To some, Mill Park is a hub for the affluent, while for others it is a garden suburb.
About the area
To the residents, however, it is simply a great place to live. Residents, many of whom have lived in the area for generations, rave about the friendly people of this picturesque, green corner of Port Elizabeth. The suburb with its leafy streets and sprawling gardens lies close to Cape Road and shopping centres. The boys schools Grey High School and Grey Junior School are landmarks in the suburb along with the Port Elizabeth Golf Course. Most of the upmarket homes that line the streets are beautiful and well maintained. Many are restored Victorian- or Tudor-style mansions that give you a glimpse into years gone by, while others capture the evocative Art Deco era beautifully. Mill Park has an interesting history.
According to the book Port Elizabeth in Bygone Days, the area got its name from the fact that there was an old mill on the land. In 1863, the Mill Farm owner, town councillor TW Gubb, applied for permission to have Xhosa workers build huts on his land. It became home to around 800 people and was known as Gubb’s Location. Gubb sold the land in 1867 but the name still surfaces today. With no sanitation or roads, the conditions on the land deteriorated quickly. According to sahistory.org, the Plague Board closed the location in 1903 due to an outbreak of the bubonic plague. The residents were relocated to Red Location, the oldest part of New Brighton township. Then, in the early 1900s, the area today known as Mill Park was subdivided and large houses were built, often on relatively small plots. Mill Park is a diverse area with high-speed fibre internet and many families are drawn to it due to its proximity to Grey and Collegiate schools. Children ride bikes and play in the streets, and not a morning goes by without people jogging or walking their dogs.
It’s a quiet, leafy suburb which is centrally located, and it is filled with friendly faces. What’s not to love?
Sandy Stretch, Resident
Restaurants nearby:
- Arkenstone Restaurant: known for its great steaks
- The Brazen Head: laid-back Irish restaurant and pub
Schools nearby:
- Grey Junior School
- Grey High School
- St George’s Schools
- Linkside High School
Places of leisure:
- Greenacres Shopping Centre
- Port Elizabeth Golf Club
- Mill Park Bowling Club
Buying in Mill Park
The monthly bond repayment to purchase a typical property in Mill Park, namely a four-bedroom house with the median asking price of R3,675m, is R36,690 per month over 20 years at prime of 10,5% with no deposit.
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
