A View of the Town Hall and First World War monume...

A View of the Town Hall and First World War monument. Graaff Reinet. Eastern Cape. South Africa. The building of the town hall commenced on 30 April 1910 and was completed on 1 May 1911. This red brick Renaissance style building makes a direct contrast with the Gothic style of the fourth Dutch Reformed Church that stands immediately in front of it. The main hall measures 25,6m by 17,3m with stage facilities. It was opened by Henry Burton, the minister of native affairs, on 5 September 1911 at a grand gala evening where Handel's Hallelujah Chorus was preformed. It was built to commemorate the "great and glorious reign of Queen Victoria". Before electricity was available, the hall was lit by a gas plant capable of providing 400 lights, the installation was the largest of its type in South Africa. The First world War memorial was erected after the First World War to commemorate the soldiers that lost their lives in this series of bloody battles. The area in which the memorial is situated is now known as the Mayor’s Garden, creating a really beautiful setting in which to remember the lives sacrificed in the name of war.