We have whinged in the past about the ridiculous situation in which one of the city’s major tourist attractions is almost impossible to see because it remains locked most of the time. Those tasked with opening it somehow never get round to doing so, and complaints to the powers that be elicit a nonchalant “we’ll look into it” response. However, on Friday we decided to try again and EUREKA it was open. So here is a view from inside Fort Frederick, overlooking the harbour.
Quoting from Margaret Harradine’s history of Port Elizabeth:
“1800 Major General Francis Dundas, Commander of the troops at the Cape, reported that peace had been restored {after a spat with the French} and that he was establishing a permanent military post here. The anchorage is good, there was water, and there is shelter from the prevailing westerlies, though not from the south-easters. The stone fort which Dundas had built and which was completed in February, was named Fort Frederick, after Frederick Duke of York, Commander-in-chief of the British Army. It was built overlooking the landing place and was armed with 2 8 pounders.
Great photo. I’m glad the Fort is open again.
You’ve managed to storm the fort. I hope that casualties were low.
yup, I’m afraid there were casualties Kris, Max took a whole bunch of photos, and then forgot that he hadn’t downloaded them and cleaned his camera card…. luckily along with a fragile memory, old age also brings a philosophical approach to such disasters!! hehe.
I been tryin to shoot around p.e also around s.a but been held back cos of money and i mite not work soon so its been a mission tryin to figure where next,yeah the net a powerful medium got flown twice to speak at several universities cos of how i managed to use the net,hopefully i can leave a legacy of sum sort.
I enjoy a bit of heraldry/vexillology, and drew a Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Freerick, Duke of York, that I thought would en a nice thing if the fort could even be turned into a small museum. It could display pictures of the early settlement, Francis Evatt, the Duke etc., but I guess it's wishful thinking…