The cyber-trails

Hi there! Welcome to the CyberTrails!

You and I are going to spend . . . well, as long as you like because, once we are in cyberspace, time is no longer a problem.

The CyberTrails also mean that we can move backwards and forwards in time at will. We can therefore, at one moment, watch a ship being wrecked along the Esplanade in 1872 while, at another, survey the work being done at Marina Glen during the time of the Great Depression. We can also amble as far and as fast as we like without getting tired.

And what's more, we don't have worry about the wind, the rain or even the tides. That's the marvellous thing about cyberspace!

Be careful though. Beyond the CyberTrail lies The Labyrinth itself. If you happen to stray off the path and enter that series of passages and tunnels . . . Well, who knows where you might end up? And I won't be able to rescue you. So please mark your route carefully.

My name is Keith Tankard and I will be your tour guide.

Enjoy yourself!

Which Trail would you like to explore?

The Port Rex CyberTrail
Go right back to the very beginning. Observe the attempt in 1835 to create a port on the Buffalo River for the Province of Queen Adelaide. Find out what happened to the Knysna. Was the place really called Port Rex?

The Lady Kennaway CyberTrail
Examine the attempt at bringing Irish female immigrants to the Eastern Cape. What happened to their ship? Look at the passenger list.

The Shipwreck CyberTrail
Take a walk along the Esplanade and look at some of the shipwrecks that happened there. Relive the events and examine some of the mysteries surrounding them.

The Beachfront CyberTrail
Walk with us along East London's esplanade, looking at the rich history which exists there. We shall view such things as Victorian bathing habits, the first (failed) swimming pool, the Uitlander refugee camp, the arrival of the German settlers. And more!

The Boer War CyberTrail
Journey back to the days of the South African War. When the hostilities broke out in October 1899, it would have a major impact on East London. Thousands of Uitlander Refugees would flock to the port, there would be a rise in social intolerance between English and German residents, and a concentration camp would eventually be built here.

The Harbour CyberTrail
Have a look at some of the early attempts to build a harbour. Study the rise and fall of trade to East London. Learn about the dredger Lucy and the creation of the Goliath cranes.

Trail through the West Bank Location
What was it like to be a Black person at Victorian East London? Wander through the West Bank Location , observing its rise and fall. Examine the joys and the hardships of its residents.

Trail through the East Bank Locations
Search with us for the sites of the early villages for the Black residents on the East Bank. Look at the Seaside Location . Find out about Newsam's Town and the Wesleyan village. What was life like in the East Bank Location ?

And much, much more to come in the future!