Port Louis – Place D’Armes – Labourdonnais Square – Albion Docks – 1900s
Converting the primitive harbour that the first french settlers knew into a civilised port was no mean achievement for Mahé de la Bourdonnais. That metamorphosis was the result of the joint efforts of European sailors, Seamen from India and African slaves.
A navigable channel was marked out to facilitate the entrance of ships in the harbour. Ships could even enter the harbour at night, guided by a beacon burning at the top of the ‘Morne de la Découverte’, now Signal Mountain. Today the statue of Mahé de la Bourdonnais stands in front of the harbour and the city as a recognition of the development achieved. When the With time, more development was brought to the harbour, the town and its surroundings. Port Louis soon became the most important shipping centre of the Indian Ocean.
Some of the structures we see in the above image are still visible today even though very much neglected. The Labourdonnais statue is still there in the very same place, most probably. The building on the far right now houses some small trades and commercial activities. (Image below)
Port Louis Old Colonial Building 2013
The Albion Docks on the far right has now been converted into the Port Louis Waterfront which comprises of commercial shops and the Coast Guard station.
