Moving Kowie River proposed in 1823
In this revealing extract, Commodore Henry Nourse recommends, as early as 1823, that the course of the Kowie River be straightened out to avert sandbank build up.
He was, of course, referring to the outlet on the east side, which was ‘moved’ only in 1839 by William Cock to where the river mouth is today.
In the 1840s and again in 1877, eminent harbour engineers confirmed that if the Kowie’s course had been straightened, some of the wrecks at the mouth, and the continual build-up of sand, could have been averted.
A steam dredger was indeed necessary later to scour out the river channel. Note also that, in those times, access to both wood for ship-building (from our riverside bush) and cheap convict labour (en route to Australia’s Botany Bay) —‘a trifling expense ’— were taken entirely for granted.
Navigation of the Kowie: a report on this subject, drawn up by Commodore Nourse, dated at the Kowie, October 17 1823.
“From the bar, the course of the river is tortuous for some distance, until it falls into the smoother uninterrupted course of the river, of which, I proceeded seven miles, and they may not be less than four fathoms so far as 16 miles up, without a bank or rock to intercept the progress. Either side is thickly wooded close to the water’s edge.
“To remove the obstacles, in some measure, at the entrance, and the winding and consequent lodgement of sand, and shifting of it, I think it would be worth the experiment to make the course straight from the bar to the straighter and deeper part of the river, that the tide might have a straight influx and reflux; which, with the freshets occasionally, and the receding tide, would carry all that loose sand into the sea which is now lodged near its mouth.
“The flood tide would certainly bring a quantity of that matter in again; but instead of being deposited, as it is now, just within its entrance, it would be carried higher up and dispersed over the deeper parts of the river.
“The straight course given within its entrance, would confine the passage over the bar to one particular spot, and consequently deepen it, whereas it is now constantly shifting several points.
“Should this be found to answer, I should propose such a vessel, worked by steam, as is used generally in harbours in our sea ports, to prevent them from filling up, which is found to be often the case.
“This vessel would be employed when the bar is perfectly smooth, (which I am informed is sometimes the case for several days together) in deepening and widening the bar and at such times as the surf on the bar may prevent working upon it, the vessel could be employed in clearing and deepening the channel to the deeper part of the river.
“There would be little more than the first expense of such a vessel, as the woods all the way up the river to the waterside would furnish fuel enough for all purposes for centuries to come.
“The vessel might be built on the banks, at the mouth of the river, and the machinery sent from England.
“Regarding the labour for making a straight course from the bar to the deeper part of the river come up perhaps not more than 40 roods of sand would have to be cut through, and some stakes laid down, and an embankment which the sand would soon form against it, to keep the river in a straight line to the necessary distance.
“This labour it appears to me, where it necessary, might be had at little or no expense.
“I will suppose so many convicts on their way to Botany Bay, as might be thought necessary, landed at the Kowie where they could be hutted and fed at a trifling expense, until the work were finished, when they might be again embarked, and proceed to their ultimate destination.”
This an article published in the South African Journal No. II, Vol I, March-April 1824 (editors Thomas Pringle & John Fairbairn) is quoted in Looking back at Port Alfred: Part 3 – compiled by the late Douglas Baile: A series about our town (with permission from Pat Bailes and the Kowie Museum), transcribed by Sue Gordon.
CAMPUS COMES ALIVE
The Rhodes University ‘engine room’ clicked into gear again on January 3, after the festive season break resulted in an almost deserted campus, and operations are in full swing in anticipation of the 2024 academic year.
First up for the year are the supplementary examinations from Monday January 22 to Friday February 2.
Then it’s time for the newcomers first-year registration takes place over the weekend of February 3 and 4, and the academic orientation week will be spread over four days February 5 to 8.
Undergraduate lectures begin in earnest on Monday February 12.
SHABBY-LOOKING SIDEWALKS
Makana Municipality’s parks department staff members are, presumably, back at work after their festive season break.
Hopefully they will be refreshed and have a spring in their step, enough to tackle the grossly overgrown sidewalks, verges, gutters and open spaces around town with their mowers, weed eaters, spades and pruners.
Some areas are eyesores, bearing in mind that hundreds of school pupils (and their families) will soon be arriving in town, as will many thousands of first-year university students (and their families) early next month.
But, first things first and here s hoping the crews tackling these tasks are properly equipped with the necessary tools and safety equipment.
ORGAN FOR AN HOUR
An hour of organ music will be presented by Peter Black, Jonathan Hughes and Cameron Luke in the Cathedral from 5pm on Sunday, January 14. There’s no entrance fee but a collection will be taken in aid of the cathedral organ fund.
