Port Louis – Place D’Armes and Labourdonnais Square – Carioles ready for work – 1900s

Port Louis - Place D'Armes - Labourdonnais Square - Carioles ready for work - 1900s

After having already written about Place D’Armes and Labourdonnais Square, it is still amazing to discover how the routine of people back then diversed considerably. Among the different methods of transport, the Place D’Armes was quite famous for its ‘taxi’ stand at that time driven by animals, carriages would ensure displacement within the town and …

Port Louis – Place D’Armes – Queen Elizabeth II Visit to Mauritius – Mar 1972

Back in March 1972, Mauritius received the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. While this was indeed a very special event, everything was highly organized that this 3-days tour of Her Majesty was memorable. The Queen was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and arrived from their previous visit, the Seychelles. The Royal Yatch …

Port Louis – Place D’Armes – The Taxi Stand and Vintage Cars – 1967

Port Louis - Place D'Armes - Taxi Stand and Old Cars - Mauritius - 1967

The “Place D’Armes” longing the Government House to the Labourdonnais statue in front of the harbour is one of the best known historical landmarks of Port Louis. The place is considered as the very heart of the city. Around 1865, Port Louis could boast to have a fleet of 1300 rented carriages and as many …

Mauritius during the 1970s – Place D’Armes, The Market and the Harbour!

Port Louis during the 1970s has been a very memorable place for many Mauritians and city life was very ‘vintage’! The country was at its peak retro time and the lifestyle and life trend was full of souvenirs. Place D’Armes, as we had previously been writing many times, can be said to be the heart of the city and overlooking the Government House revealed the buzz of the city. The boats and ships of the harbour can very close to the quay and the waterfront that we could admire every details of them. Those vintage cars of the time were still in their ‘youth’! Morris Minors, Volkswagen Beetles, Bedford Vans, Wolseleys, Old Tiptop Buses (Bedford Buses), Morris Austins, Bedford Lorries and lots of others… a wonderful souvenir for many.

The Harbour with the Winnie and Betty trailer boats were yet to be discovered and ‘La Place du Quay’ was just already a wonderful waterfront. The Old Port Louis Central Market was still full of life and passion. Lottery tickets were still selling at 10 cents (10 sous)! Oh time, how you fly so fast!

Port Louis – Place D’Armes and the Government House – 1960s/70s

Port Louis - Place D'Armes - the Government House - Queen Elizabeth Statue - 1960s

The Government House in Port Louis is one of the oldest building we can find still standing graciously and dates back since the French colony. Whilst it wasn’t originally like it looks today, the Government House began construction under the first french governors of the island, namely Nicolas de Maupin (1729 – 1735) and Mahé …

Port Louis – Place D’Armes viewed from the Government House – 1960s

Port Louis - Place D'Armes - Govt House - 1960s

The Golden days, during the late 1950s/early 1960s when Port Louis City was still looking ‘clean’ if it can be said so. Less traffic compared to nowadays and the change in traffic routing. At that time, TIPTOP buses were very common for the inner city rides, and its bus stand was just at the other …

Port Louis – Place D’Armes and the Government House – early 1900s

Port Louis - Place D'Armes Taxi Stand - early 1900s

At the beginning of 1860, the transport of passengers and goods was undertaken by about 2,000 horses, 4,000 donkeys and 4,500 carriages and carts. Animal-driven transport was the only sole method before the implementation of railway transport in Mauritius back in 1864. At the Place D’Armes, in front of the government house, we could see …

Port Louis – Place D’Armes and Morris Minors – 1965

Port Louis Place D'Armes Morris Minors

Back in 1965, the M1 Motorway was already existent and we could get still get a glimpse of the increase in traffic in the City Centre. At that time, the ‘Place D’Armes’ was a two-way traffic road (now one-way). The glory of the city centre, whilst many would prefer the silent low-traffic and low-movement type …

Port Louis – Place D’Armes and the Government House – 1976

Port Louis Place D'Armes 1976

The Place D’Armes, famous for its taxi stand with these vintage old cars has always made this spot a main access in Port Louis. On one side facing the Government House and on the other facing directly the harbour, the Place D’Armes is a window on the city. Dating back to the french period, this …