Port Elizabeth Travel Guide

Donkin Reserve

On a hill above the centre of the city stands a stone pyramid monument with an adjacent lighthouse. The open public space was proclaimed in perpetuity by Sir Rufane Donkin, acting British Governor of the Cape, when the 1820 Settlers arrived in Algoa Bay. Donkin named the new settlement after his wife, Elizabeth, who had died in India two years' previously, and erected the pyramid in her memory. The lighthouse was built in 1861, and today houses the city's Tourist Information Centre. Maps are available from the centre describing a three-mile (five km) discovery trail through the hill area and central city, taking in 47 historic sites and architectural delights.