I often wonder how many people have noticed the stone obelisk outside Bayworld in Humewood. The obelisk is called The Prince of Wales Obelisk and was brought to South Africa by the founder of the Eastern Province Herald, John Paterson. It was meant to be placed on the grave of his partner, George Kemp but the Kemp family thought it to be slightly too much and donated it to the city. The City decided to erect it in front of City Hall on Market Square to commemorate the Prince of Wales’ marriage to Princess Alexandra which was done on 22 May 1863. Four water troughs were added in 1877/8 and were filled with water during a “tap ceremony” when water was first piped to Port Elizabeth. The obelisk was removed in 1921 and stored until 1975 when it was erected outside the Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld). One of the original water troughs was placed on the lawn at the Walmer Town Hall but the location of the other three troughs is unknown.
The drinking trough use to languish in a small open spacebeside the road in Forest Hill on the way to the cemetary. I advised the museum of it's existance in 1975. I understand the bottom part of the obelisk and the rest of the base was used as landfill somewhere.
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