The Campanile was built to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the landing of the 1820 British Settlers. The 54 meter high building with its 204 steps were constructed on what used to be the landing beach, today standing between the Port Elizabeth harbour and the Settlers Freeway. Some effort has been made to try and reconnect it with the city after being "cut off" by the freeway for so long and it was decided to make it the start of…
Looking across the Port Elizabeth Harbour from the harbour wall to the city centre with the Campanile just to the left of the middle of the picture. This is a view of the Campanile that not a lot of people have seen. The Hill Presbyterian Church can just be seen on the left edge of the photo.
The Campanile was built (and completed in 1923) to commemorate the centenary of the arrival in 1820 of the British Settlers
Looking towards the Port Elizabeth harbour from the top a building in the city centre the Campanile is visible in the foreground. The little half moon window just above the clock is the viewing deck which is reached by climbing the tower's 204 steps. Above that just behind the pillars are the Campanile's carillon of 23 bells, largest carillon in South Africa.
People arriving in Port Elizabeth by ship in the old days disembarked at the old jetty and had to travel up Jetty Street into the town. The statue of Queen Victoria was positioned in front of the Public Library to look down Jetty Street and welcome visitors to the town. In the 1970's when the Settlers Freeway was constructed it literally cut the harbour off from the town centre area and Jetty Street was closed up when the bus station was…
Usually most photos concentrate on the Campanile from afar or looking up at it's top, so I decided to post one of the entrance. The Campanile was completed in 1922 on the landing beach where the British Settlers arrived in 1820. Once you enter this door, you still need to climb 204 steps to get to the top observation area for stunning views all around.
The observation deck at the top of the Campanile allows one magnificent views towards all directions. Looking over the harbour you get to see all the cars waiting to be loading onto car ships for export. The only downside, or in this case literally the upside, to reaching this view is climbing up the 204 steps to get to the top.
The view of the new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium from the top of the Campanile.
Last week I went with a bunch of artist friends to the old Apple Express Depot which overlooks the harbour and "tank farm" along the beachfront. We had a ball rumaging around the steam train graveyard, and I could probably bore you into a coma for WEEKS with the pix I took of rusty old trains from every conceivable angle! Looking through the driver's window of one, the Donkin Lighthouse and Campanile can be seen peeping over the distant horizon.…
Another of the photos sent to us by Louise Eksteen last week, thanks Louise, its a nice alternative view of a PE icon!