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Weston College – Horse Memorial
Weston College, Mooi River, was an important remount station during the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902). The original farm, Mount Victoria was the base and at some point in time had up to 9000 horses...
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Sir Rider Haggards Home
If you are travelling anywhere along the way past Newcastle, a stay over at Sir Rider Haggard’s home, built in 1875 is well worth a visit. Rider Haggard, was the author of ‘King Solomon’s Mines’,...
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Addington Children’s Hospital – My new book.
My new book on the Addington Children’s Hospital and Nurses’ Home is being edited and then will be printed early in the new year. This iconic hospital which was built in 1930 near Addington, on the...
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Greystone Farm – Estcourt
Greystone Farm front facade. Greystone Farm overlooks the upper reaches of the Wagendrift Dam on the Bushmans River. The farm was occupied by the Boers in 1838 and the battle of Vegt Laier took place...
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Umhlanga Rocks Landscapes
Umhlanga Rocks – A photographers paradise In order to celebrate the summer break, in this post I have chosen a few images of the Umhlanga beaches. Umhlanga Beaches have a wide variety of moods and lie...
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Umzimkulu River Mouth
Umzimkulu road bridge with remains of Bazley wall (Rock) and Kinsey Wall (concrete),harbour works in foreground For years the settlers in the Port Shepstone area wanted to build a harbour to receive...
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Durban Beaches at Dawn
Instead of being slovenly, take an early wake up with the sun rising in the east and savor Durban’s beaches. The air is fresh and especially at low tide the beachfront can be walked along the waters...
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Kokstad – Royal Hotel 1881
Ornate arch of the entrance to the Royal Hotel Kokstad was named after the Griqua Chief Adam Kok III who had trekked over the berg from west Griqualand. The Royal Hotel was built in 1881 by an African...
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Himeville Museum
Sir Albert Hime (1842 – 1919), after whom Himeville was named, was an engineer who arrived in Natal from Bermuda in 1875.He was responsible for many engineering advances in Natal. He was to become...
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Durban – Beach views of new Promenade
New promenade between harbour mouth and Moya Pier The new extension of the promenade between the Umgeni Mouth and Moya is a great boon to strollers. The extension is about 750 m but also links onto the...
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Durban Glenwood – Artist, Dane Stops
Artist Dane Stops, is a fine artist and also has artwork on the wall at the KZNSA Gallery in Glenwood. A lot of this work in graffiti form has little merit but Dane’s work is superb and of really high...
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Durban’s Lion Match Factory
It’s refreshing to see a property developer upgrading an old heritage building. This was the case when JT Ross redeveloped this old factory which are now upmarket offices and have Jonsson’s Clothing as...
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Durban Addington Hospital Complex – Addornments
These buildings in Princes Street form part of the greater Addington Hospital Complex which was built in 1932. For me these simple buildings are so significantly enhanced by simple architectural...
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Reichenau Trappist Mission – the lost activities
A recent walk around this Mission truly brought home the industriousness of the Trappist Monks and their successors. Aside from the centerpiece, St Andrews Church are the large derelict remains of the...
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Durban Law Courts history
The present law Courts on Victoria Embankment has a rich history. The first Durban hospital was at Bayside and the Natal Government Hospital was on this site from 1861 to 1879, when a new Addington...
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Gen. Louis Botha’s bridge hand – 1918
Bridge hand played aboard ship 1917. The above hand was played aboard SS Ivomaru on December 1918, bound from Cape Town to London. A call of 7 hearts was made, the players being Gen. Louis Botha, Lt...
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Durban Post Office – Criminal neglect
Durban Central Post Office being strangled. If the neglected state of the Durban Central Post Office is a metaphor for South Africa, take a trip into the Durban CBD and see for yourself the state of...
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Umhlanga Ridgeside’s Glass Horizon
Sunglasses will become essential on Umhlanga Ridge with all the glass cladding the new structures dominating the skyline. Perhaps some entrepreneurial sole could direct the reflecting rays onto solar...
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Loskop (Estcourt area) – Moorleigh Churches
Whilst the ‘mother’ Lutheran Church (Kerk) at Moorleigh is still in good condition, the nearby Gnadenkirche is in ruins. It makes for great photography but is a reminder of bygone days when the...
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Durban’s Royal Hotel
Opening in 1845, the Royal Hotel, this iconic hotel has stood the test of time. (For 175 years.) It is however the hotel’s Grill Room, that stays imprinted in the mind. The room with all its Colonial...
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