Gerald Aungier took possession of Colaba and Old Woman's Island in 1675. However, the development of these areas took a long time. In 1743 Colaba was leased to a Richard Broughton at Rs. 200 per annum. The lease was renewed in 1764. In 1796, Colaba became a cantonment for the military troops. The meteorological observatory was established in 1826 at the southern end of the island which is called Upper Colaba. Colaba became a centre of commerce with the opening of the Cotton Exchange at Cotton Green in 1844. Work on the church of St. John the Evangelist was begun in 1847. The church is now known as the Afghan Church (after the First Afghan War of 1838) was consecrated in 1858 and concluded in 1865.
Transport to this end of the new town was revolutionised by the introduction of horse-drawn tram-cars in 1873 by Stearns and Kitteredge. They had their offices on the west side of the Causeway where the B.E.S.T. Electric House stands today.
The Prong's lighthouse at the southern tip of the island was constructed in 1875. In the same year, the Sassoon Docks were built by David Sassoon on reclaimed land. The BB&CI Railways established their terminus in Colaba. These developments pushed the indigenous kolis (fishermen) to the edges of the island near the Sassoon Docks and to the west. The 90,000 square yards of land were reclaimed on the western shore of Colaba.
No comments:
Post a Comment