TALKING NUMBERS IN THE BOTS
Eighty-one runners, joggers and walkers turned out in Makana botanical gardens on Saturday to celebrate the 400th staging of the Grahamstown parkrun which held its first event in September 2014 when SA founder Bruce Fordyce was present and had a ‘taste’ of the course.
On the subject of big numbers, 16 participants last Saturday each have in excess of 100 parkruns to their credit.
They are Stavie van Aardt 388, Peter Stockwell 386, Mariss Stevens 228, Mark Hazell 226, Cee-Jay Porthen 222, Monde Duma 167, John Haydock 167, Karen Davies 148, Phemelo PJ Hellemann 146, Kenny Nolan 138, Catherine Deiner 135, Xolela Nkayi 117, Tracey Feltham-King 112 and Justine Weeks 108.
Parkruns are held at 8am each Saturday from the entrance to the botanical gardens in Lucas Avenue.
STREETS, GUTTERS AND LEAKS
A reader has responded to the story on Makhanda’s pothole problem in last week’s column, mentioning that not only are roads crumbling and potholes forming, but street gutters all over town are not being cleaned and maintained, and grass and weeds encroaching onto the streets.
The reader adds that streets are being damaged by water leaks that are not repaired as soon as they occur, but only attended to months later in some cases.
“Water pipes and streets are simply not being maintained, showing that the municipality has no intention of maintaining our town,” he wrote.
“We, the concerned citizens of this town, are totally fed up.”
RECORD ENTRY AT THE COAST
A record entry of 258 golfers took part in the 24th edition of the Kingswood golf day over the scenic Royal Port Alfred course on December 28.
The event attracted old Kingswoodians from as far afield as Australia, the UK, Zambia, Ireland and Hong Kong.
The Steve Gardner memorial trophy for the champion old Kingswoodian golfer was presented to Pete Andrew at the prize-giving function.
TOP COACHING AT CLINIC
National water polo coach Paige Meecham has confirmed that she will be coaching the water polo clinic along with her sister, Chloe Meecham, at the Kingswood College training clinic on January 12 and 13.
Chloe Meecham represented SA at the Tokyo Olympics.
The water polo clinic will be run in conjunction with the cricket training clinic also being hosted by Kingswood.
The cricket training clinic caters for junior school children aged between 11 and 13, while the water polo clinic is for boys and girls aged between 11 and 14.
PARK AND BOWL
Down there in the dip in African Street, across the road from the former Boy Scout Hall, is an open strip of ground where members of the Grahamstown Bowling Club and visitors park whenever play is in progress and the club’s parking area is full.
It was way back in the 1970s or 1980s that the name Bowler’s Close was given to that space and added to the official listing of local streets and places.
At that time, several high-ranking municipal officials were bowlers in their spare time, and they were members of nearby Albany Bowling Club in Charles Street.
Names that spring to mind are town clerk Tony Lofting, city electrical engineer Dick Beard, city treasurer David Lowe, deputy city electrical engineer Harry Wilkinson and deputy city treasurer Brian Levey.
REMEMBER THE DAYS?
When Richard Goodfellow, priest of Christ Church in Speke Street, took groups of children aboard the miniature train, Sweetpea, on railway tracks in the manse garden?
The monthly train rides attracted good numbers of excited children who made cash donations for a few laps of the garden railway system. Those children who enjoyed the train rides in the Christ Church manse garden are young adults now, either working or finishing off their tertiary studies.
FEWER BANGS, BUT MUCH LOUDER
There was a time in Makhanda several decades ago, when it was still known as Grahamstown, that fireworks in the form of crackers, big bangs, sky rockets and others were available without hassle over the counter at gift shops, corner cafes, grocery shops, general dealers and even supermarkets and one fast-food outlet.
As far as this writer is aware, the sale of fireworks over the counter at businesses is no longer permitted, much to the relief of many a pet owner.
Bylaws even prevent the letting off of fireworks in residential and built-up areas.
Yet, neighbourhoods resounded to ultra-loud bangs galore at midnight on December 31, and the dark sky was brightly illuminated momentarily by scores of sky rockets and their spark-filled trailing tails.
In the Sunnyside suburb alone, several monstrously-massive blasts shattered normally peaceful neighbourhoods, leading a resident to remark: “Those were definitely not bought over or under a counter at a local shop sounded more like army or police-issued ammo.”
Another resident said two of the bangs were so loud they had his family members and pets jumping centimetres off the ground and left quivering.
“It sounded like we were being attacked by aliens,” he said.
Wonder where those really huge bangs came from we’ll probably never know, will we?
REMEMBER THE DAYS?
In the 1980s and 1990s when Boswell Wilkie Circus and its performers, support staff and animals pitched their ‘big tops’ and parked their caravans on the Fiddlers Green football ground for matinee and evening performances?