The Old Post Office in Abercorn. This was directly in front of the present Post Office, but was set square onto the main road directly opposite the TVMI. Sadly it was demolished in the early 1950s to make way for the "Bournemouth " style building that still serves Mbala.
Abercorn Boma in 1939. This is the old Boma on the south side of what was Marshall avenue. The Eucalyptus trees were to grow enormous by the 1970s.
The splendid Sunzu House on the upper Siaisi just below Mount Sunzu the highest point in Zambia. These photos come from Judy Jenkins whose father Jack "Sunzu" Rogers and his wife Kathleen bought the house and planted coffee. Later, like so many early buildings the house became infested with white ants and had to be demolished. J ack Rogers was a big shorts man who held great children's parties in his walled garden. It was originally built by Ronald and Lionel Smith.
An London Missionary Society Dwelling House. This one may be at Kayambi but it is very similar to the main house ta Kawimbe in the late 1940s. Source: Cullen Gouldsbury The Great Plateau.
Kawimbe Mission Church in about 1905. From the Marshall Collection, Livingstone Museum. Courtesy of Anita MacCullouch.
Mrs Draper's house at Ndundu on the Kawimbe Road. Mrs Mary Richards, the well know plant collector for Kew Gardens, later lived here. It had an especially fine garden that was visited by a cheetah. It came up and lapped water from the bird bath while Mrs Richards and her visitors enjoyed tea on the veranda.
Will Goodlett's photo of Katula House . This fine residence was built by Henry Maclure Laskie in th late 1930s. Mrs Laskie sold the estate to the Westwoods who opened the Lake View Hotel on the site. Mrs and Mrs Peter Parton later lived there and ran the hotle. The property was then sold to the Outward Bound Association of Zambia and became the Lake School. It had to be partly demolished when a beam failed and the upper floor collapsed. J. H. Venning, who lived next door at Chisungu, called Katula a "rich man's" house in comparison with his own "poor mans" house!
Detail of the brick work and the main doors of the Tanganyika Victoria Memorial Hall in Mbala. Now the offices of the Town Council.
Photo Heather Bender Chalcroft.
Marion and Hope Gamwell in the Italianate garden of Chilongowelo their farm on the Mpulungu Road. This was a charming group of stone built, thatched cottages linked by covered walk ways.
Photo from Horizon
The Italianate garden the Gamwell sisters built at Chilongowelo on the Mpulungu Road. One of the cypress trees developed a fork near the top that spoiled the symmetry. But it was soon corrected by a visiting elephant hunter who blasted of the offending branch. The tree always had a kink thereafter. the hunter was rewarded with a bottle of the Gamwell's own special blend whisky. Photo courtesey Kim Fraser.
"The finest view in Africa". Chisungu House as the garden develops.
On a clear day one could see some 60 miles to the mountains on the Western Congo side of Lake Tanganyika beyond the Northern margin of Cameron Bay.
Ballymain, the Mayne family's bungalow on the Mpulungu Road down from the Gamwell sister's estate. Photo courtesy Denis Mayne.
The drawing room of Ballymain. Note the Tilley lamp on the stand to the right and the William Morris style chairs.. Ted Mayne made the furniture based on designs in contemporary fashion magazines. Photo courtesy Denis Mayne.
Norah Venning and her uncle Ted Mayne dealing with an attack of red ants. Jack Venning unperturbed as usual. Note the coffee seedling bed behind under shade shade roofs. Ted Mayne's Farm Ballymayne off the left of the Mpulungu Road where a side road climbs the Luanzua River valley up the escarpment to join the old Kambole Road.
The fountain in the garden of the Laskie's house in the 1930s. This property later became the Lake View Hotel and then the Outward Bound Lake School.
On a different note: The Public Works Department Supervisors house in Abercorn. This was built in 1950 by David McClean Clark and later occupied by "Aunty" Pat and Henry Williams. It was on the road leading directly up to the IRLCS HQ and faced the back of the Boma.
Abercorn House perhaps dating from the Polish Camp era 1943-46.
On the right out of town on the Itimbwe Road.
Mbulu House on Mbulu Estate a couple of mile up the Mbulu stream from the old bus station. Robert Yule lived here for many years before it was bought by the Carlin's.
In the 1940s this house was the "European Hospital" When the Hospital moved to a new house on Chila View it became a weekly boarding house for Abercorn School. It was run by Mary and Jimmy McGee. Mary was related to the Glynns would had leased Itimbwe ranch. Photo and information Terry Glynn
It was later demolished as it was riddled with white ants and a new house was built for Miss Joan Carlin
The plot was on the left half way up was the road leading from The Lake Press to the water tower.