not lost on Port Elizabeth. Forced relocation of the non-white population under the Group Areas Act began in 1962, causing various townships to be built. The whole of the South End district, being a prime real estate location, was forcibly depopulated and flattened in 1965; relocations continued until 1975. In 1977 Steve Biko, the black anti-apartheid activist, was interrogated and tortured by the security police in PE, before being transported to Pretoria where he died. Other notable deaths in the city during this time included the Cradock Four.

During the 1960s and 1970s the character and look of Port Elizabeth changed quite dramatically as a result of two undertakings that were to have fairly negative ramifications. The Port Elizabeth University was removed from the historical and picturesque part of Port Elizabeth on Bird Street, overlooking the city centre and harbour, to a sandy area on the outskirts of town. The campus in town was completely inadequate.

Unfortunately, since this removal, the old centre of Port Elizabeth has seen a slow decline. This decline was augmented by a second project, namely the building of a series of highways, viaducts and interchanges directly along the coast and over the roof of the central station thereby severing the old town from the station and harbour, destroying much of its history, integrity, allure and safety.The same system of highways also added to the damage already done by industries to the beautiful and fragile wetland area of the Swartkops estuary.

Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape, was at the fore front of a trade union movement that had great impact on the political landscape of South Africa and during the 1980’s the black townships of Port Elizabeth saw much violence during the struggle for equality of all races in South Africa.

With this history, it is no wonder that Port Elizabeth was such an important place of resistance to apartheid. Local historical figures include Govan Mbeki, famous South African political activist and father of ex-president Thabo Mbeki, as well as political activist Oliver Thambo, and internationally renowned political playwright Athol Fugard.

Post-apartheid Era

Since the multiracial elections of 1994, Port Elizabeth has faced the same problems as the rest of South Africa, including Urban Decay, HIV/AIDS and a surge in violent, often drug-related, crime. However, thanks to the booming tourism and real estate industries, development continues apace both in the city and nearby, for example in the new R20-billion Industrial Development Zone at Coega.

On the 6th November 1995, Christopher Nceba Faku, who was born in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth was elected the first black mayor of a city in South Africa.

In 2001, the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality was formed as an administrative area covering Port Elizabeth, the neighbouring towns of Uitenhage and Despatch and the surrounding agricultural areas. The name was chosen to honour former President Nelson Mandela.

2010 FIFA World Cup

The Port Elizabeth harbour, waterfront and city centre were upgraded for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as the city played proud host to some of the most crucial World Cup games! Many more visitors are expected now that the tournament is long finished.

Present Day

In the current democracy, Port Elizabeth seems to have returned to its original heritage: that of a place that can once again be called ‘The Friendly City’.

The city offers something for everyone – whether you are looking for a new lifestyle and are considering relocating, or you are choosing the perfect place to visit for a holiday. From family-oriented venues and destinations, to excellent sporting facilities, like Humewood Golf Club, one of South Africa’s top-rated golf clubs – you will certainly find what you are looking for here!

The city is also home to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) that was formed in 2005 by amalgamating the University of Port Elizabeth, Vista University and the Port Elizabeth Technikon. It is the largest university in the Eastern and Southern Cape. The city also hosts a number of government-funded schools and private schools.