About East London

The city formed around the only river port in South Africa, and was originally known as Port Rex. This settlement on the West Bank was the nucleus of the town of East London, which was later elevated to city status in 1914. During the early to mid-1800 Frontier wars between the British settlers and the local Xhosa inhabitants, East London served as a supply port to service the military headquarters at nearby King Williams Town, about thirty miles away. A British fort, Fort Glamorgan, was built on the West Bank in 1847, and annexed to the Cape Colony that same year. This fort was one of a series of forts the British built, that included Fort Murray, Fort White, Fort Hare and Fort Beaufort, in the border area that became known as British Kaffraria. With later development of the port came the settlement of permanent residents, including German settlers, most of whom were bachelors. In 1857 the British Government took pity on them and a cargo of 157 Irish girls arrived to help lift morale. The existing port, in the mouth of the Buffalo River, adjoining the Indian Ocean, has been operating since 1870. The advent of the railway on the east bank in 1876 added momentum to ongoing development of the area into todays thriving city of East London. The unusual double-decker bridge over the Buffalo River was completed in 1935 and to this day, is the only bridge of its type in South Africa. Modern day attractions include the East London Museum housing the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish, thought to be extinct, discovered live there by fishermen in 1938, and numerous memorial statues. The city is well-known as a surfing mecca, and its beaches are among the best in the country. In 1959, the Prince George Circuit race circuit opened; it hosted three Formula One South African Grand Prix races in the 1960s. In 2000, East London became part of the municipality of Buffalo City, also consisting of King William's Town and Bhisho. In 1961, areas on either side of East London were declared Bantu homelands. Ciskei to the west and Transkei to the East. East London finding herself almost surrounded, except to the north, became very unsettled during the Apartheid era. The editor of the local newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, was the late Donald Woods. This newpaper broke the story of the murder of Steve Biko, a Pan Africanist leader and author of the book I write what I like, at the hands of South African security police in Port Elizabeth, in September 1977. The story of Donald Woods was recorded in a Hollywood film called Cry Freedom. A prominent statue of Steve Biko now stands outside the East London City Hall. The period of international sanctions which followed in the 1980's damaged the economy of East London's harbour. Enormous investment in recent years, by corporations such as Daimler Chrysler, has resulted in the harbour being developed to include a new car terminal.