Just shy of celebrating a remarkable 174 years of existence on May 7, The Herald is bidding farewell to Newspaper House, the iconic building situated at 19 Baakens Street that the publication has called home for more than 66 years.
The Herald, and its sister publication Weekend Post, will swap the building, a mainstay in the Port Elizabeth city centre, for a fresh, modern space at The Atrium in Ring Road, Greenacres – its new hub, where it will also cultivate the new age of online, digital-first journalism.
The award-winning newspaper’s headquarters have, over the years, moved to various premises since it was first published in Titerton Lane off what was then Main Street on May 7 1845.
Founded by businessman-politician John Paterson, together with John R Philip, who was the printer, the EP Herald – as it was known then – looked nothing like today’s multipage broadsheet, full of colour photographs.
Back then, it comprised a four-page, three-column, hand-set and hand-printed newspaper.
Paterson, born and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland, emigrated to Port Elizabeth in 1841.
In June 1850, Paterson halted publication of the EP Herald after a fallout with Philip.
It would only reappear 3½ months later – under a new name, The Eastern Province News – which Paterson changed back to the original name in 1854.
In 1857, he sold the newspaper to Robert Godlonton.
Ownership became increasingly complex as various companies and editors came and went. Richard Impey took over the editorship – the newspaper at that time situated in then Whites Road at what became Pleinhuis.
The operation later moved to a building on the opposite corner, Herald Chamber, where it stayed for 30 years.
Enter from Britain Edgar Walton (later Sir Edgar), in 1876.
He and cousin Norman Harris in 1895 formed EH Walton, comprising the EP Herald and a printing company.
Finally, in 1898, it became a daily morning paper after having been published for three days a week for 20 years.
New offices were built on the corner of Military Road and Baakens Street and they opened in 1903.
In 1948, local businessmen – mostly EH Walton and Co’s shareholders – formed Eastern Province Newspapers Ltd.
It was soon necessary to expand the premises, with the adjacent new five-storey Newspaper House at 19 Baakens Street being built.
Newspaper House would be the publication’s home from October 1952 until April 2019.
Senior sub-editor Susan Stead is one of the company’s longest-serving employees, having joined as an Evening Post and Weekend Post reporter in February 1978.
The Evening Post eventually closed down in November 2000.
“I am nostalgic about the happy times with colleagues here – about the news scoops we had, about the good friends I made here, about being part of presenting the news to the public every day.
“I will miss being able to view the bay and harbour as I drive along the freeway to work,” Stead said about the old building.
“But it’s time to move to newer premises that are designed for the way we work now, a computer-based operation.
“This [Newspaper House] building was designed for the workplace in the early 1950s and tends to be damp, built as it is on the Baakens River flood plain.”
February 2 1990 is one of Stead’s most memorable days in history.
“I was chief sub-editor for the Evening Post [at the time] and designed the news pages when then president FW de Klerk announced the unbanning of [banned] political parties, the release of Nelson Mandela and other startling reforms,” she said.
“We will never see another day like that in South African newspapers.
“I had that day’s page 1 and 3 framed, and they hang on my passage wall at home.”
The Herald and Weekend Post general manager Nadeem Joshua said: “The media industry is changing, and changing quickly.
“As Tiso Blackstar The Herald, we have needed to adapt and that meant changing how we operate as a business.”
He said the company, over the past five years, had invested in digital platforms, “as well as our internal systems, to continue delivering great products and quality content that our audiences demand”.
“For many of the employees, this change will bring about mixed emotions as we have been operating from Newspaper House for over 60 years.
“We are confident that the new space will become home for another 60 years and beyond,” Joshua said.
“To all the staff and the teams that have made this possible, thank you.”
New era for The Herald and Weekend Post
Image: EUGENE COETZEE
Just shy of celebrating a remarkable 174 years of existence on May 7, The Herald is bidding farewell to Newspaper House, the iconic building situated at 19 Baakens Street that the publication has called home for more than 66 years.
The Herald, and its sister publication Weekend Post, will swap the building, a mainstay in the Port Elizabeth city centre, for a fresh, modern space at The Atrium in Ring Road, Greenacres – its new hub, where it will also cultivate the new age of online, digital-first journalism.
