The past Saturday, 6 August 2011, marked the 150th anniversary of St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth. I picked the following up on the community website MyPE which is information contained in the book "Port Elizabeth in Bygone Years" as well as on the St Georges Park history website.
“Flags and streamers were flying in every direction, all shops were shut, people dressed in holiday attire, and expectation stood on tiptoe. By a sort of instinct the Market Square seemed to be the centre of attraction. Here the naval brigade all dressed in blue and white stood mustered under Captain Chapman and Lieut. Wheatland. The worshipful councillors in ‘tails and gloves’ began to assemble at the Town Hall and looked most grave and dignified. Presently the band struck up and matched smartly down Main Street and up Donkin Street past the Scotch Church. The councillors then proceeded to the Hill and by the time the brigade had reached the spot, a good crowd of people had assembled to witness the ceremony of planting the first tree in the newly-named St Georges Park. A fellow townsman, Mr Birt, had presented the Mayor with a young oak and this was to be the tree.
The Mayor, Mr William Smith, then explained to the assembled crowd the purpose of the meeting, after which he called upon Mr Pearson, the originator of the idea, to address those present. In brief, it was to the effect that for some time a public playground had been needed in Port Elizabeth and that the Mayor was about to plant the first tree in what it had been decided to name ‘Prince Alfred’s Grove’. In later years when people would assemble in St Georges Park they would point to the Prince’s Grove and say; ‘for that and for this spacious playground we are indebted to the foresight and kindness of a former Municipal body who commemorated the first anniversary of a Royal Prince’s visit in inaugurating for the comfort, health, and recreation of their fellow-townsmen for all time these shady walks and extensive beautifully laid-out grounds.’ After this, champagne was produced and amid a volley of popping corks and several repartees, healths innumerable were drunk, and success to St. Georges Park and to the Prince’s Grove pledged over and over again.”
Happy birthday St Georges Park. Official celebrations for this occasion is being planned for Heritage Day on 24 September 2011.
wow. We have a few places that are that old, I love how you can touch a part of history.
ReplyDeleteI think St. George's is for PE what the Company Gardens is for Cape Town and Central Park is for New York. If not St. Mary, I think St. George would make a perfect patron saint!
ReplyDeleteSt.George's is also home to a number of historical monuments such as the prince Alfred's Guardmemorial, The Cenotaph, the one-time home of the Howitzer- and Horse Memorials, Pearson Conservatory...all of course on view in this virtual PEDP tour!
I did not realise what a wonderfully and quintessentially English space St George's Park was until I came to London and saw how they cherish their grand urban parks. We are so lucky to have this green lung in the centre of the city.
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