I'm fascinated by a lot of things so I won't say that war memorials fascinate me, although I find it very interesting how the war memorial in every town - because yes, just every town has some kind of war memorial - looks different. Ranging from cenotaphs to historic cannons and massive monuments to small simple objects. This is the war memorial in Uitenhage containing a list of men from the town who died during the two World Wars.
I'm a museum kinda guy. There is always something new to discover even if you have been to it so many times before. My favorite museum to go to is the South African Museum in Cape Town. Its the oldest museum in sub-Saharan Africa and was established in 1825 by Lord Charles Somerset. It is both a research and educational institution and offers collections of natural history and anthropological objects that document all forms of life - living and extinct - from…
As you would know I am always on the lookout for something interesting to photograph, doesn't matter if its natural or historical. As far as historical attractions go you tend to find some kind of war memorial in just about every town and city around South Africa and Cape Town was no different. In actual fact I found two right next to each other. At the top of the Company Gardens just below the South African Museum is the Cape Town…
I've said it before and I will say it again and again and again (every time I find another one). Just about every town has a war memorial. Click to see those in Knysna and Mossel Bay which I've blogged about before. Driving around Montagu I was looking for interesting places and stumbled upon the Montagu War Memorial remembering those from the town who fell during the Anglo Boer War, WWI and WWII. I'm not a war junkie so I…
The Union Buildings on Meintjieskop in Pretoria is the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. The Boer Republics of the ZAR (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to for the Union of South Africa. Pretoria was selected as the administrative capital of the Union.The cornerstone of the building with its two identical wings was laid in November 1910, shortly after the…
The South African Defence Force Memorial is situated just outside the entrance to Fort Klapperkop in Pretoria. The memorial was unveiled on May 31 1979 and includes a statue of a soldier holding a R1 rifle, in memory of all members of the South African Defence Force who lost their lives serving their country. The individuals who have lost their lives are honored with an inscription on a number of marble plaques mounted around the statue.
The Prince Alfred's Guard Memorial stands in St Georges Park and was erected in 1907 in remembrance to men from the guard that died in four different wars. On each of the four corners of the base of the memorial is a tablet bearing the names of officers and men who fell in the Transkei War, 1877 ; Basutoland War, 1880-1881; Bechuanaland War, 1897; and the Anglo Boer War 1899 - 1902. At the foot of each tablet is a…
I am having one of those days where I don't have anything new to show and going through all my stock I can't really find something that tickles my fancy tonight. "Not good enough, boring, too plain, not artistic enough..." I'm sure you all know the feeling. So as I'm looking through all my pics and remember past travels, I encountered a couple of heavenly beings that are ideal for my "Random ..." theme. The Angel Statue (Boer War Memorial)…
Today I want to continue showing off some of better known monuments and historic buildings in Port Elizabeth. Situated on Market Square in the historic heart of the city is the Port Elizabeth City Hall. Completed in the 1862 and with the clock tower added on in 1883, the building burned down in 1977 and was restored to its former glory shortly after. The tower sticking out behind belongs to the Old Post Office, opened in 1900, while the cross…