THE CONVERSION OF BETHESDA

This week’s Old and New is in celebration of the 85th anniversary of the Bethesda Temple which was held earlier this month. The early picture is of the Bethesda Temple as used from 1936, while the second, modern picture of 29 Carlisle Street, shows the present façade of the Bethesda Temple which is the headquarters of a large group of churches referred to as Bethesdaland. The church was officially inaugurated at the Drama Hall of the Durban Corporation Barracks on October 11, 1931 by John Francis Rowlands. Bethesda Temple outgrew various venues at which services were held. The Drama Hall, Durban Picture Palace and a Hall in Grey (Yusuf Dadoo) Street proved inadequate and so the foundation stone for the church at 29 Carlisle Street was laid on May 20, 1936 and Bethesda Temple was opened on September 6 that year. The new façade was first used in 1958. The Independent on Saturday appeals to readers who have old pictures from elsewhere in the province, as well as those of Durban, to send them to us for consideration. If any of our readers are featured in the old picture, we will do our best to recreate the scene with them in it again. Readers sending in pictures digitally can address them, with the relevant information, to satmail@inl.co.za. Pictures should be about 1MB. If the pictures are in hard copy format, they can be posted to The Editor, Old Pictures, The Independent on Saturday, PO Box 47549, Greyville, 4023.