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Coronation Memorial and Gateway
Kariega (Uitenhage), Eastern Cape
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Click to view map Coordinates: | The King George V Coronation Memorial comprises a freestanding pavilion on Canon Hill overlooking the town of Uitenhage (Kariega) in the Eastern Cape. The memorial commemorates the coronation of King George V at Westminster Abbey on 22 June 1911. The foundation stone was laid by the (then) Mayor of Uitenhage F H Luyt, Justice of the Peace on 22 June 1911. It has not been established when the memorial was completed and formally opened. The Memorial is sited on the crest of the hill and is set out on the centre point of a circular lawn defined by a low retaining wall constructed in local stone. An integral part of the Memorial layout were two small scale cannons each set just outside the retaining wall on rectangular concrete plinths, on the southwest and northeast axial lines. Only the plinth remains of the northeast cannon - presumably stolen for scrap. The southwest cannon does fortunately survive intact. It is known as a 6 pounder gunade (or gunnade) and was a commercial derivative of the carronade, being slightly longer with traditional trunnions on which they were mounted. Gunades were manufactured for a short period in the early 1800's and being of a non-military pattern, were used mainly on commercial ships where the lesser weight was beneficial. This gunade was apparently cast and machined by Fawcett Preston & Co of Liverpool and dates from the early 1800's. All surviving Fawcett Preston guns in South Africa apparently have the word "SOLID" cast in relief on the trunnion end. Fawcett Preston was one of the first commercial manufacturers to obtain a lathe capable of boring out cannon from the solid and they advertised this with the word "SOLID". The castings were far superior, and the machined-out bore was smoother and stronger. The 6 pdr Gunade at this site was apparently salvaged off the VOC ship AMSTERDAM which ran aground in 1817 on the nearby coastline. The gunade is mounted on a pair of cast iron wheels each with seven apertures and seven spokes. The following inscription is recorded in raised letters on the spokes of the cast iron wheels: BALTIMORE The Memorial comprises an octagonal columned pavilion set on a circular stepped base. Five freestanding square columns define the six rectangular openings of the octagonal facade; three attached pilasters with connecting walls define the two facets of the closed rear portion of the octagon. The columns and pilasters are articulated with incised horizontal lines in the plastered surface forming the appearance of stone blocks. The columns and the pilastered wall support a flat concrete roof which is accessed via a steeply raked geometric staircase attached to the rear facade. The radial lines of the stair risers are set out on the centre point of the octagon and thereby form tapered treads.Structural support for the concrete roof slab was provided with a pair of heavy steel I-Beams visible on the underside of the slab. The perimeter of the flat concrete roof is defined with a decorative balustrade defined by stub columns and sets of moulded balusters supporting a heavy moulded plastered top rail. The entablature above the columns records the following text in raised plaster letters: WHEN GEORGE THE FIFTH WAS KING Each of the five freestanding columns has a rectangular recessed panel just below the capital and each successive panel has a raised letter, a date or a pair of letters. C N 1911 T FS This records the names of the four provinces of the Union of South Africa in 1911: Cape, Natal, Transvaal and (Orange) Free State. The design of the Memorial has certain affinities to The Summerhouse (also known as The Belvedere) on the University of Cape Town Campus. It is not unlikely that the architect of the Uitenhage Memorial was influenced by that structure. The King George V Memorial is clearly no longer properly managed by the local authority. It has been vandalised with spray painted graffiti and suffers the indignity of regular fires on its octagonal floor, the accumulation of rubbish and is clearly used on occasion as an informal toilet. Access to the memorial park is via a set of memorial gates that were installed to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The wrought iron gates have sadly been stolen and only the trabeated precast concrete gate structure remains. A precast concrete crest with ER II is mounted on the face of the central beam and this is surmounted with a crown. The following wording is recorded in raised plastered letters on the beam on either side of the crest - CORONATION ELIZABETH and SECUNDA KRONING. William Martinson, May 2024 |
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