A pair of old stalwarts
The old picture today takes in a view of Pine Street, today Monty Naicker Street, looking towards the Berea.
The early postcard shows very few cars in the street but a number of rickshas. It shows two landmark Durban buildings, St Pauls Church on the left in the foreground and the station on the right further up the street. In the far distance you can see the beautiful stucco building that was the Durban telephone exchange before it was torn down when it was no longer needed. It was probably taken in the early 1900s but after 1910 when the new St Paul’s Church was built.
The original St Paul's Church was built in 1853 and was partially funded by a donation from Benjamin D'Urban. That church burnt to the ground in 1906 and a new, larger church was built on the same site in 1910.
The original church was the first building in Durban to have electric lights late in 1889.
The new church was built in a Neo-Gothic style and boasts a beautiful interior that has recently been restored. There are commemorative plaques on the walls to some of Durban's early settlers and there is a lovely, wood ceiling complemented by the stained-glass chancel windows. The chapel of St Nicolas on the left was part of the Mission to Seamen between 1899 and 1989.
According to author David Hughes, the church congregation operated a canteen during the Second World War, which was used to aid visiting servicemen to Durban. Following the end of World War 11, remembrances were updated in the Warrior Chapel, and there was an installation of the marble altar from St. Paul's Cathedral, London.
In the 1970s the closure of Church Street to the left of the old picture to traffic allowed a walkway which linked the church with City Hall and which held a flea market.
Queen Elizabeth II visited the parish in 1999 and there was a plaque that was unveiled to mark this event. During this year the church also celebrated its 150th birthday, there were also several special concerts and musical events.
The Victorian Railway Station was built in 1892 by Natal Government Railways. The wrought-iron verandah and the brick and ochre plaster mouldings on the façade are of special interest. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 10 August 1979.
The original station building was only two storeys high, but In 1904 another two additional storeys were added. This imposing building has survived to the present time, when many other Durban landmarks have been demolished. It was saved largely due to concerted efforts of Durban residents campaigning for it.