This is the St Philips Anglican Church in Richmond Hill, with a commanding view of the sea from the brow of the hill. As you can see from the sign, it is directly opposite Richmond Park. In the early days of PE, this hill used to be a location covered with traditional M'Fengu beehive straw huts, and this church served the harbour workers and others who lived here. The park was originally their graveyard.
This is a different view of the Donkin reserve looking towards the Hill Presbetarian Church and the historical homes on the Donkin Terrace.We plan to do a series on what is happening to this historical area that is such an integral part of the Port Elizabeth heritage.
This is St Augustines Catholic Church, just off Market Square in the City Centre. It is built on a steep cliff face on the side of one of the streets leading up the Hill to Central. The foundation stone was laid in 1861, and the steeple completed and the church consecrated in 1866. It became a Cathedral in 1939. In 1897 Frances Livingstone Johnston, a pyromaniac, attempted to set it alight, but fortunately failed. She succeeded in burning two down…
The Hill Presbyterian Church, Cnr Parliament St and Belmont TerraceThis is a wonderful building, completed in 1865, with such intricate detail all over, that 1 photo would not have done it justice. So here is a montage to show it in its setting, on the brow of the hill overlooking the bay, and to show some of the craftsmanship in the details.
A flock of pigeons greets the dawn on the roof of the old St Philips Anglican Church in Richmond Hill.
Port Elizabeth has two satellite towns, Uitenhage and Despatch. Both are about 30 minutes drive inland, and rely heavily on the motor industry. They are both included with PE in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, which runs the metropole.Uitenhage is older than PE by a few years, and has some great old buildings. And at this time of year, it also has some glorious Jacaranda trees, which thrive in South Africa, although they are originally from South America.