The award-winning newspaper’s headquarters have, over the years, moved to various premises since it was first published in Titerton Lane off what was then Main Street on May 7 1845.
Founded by businessman-politician John Paterson, together with John R Philip, who was the printer, the EP Herald – as it was known then – looked nothing like today’s multipage broadsheet, full of colour photographs.
Back then, it comprised a four-page, three-column, hand-set and hand-printed newspaper.
Paterson, born and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland, emigrated to Port Elizabeth in 1841.
In June 1850, Paterson halted publication of the EP Herald after a fallout with Philip.
It would only reappear 3½ months later – under a new name, The Eastern Province News – which Paterson changed back to the original name in 1854.
In 1857, he sold the newspaper to Robert Godlonton.
Ownership became increasingly complex as various companies and editors came and went. Richard Impey took over the editorship – the newspaper at that time situated in then Whites Road at what became Pleinhuis.
The operation later moved to a building on the opposite corner, Herald Chamber, where it stayed for 30 years.
Enter from Britain Edgar Walton (later Sir Edgar), in 1876.
He and cousin Norman Harris in 1895 formed EH Walton, comprising the EP Herald and a printing company.
Finally, in 1898, it became a daily morning paper after having been published for three days a week for 20 years.
New offices were built on the corner of Military Road and Baakens Street and they opened in 1903.
In 1948, local businessmen – mostly EH Walton and Co’s shareholders – formed Eastern Province Newspapers Ltd.
It was soon necessary to expand the premises, with the adjacent new five-storey Newspaper House at 19 Baakens Street being built.
Newspaper House would be the publication’s home from October 1952 until April 2019.
Senior sub-editor Susan Stead is one of the company’s longest-serving employees, having joined as an Evening Post and Weekend Post reporter in February 1978.
The Evening Post eventually closed down in November 2000.
“I am nostalgic about the happy times with colleagues here – about the news scoops we had, about the good friends I made here, about being part of presenting the news to the public every day.
“I will miss being able to view the bay and harbour as I drive along the freeway to work,” Stead said about the old building.
“But it’s time to move to newer premises that are designed for the way we work now, a computer-based operation.
“This [Newspaper House] building was designed for the workplace in the early 1950s and tends to be damp, built as it is on the Baakens River flood plain.”
February 2 1990 is one of Stead’s most memorable days in history.
“I was chief sub-editor for the Evening Post [at the time] and designed the news pages when then president FW de Klerk announced the unbanning of [banned] political parties, the release of Nelson Mandela and other startling reforms,” she said.
“We will never see another day like that in South African newspapers.
“I had that day’s page 1 and 3 framed, and they hang on my passage wall at home.”
The Herald and Weekend Post general manager Nadeem Joshua said: “The media industry is changing, and changing quickly.
“As Tiso Blackstar The Herald, we have needed to adapt and that meant changing how we operate as a business.”
He said the company, over the past five years, had invested in digital platforms, “as well as our internal systems, to continue delivering great products and quality content that our audiences demand”.
“For many of the employees, this change will bring about mixed emotions as we have been operating from Newspaper House for over 60 years.
“We are confident that the new space will become home for another 60 years and beyond,” Joshua said.
“To all the staff and the teams that have made this possible, thank you.”
After 66 years at Newspaper House in Central, The Herald is moving to new premises. Our new location will be revealed next week. In the meantime, you’re welcome to guess our new home. Here’s a riddle to help you: “Missing us? Interlinking ring, this address.” Get it right and you stand to win an awesome prize! Look out for competition details in print tomorrow.
The Herald and Weekend Post editor Nwabisa Makunga said: “This move marks a very exciting time, an era of growth in the history of The Herald and Weekend Post – both these brands known as the market leaders in the media industry in the Eastern Cape.
“It’s a time for us, yes, to move to a more modern space, but also to entrench ourselves as journalists in the modern world.
“We are looking forward to sharing the space, not only with ourselves as colleagues, but with you as our reader – we are looking forward to you visiting us and really seeing how we want to innovate in telling your story as authentically and powerfully as possible.
“So, do come and join us at Ring Road, at The Atrium – we’re looking forward to it.”
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