The photos this week follow on from last week’s Then and Now of the Point and feature the Point Railway Station itself. The pictures come from artist and author Graham Leslie McCallum’s book Durban’s Historic Railway Stations.
Durban has the distinction of running South Africa’s first railway. The first steam locomotive, named Natal, started its journey along a track between the Market Square, Durban, and the Point on June 26, 1860. It was opened by acting Lieutenant Governor Major Williamson, with much fanfare.
The purpose of the line was to ferry passengers and goods between where ships docked at the Point and the city.
McCallum writes: “The Point Railway Station originally consisted of a basic iron shed with a raised siding for the convenience of passengers.” This can be seen in the first image, a sketch from the period. “The station was located near the historic Fort Victoria and the latter Custom House. Ships entering the Bay of Natal would anchor along the inner shoreline of the Point, and from here, passengers would disembark.”
The second photograph, also from the 1860s, shows the station from the high ground that was Fort Victoria. The locomotive “Natal”, with cars, is visible. McCallum writes: “Note – the iron shed with its curved roof is built immediately adjacent to the bay shoreline. At this early time, only the wooden jetty behind the iron shed serviced shipping needs. In later years, the bay’s shoreline was stabilised with wharfage right down to Cato’s Creek where, in later years, the Cato Creek Railway Station was built (now demolished).”
When the railway was the preserve of the Natal Government Railways, the station was moved further to the north of the Point. “In 1890 a single-storey brick and mortar building was built at the corner of Point Road and Southampton Street. This building acted as a Post Office too, and as Durban grew, a second storey was added to the structure,” McCallum writes.
Today, the building is a national monument. Our photographer, Shelley Kjonstad, shot the matching picture today.
The Independent on Saturday