🕰 Step back in time and witness how Durban transformed from a sleepy coastal swamp into one of South Africa’s most iconic port cities. This powerful documentary traces 100 years of dramatic change—from the 1850s to the late 1970s—capturing the soul, stories, and struggles that built Durban’s skyline.
📜 What You’ll Discover in This Film:
• The birth of Greyville Racecourse and the glamour of the Durban July
• How Victoria Embankment and Durban’s harbor reshaped trade and tourism
• The rise of air travel—featuring Alan Cobham’s daring flying boat landing
• Durban’s wartime spirit: tributes to WWII heroes like Edwin Swales VC
• The story behind Durban’s first electric trams and earliest broadcasters
• Engineering marvels like the Umgeni Water Scheme and the Graving Dock
• Royal visits, historic cricket, housing booms, and civic milestones
🌍 From colonial outpost to modern metropolis, Durban’s century-long journey is one of vision, resilience, and cultural growth. Perfect for history lovers, Durbanites, and anyone passionate about South Africa’s past.
🎥 Produced by Tekweni Media
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📽️ YouTube Chapters: Durban’s Epic 100-Year Journey
00:00 – 🎬 Intro: Greyville Glamour & Durban July Fever
🏇 Step into the excitement at Greyville Racecourse during the early Durban July days.
00:54 – ⚓ From Swamps to Port: Victoria Embankment Rises
How Durban’s harbor and embankment transformed a marsh into a city on the move.
01:35 – 🏖️ Bathing Beauty: Durban’s Beach Culture Blooms
The evolution of beachfront holidays, daring swimsuits, and coastal development.
02:27 – 🚔 Point Duty & ‘Dead Man’s Tree’
Stories from Durban’s early police force and the city’s iconic funeral notice trunk.
02:54 – 📻 Broadcasting Firsts: Durban’s Voice on the Airwaves
Rewind to South Africa’s first municipal radio station and its Ridge Road tower.
03:16 – ☎️ King’s House & the Hello Girls
A royal residence and the rise of telephone operators in the early city exchange.
03:38 – ⚓ Graving Dock & The Moths March On
Royal openings, ship repair engineering, and a salute to World War I veterans.
04:15 – ✈️ Alan Cobham’s Flying Boat & Durban’s Air Age
The daring landing that connected Durban to Johannesburg in 1930s style.
05:08 – 🏏 Timeless Cricket: The Match That Never Ended
The legendary Kingsmead Test that ran so long… players missed their ship!
05:26 – 🌍 Durban at War: WWII Spirit & Sacrifice
From butter rations to welcoming Allied troops—Durban stood strong.
06:27 – 🎖️ Heroes Welcomed: Edwin Swales VC & The Moths
Tributes to fallen soldiers and civic ceremonies for Durban’s wartime legacy.
07:28 – 🏘️ Post-War Housing & Umgeni Water Breakthroughs
Solutions to growing demands—mass housing and a vast water scheme.
08:10 – 👑 Freedom of the City & Royal Family Visit (1947)
Durban rolls out the red carpet for Jan Smuts and King George VI’s family.
08:45 – 🚋 Farewell to the Electric Tram
A nostalgic goodbye to a beloved form of public transport.
09:39 – 💧 Nagle Dam Opens: Durban’s Water Lifeline
How the 1950s water system met a growing city’s needs.
10:55 – 🎓 Education, Civic Pride & General Smuts Statue
Marking a centenary of schooling and paying tribute to national heroes.
11:53 – ✈️ Queen Elizabeth II Lands as Jumbo Jets Arrive
A new era begins with international travel and royal engagements.
12:12 – 🌆 Skyline Emerges: A Growing Durban
From colonial trading post to cosmopolitan port city.
13:12 – 🏛️ 1973 Council: Electing the First Chairperson
Continuing a governance tradition dating back to 1854.
13:30 – 🙌 Legacy & Tribute to Pioneers
Honoring the men and women who turned sand dunes into a thriving city.